Genesis

Genesis 12:11–13

¹¹As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, ¹²and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”

Read all of Genesis 12

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 12:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
As	כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
he was about	הִקְרִ֖יב	hiq·rîḇ	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7126 come near, approach
to enter	לָב֣וֹא	lā·ḇō·w	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H935 come in, come, go in, go
Egypt	מִצְרָ֑יְמָה	miṣ·rā·yə·māh	Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
he said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
his wife	אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ	’iš·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
Sarai	שָׂרַ֣י	śā·ray	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8297 Sarai
Look	הִנֵּה־	hin·nêh-	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
I know	יָדַ֔עְתִּי	yā·ḏa‘·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
that	כִּ֛י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you	אָֽתְּ׃	’āt	Pronoun - second person feminine singular	H859 thou
a beautiful	יְפַת־	yə·p̄aṯ-	Adjective - feminine singular construct	H3303 fair, beautiful
woman	אִשָּׁ֥ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female

Genesis 12:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and	וְהָיָ֗ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
when	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the Egyptians	הַמִּצְרִ֔ים	ham·miṣ·rîm	Article; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H4713 Mitsrite
see you	יִרְא֤וּ	yir·’ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7200 see
they will say	וְאָמְר֖וּ	wə·’ā·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H559 utter, say
This	זֹ֑את	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
is his wife	אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ	’iš·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
Then they will kill	וְהָרְג֥וּ	wə·hā·rə·ḡū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H2026 kill, slay
me	אֹתִ֖י	’ō·ṯî	Direct object marker; first person common singular	H853 mark of the accusative
but	וְאֹתָ֥ךְ	wə·’ō·ṯāḵ	Conjunctive waw; Direct object marker; second person feminine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
will let you live	יְחַיּֽוּ׃	yə·ḥay·yū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2421 live

Genesis 12:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Please	נָ֖א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
say	אִמְרִי־	’im·rî-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular	H559 utter, say
you are	אָ֑תְּ	’āt	Pronoun - second person feminine singular	H859 thou
my sister	אֲחֹ֣תִי	’ă·ḥō·ṯî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H269 sister
so that	לְמַ֙עַן֙	lə·ma·‘an	Conjunction	H4616 purpose, intent
I will be treated well	יִֽיטַב־	yî·ṭaḇ-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing
for your sake	בַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ	ḇa·‘ă·ḇū·rêḵ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singular	H5668 crossed, transit, account
and on account of you	בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ׃	biḡ·lā·lêḵ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singular	H1558 account
my life	נַפְשִׁ֖י	nap̄·šî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
will be spared	וְחָיְתָ֥ה	wə·ḥā·yə·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H2421 live

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 12:11 Genesis 26:7 · Genesis 12:14 · Genesis 29:17 · Proverbs 21:30

Genesis 12:12 Genesis 20:11 · Genesis 26:7 · 1 John 1:8–10 · Proverbs 29:25 · Matthew 10:28

Genesis 12:13 Genesis 26:7 · Genesis 20:12–13 · Genesis 20:2 · Genesis 20:5

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.