Genesis 12:13 (DRB)

Passage

Say, therefore, I pray thee, that thou art my sister: that I may be well used for thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake.

Nearby Context

Genesis 12:11 And when he was near to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife: I know that thou art a beautiful woman:

Genesis 12:12 And that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they will say: She is his wife: and they will kill me, and keep thee.

Genesis 12:13 Say, therefore, I pray thee, that thou art my sister: that I may be well used for thee, and that my soul may live for thy sake.

Genesis 12:14 And when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman that she was very beautiful.

Genesis 12:15 And the princes told Pharao, and praised her before him: and the woman was taken into the house of Pharao.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "pray", "thee", "thou", "sister", "well", and "used". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "pray", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "And that when the Egyptians shall see..." into verse 14's "And when Abram was come into Egypt...", so "therefore" and "pray" 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 "therefore" and "pray" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.