Genesis 12:18 (ASV)

Passage

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?

Nearby Context

Genesis 12:16 And he dealt well with Abram for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels.

Genesis 12:17 And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram`s wife.

Genesis 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?

Genesis 12:19 why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

Genesis 12:20 And Pharaoh gave men charge concerning him: and they brought him on the way, and his wife, and all that he had.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "pharaoh", "abram", "said", "thou", "hast", "done", and "didst". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "pharaoh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house..." into verse 19's "why saidst thou She is my sister...", so "called" and "pharaoh" 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 "called" and "pharaoh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.