Genesis 12:17 (DRB)

Passage

But the Lord scourged Pharao and his house with most grievous stripes for Sarai, Abram's wife.

Nearby Context

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

Genesis 12:16 And they used Abram well 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 But the Lord scourged Pharao and his house with most grievous stripes for Sarai, Abram's wife.

Genesis 12:18 And Pharao called Abram, and said to him: What is this that thou hast done to me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

Genesis 12:19 For what cause didst thou say, she was thy sister, that I might take her to my wife? Now therefore there is thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "stripes", "lord", "scourged", "pharao", "house", "most", "grievous", and "sarai". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "stripes" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And they used Abram well for her..." into verse 18's "And Pharao called Abram and said to...", so "stripes" and "lord" 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 "stripes" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.