Genesis 12b
27 Dec 2025 - Theology
Genesis 12:10-20 - Abram: Down to Egypt
Abram tells his wife Sarai to say that she is his sister, so that the Egyptians would not kill Abram and take Sarai for themselves.
Problems:
- Did Abram lie to Pharaoh, or was it a trick?
- Did Abram do this because he knew Adonai would rescue them?
- Why did Pharaoh not take his stuff back, or kill Abram for his deception?
In the Hebrew language:
- ‘father’ could mean father, grandfather, or great grandfather
- ‘sister’ could mean sister, niece, or female cousin
This lie is technically true, as Sarai is his niece, his brother Haran’s daughter. Abram knows that as the patriarch, he will receive a dowry in exchange for the hand of Sarai in marriage. He has a plan so that they are treated well, and then they can sneak away and leave.
The one person who doesn’t court is Pharaoh. He sees what he wants and takes it. Pharaoh still treated Abram well, so the plan worked but also didn’t work, as now Sarai has been taken in by Pharaoh.
Genesis 13:3 - Abram, Sarai, and Lot go directly back to Bethel where he had pitched his tent earlier (12:8)
Chiasm:
- 12:8
————– - 13:3
Middle - Genesis 12:15
Genesis 12:15 - “The princes also of Pharaoh saw her [Sarai], and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.”
Lesson: Things don’t always go as planned, and we can’t always control the circumstances like we think we can.
Abram and Sarai – Hebrews
Adam and Eve - first humans
Abram and Sarai - first Hebrews (Genesis 14:13)
Parallels between this story and the Hebrew tribes of Israel:
| Abram and Sarai | Tribes of Israel |
|---|---|
| Passed through the land of Canaan, and when there was a famine they went down to Egypt | Passed through the land of Canaan, and when there was a famine they went down to Egypt |
| Pharaoh thought Sarai was beautiful, so he took her for his own | The tribes of Israel were good laborers, so Pharaoh took them for his own, forcing them into slavery |
| To rescue Sarai, Adonai brought plagues on Pharaoh and his household | To rescue the tribes of Israel, Adonai brought plagues on Pharaoh and Egypt |
| Pharaoh calls Abram to speak with him to tell him to leave | Pharaoh calls Moses to tell him to take the tribes and leave |
| They left Egypt with more wealth | They left Egypt with more wealth |
God may be using the story of Abram and Sarai to remind us of the story of the Hebrews.
No matter where we go, God looks after us and protects us.
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The BEMA Podcast, Episode 9: Letting Go
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)