Genesis 12:10 (ASV)

Passage

And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land.

Nearby Context

Genesis 12:8 And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah.

Genesis 12:9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.

Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land.

Genesis 12:11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

Genesis 12:12 and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "famine", "land", "abram", "went", "down", "egypt", and "sojourn". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "famine" and "land", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "And Abram journeyed going on still toward..." into verse 11's "And it came to pass when he...", so "famine" and "land" belong inside that flow. In Genesis context, the local focus is creation, human rebellion, covenant promise, and God's providence.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "famine" and "land" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.