Internet Verse Search Commentaries Word Analysis ITL - draft

Genesis 12:13

NETBible	So tell them¹ you are my sister² so that it may go well³ for me because of you and my life will be spared⁴ on account of you.”
NIV © biblegateway Gen 12:13	Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."
NASB © biblegateway Gen 12:13	"Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."
NLT © biblegateway Gen 12:13	But if you say you are my sister, then the Egyptians will treat me well because of their interest in you, and they will spare my life."
MSG © biblegateway Gen 12:13	Do me a favor: tell them you're my sister. Because of you, they'll welcome me and let me live."
BBE © SABDAweb Gen 12:13	Say, then, that you are my sister, and so it will be well with me because of you, and my life will be kept safe on your account.
NRSV © bibleoremus Gen 12:13	Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account."
NKJV © biblegateway Gen 12:13	"Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you."
[+] More English


KJV	Say <0559> (8798)_, I pray thee <04994>_, thou [art] my sister <0269>_: that <04616> it may be well <03190> (8799) with me for thy sake; and my soul <05315> shall live <02421> (8804) because of thee <01558>_.
NASB © biblegateway Gen 12:13	"Please <04994> say <0559> that you are my sister <0269> so <04616> that it may go <03190> well <03190> with me because <05668> of you, and that I may live <02421> on account <01558> of you."
LXXM	eipon {V-AAD-2S} oun <3767> PRT oti <3754> CONJ adelfh <79> N-NSF autou <846> D-GSM eimi <1510> V-PAI-1S opwv <3704> CONJ an <302> PRT eu <2095> ADV moi <1473> P-DS genhtai <1096> V-AMS-3S dia <1223> PREP se <4771> P-AS kai <2532> CONJ zhsetai <2198> V-FMI-3S h <3588> T-NSF quch <5590> N-NSF mou <1473> P-GS eneken {PREP} sou <4771> P-GS
NET [draft] ITL	So tell <0559> them you <0859> are my sister <0269> so that <04616> it may go well <03190> for me because of <05668> you and my life <05315> will be spared <02421> on account <01558> of you.”
HEBREW	Kllgb <01558> yspn <05315> htyxw <02421> Krwbeb <05668> yl <0> bjyy <03190> Neml <04616> ta <0859> ytxa <0269> an <04994> yrma (12:13) <0559>

NETBible

So tell them¹ you are my sister² so that it may go well³ for me because of you and my life will be spared⁴ on account of you.”

NET Notes

¹tn Heb “say.”

²sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.

³tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.

⁴tn Heb “and my life will live.”