Genesis 12:13 (GNV)

Passage

Say, I pray thee, that thou art my sister, that I may fare well for thy sake, and that my life may be preserued by thee.

Nearby Context

Genesis 12:11 And when he drewe neere to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, Beholde nowe, I know that thou art a faire woman to looke vpon:

Genesis 12:12 Therefore it will come to passe, that when the Egyptians see thee, they will say, She is his wife: so will they kill me, but they will keepe thee aliue.

Genesis 12:13 Say, I pray thee, that thou art my sister, that I may fare well for thy sake, and that my life may be preserued by thee.

Genesis 12:14 Nowe when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians behelde the woman: for she was very faire.

Genesis 12:15 And the Princes of Pharaoh sawe her, and commended her vnto Pharaoh: so the woman was taken into Pharaohs house:

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Therefore it will come to passe that..." into verse 14's "Nowe when Abram was come into Egypt...", so "pray" and "thee" 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 "pray" and "thee" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.