Genesis 12:18 (GNV)

Passage

Then Pharaoh called Abram, and saide, Why hast thou done this vnto me? Wherefore diddest thou not tell me, that she was thy wife?

Nearby Context

Genesis 12:16 Who intreated Abram well for her sake, and he had sheepe, and beeues, and hee asses, and men seruants and maide seruants, and shee asses, and camelles.

Genesis 12:17 But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai Abrams wife.

Genesis 12:18 Then Pharaoh called Abram, and saide, Why hast thou done this vnto me? Wherefore diddest thou not tell me, that she was thy wife?

Genesis 12:19 Why saidest thou, She is my sister, that I should take her to be my wife? Nowe therefore beholde thy wife, take her and goe thy way.

Genesis 12:20 And Pharaoh gaue men commandement concerning him: and they conueyed him forth, and his wife, and all that he had.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "pharaoh", "abram", "saide", "hast", "thou", "done", and "vnto". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "pharaoh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his..." into verse 19's "Why saidest thou She is my sister...", so "called" and "pharaoh" 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 "called" and "pharaoh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.