Genesis 12:12 (DBY)

Passage

And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see thee, that they will say, She is his wife; and they will slay me, and save thee alive.

Nearby Context

Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land. And Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was grievous in the land.

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

Genesis 12:12 And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see thee, that they will say, She is his wife; and they will slay me, and save thee alive.

Genesis 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me on thy account, and my soul may live because of thee.

Genesis 12:14 And it came to pass when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "come", "pass", "egyptians", "thee", "wife", "slay", and "save". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "come" and "pass", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "And it came to pass when he..." into verse 13's "Say I pray thee thou art my...", so "come" and "pass" 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 "come" and "pass" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.