Genesis 12:19 (DRB)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Genesis 12:20 And Pharao gave his men orders concerning Abram: and they led him away and his wife, and all that he had.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And Pharao called Abram and said to..." into verse 20's "And Pharao gave his men orders concerning...", so "cause" and "didst" 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 "cause" and "didst" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.