Genesis 12:19 (DBY)

Passage

Why didst thou say, She is my sister, so that I took her as my wife. And now, behold, there is thy wife: take [her], and go away.

Nearby Context

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 thou hast done to me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

Genesis 12:19 Why didst thou say, She is my sister, so that I took her as my wife. And now, behold, there is thy wife: take [her], and go away.

Genesis 12:20 And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him, and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "didst", "thou", "sister", "took", "wife", "behold", and "take". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "didst" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And Pharaoh called Abram and said What..." into verse 20's "And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him...", so "didst" and "thou" 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 "didst" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.