Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?
Parallel Translations
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Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?
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And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
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And Pharaoh called Abram, and said: 'What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to Genesis 12:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 20:9-10 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!” Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?”
- Genesis 26:9-11 Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister?’ ” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’ ” Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
- 1 Samuel 14:43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!” Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.”
- Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires.
- Genesis 3:13 Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
- Genesis 4:10 Yahweh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.
- Genesis 31:26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
- Genesis 44:15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”
- Exodus 32:21 Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”
- Joshua 7:19 Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done! Don’t hide it from me!”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (10 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 18. And Pharaoh called Abram. Pharaoh justly expostulates with…
18. And Pharaoh called Abram. Pharaoh justly expostulates with Abram, who was chiefly in fault. No answer on the part of Abram is here recorded; and perhaps he assented to the just and true reprehension. It is, however, possible that the exculpation was omitted by Moses; whose design was to give an example of the Divine providence in preserving Abram, and vindicating his marriage relation. But, although Abram knew that he was suffering the due punishment of his folly, or of his unreasonable caution; He, nevertheless, relapsed, as we shall see in its proper place, a second time into the same fault.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 12:18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What…
Gen 12:18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she [was] thy wife?
Ver. 18. What is this that thou hast done unto me?] God had reproved Pharaoh, according to that; "He suffered no man to do them wrong, but reproved kings for their sakes"; {Psa 105:14} and now Pharaoh reproves Abram. It is a sad thing that saints should do that for which they should justly fall under the reproof of the wicked: we should rather dazzle their eyes, and draw from their consciences, at least, a testimony of our innocency, as David did from Saul’s, when he said, "Thou art more righteous than I, my son David". {1Sa 24:17} "Whose ox have I taken?" saith Samuel. {1Sa 12:3} "And which of you can condemn me of sin?" saith Christ. {Joh 8:46} Now, the life of a Christian should be a commentary upon Christ’s life. {1Pe 2:21} "Ye are a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should preach forth [εξαγγειλητε] his virtues," {1Pe 2:9} and not hang his picture - his image and graces - in a dark hole, but in a conspicuous place. Bucer so lived that neither could his friends sufficiently praise him, nor his foes justly blame him for any miscarriage. And Bradford was had in so great reverence and admiration for his holiness, that a multitude which never knew him but by fame greatly lamented his death; yea, and a number also of Papists themselves wished heartily his life. {a} But to have Egyptians jeer us, and that for sin, is threatened as a grievous misery. {Hos 7:16}
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{a} Act. and Mon.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain How great an injury hast thou done to me…
How great an injury hast thou done to me in concealing this from me, that she was thy wife!
Ques. How knew Pharaoh this?
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Answ.
1. He guessed it from the quality of his plague, which also awakened his conscience.
2. Upon a serious inquiry into the cause of this plague, he understood it either by Divine instinct, as Gen 20:3, or by Sarai's confession, whom doubtless he severely examined about it. And she, being awakened by this warning, durst no longer conceal herself, and thought she might securely make herself known.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And Pharaoh called Abram, and said,.... Understanding how it…
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said,.... Understanding how it was, that Sarai was his wife, which he came at the knowledge of, either by consulting his priests and diviners, as some say, on account of the plagues inflicted; or rather suspecting they were on the account of Sarai, from the nature of them, sent for her, and questioned her about this affair, who confessed the whole matter to him; unless it can be thought that he was warned of God in a dream, as Abimelech was on a like occasion; however he sent for Abram on what intelligence he had, and justly, though gently, reproved him:
what is this that thou hast done unto me? to impose upon me, and deceive me after this manner, by giving out that Sarai was thy sister, when she is thy wife; by which means I have been led to prepare to take her for my wife, and have brought plagues upon myself and family? and thus he resented it as an injury done him, as he well might:
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why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? when he first took her into his house, and no doubt Abram was present then, and very often afterwards was in company with Pharaoh, and conversed with him, having respect for him for the sake of Sarai, he took to be his sister, and yet would never tell him she was his wife.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain What is this that thou hast done? - What…
What is this that thou hast done? - What an ill thing; how unbecoming a wife and good man! Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? - Intimating, that if he had known that, he would not have taken her. It is a fault, too common among good people, to entertain suspicions of others beyond what there is cause for. We have often found more of virtue, honour, and conscience in some people, than we thought there was; and it ought to be a pleasure to us to be thus disappointed, as Abram was here, who found Pharaoh to be a better man than he expected.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Gen 12:18. What is this that thou hast done…
Gen 12:18. What is this that thou hast done — What an ill thing: how unbecoming a wise and good man! Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? — Intimating, that if he had known that he would not have taken her. It is a fault, too common among good people, to entertain suspicions of others beyond what there is cause for. We have often found more of virtue, honour, and conscience in some people, than we thought there was; and it ought to be a pleasure to us to be thus disappointed, as Abram was here, who found Pharaoh to be a better man than he expected.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Here is a most humiliating rebuke, and Abram deserved…
Here is a most humiliating rebuke, and Abram deserved it. Had not God interfered, he might have been tempted to stay in Egypt and forget the promise (Psa 105:13, Psa 105:15). Often still does God rebuke His people and remind them through enemies that this world is not their rest.
Next: Genesis Chapter 13
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 18. What is this — The heathen despot reproves…
18. What is this — The heathen despot reproves the sin of the God-fearing Abram! What a humiliation!
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 18. Pharaoh called Abram] How Pharaoh discovered the truth…
18. Pharaoh called Abram] How Pharaoh discovered the truth is not recorded in our condensed version. All other explanations of the epidemic failing, possibly the wise men and magicians connected it with the presence of a foreigner in the palace serving Jehovah, and with the indignation of the offended local deities.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 18, 19. And Pharaoh called Abram and said,…
Vers. 18, 19. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me t why didst thou not tell me she was thy wife? In which case we are bound to believe the monarch that he would not have taken her. Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife (which as yet he had not done; an indirect proof both of the monarch"s honorable purpose towards Sarai and of Sarai"s unsullied purity): now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. According to Josephus ("Bell. Jud:" 5:9:4) Sarah was only one night in Pharaoh"s house; but this is obviously incorrect.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.