Genesis 12 · Verse 11

Genesis 12:11

And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

Genesis 12:11, King James Version

Genesis 12:11 in other translations

BSB	As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
WEB	When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.
ASV	And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
YLT	and it cometh to pass as he hath drawn near to enter Egypt, that he saith unto Sarai his wife, ‘Lo, I pray thee, I have known that thou art a woman of beautiful appearance;
DARBY	And it came to pass when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a woman fair to look upon.
BBE	Now when he came near to Egypt, he said to Sarai, his wife, Truly, you are a fair woman and beautiful to the eye;
Webster	And it came to pass, when he had come near to enter into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

What does Genesis 12:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 12:11-13

11-13. Sarai's complexion, coming from a mountainous country, would be fresh and fair compared with the faces of Egyptian women which were sallow. The counsel of Abram to her was true in words, but it was a deception, intended to give an impression that she was no more than his sister. His conduct was culpable and inconsistent with his character as a servant of God: it showed a reliance on worldly policy more than a trust in the promise; and he not only sinned himself, but tempted Sarai to sin also.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 11 Thou art a fair woman to look upon - Widely differing in her complexion from the swarthy Egyptians, and consequently more likely to be coveted by them. It appears that Abram supposed they would not scruple to take away the life of the husband in order to have the undisturbed possession of the wife. The age of Sarai at this time is not well agreed on by commentators, some making her ninety, while others make her only sixty-five. From Gen 17:17, we learn that Sarai was ten years younger than Abram, for she was but ninety when he was one hundred. And from Gen 12:4, we find that Abram was seventy-five when he was called to leave Haran and go to Canaan, at which time Sarai could be only sixty-five; and if the transactions recorded in the preceding verses took place in the course of that year, which I think possible, consequently Sarai was but sixty-five; and as in those times people lived much longer, and disease seems to have had but a very contracted influence, women and men would necessarily arrive more slowly at a state of perfection, and retain their vigor and complexion much longer, than in later times. We may add to these considerations that strangers and foreigners are more coveted by the licentious than those who are natives. This has been amply illustrated in the West Indies and in America, where the jetty, monkey-faced African women are preferred to the elegant and beautiful Europeans! To this subject a learned British traveler elegantly applied those words of Virgil, Ecl. ii., ver. 18: - Alba ligustra cadunt, vaccinia nigra leguntur. White lilies lie neglected on the plain, While dusky hyacinths for use remain. Dryden.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 12:10-20

There is no state on earth free from trials, nor any character free from blemishes. There was famine in Canaan, the glory of all lands, and unbelief, with the evils it ever brings, in Abram the father of the faithful. Perfect happiness and perfect purity dwell only in heaven. Abram, when he must for a time quit Canaan, goes to Egypt, that he might not seem to look back, and meaning to tarry there no longer than…

Read the full comment on Genesis 12:10-20 →

Genesis 12:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֕יvay.Hiand it wasH1961

כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka.'a.Sherjust asH834

הִקְרִ֖יבhik.Rivhe drew nearH7126

לָב֣וֹאla.Vo'to enterH935

מִצְרָ֑יְמָהmitz.Ra.ye.mahEgypt <towards>H4714

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559

אֶל\־'el-toH413

שָׂרַ֣יsa.RaiSaraiH8297

אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ'ish.Towife hisH802

הִנֵּה\־hi.neh-here!H2009

נָ֣אna'pleaseH4994

יָדַ֔עְתִּיya.Da'.tiI knowH3045

כִּ֛יkithatH3588

אִשָּׁ֥ה'i.Shah[are] a womanH802

יְפַת\־ye.fat-beautiful ofH3303

מַרְאֶ֖הmar.'EhappearanceH4758

אָֽתְּ\׃'AtyouH859

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 12:11

Genesis 26:7
And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.
Genesis 12:14
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
Genesis 29:17
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Song of Solomon 1:14
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En–gedi.
2 Samuel 11:2
And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
Genesis 39:6-7
And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

a fair.
14; 26:7; 29:17; 39:6,7; 2Sa 11:2; Pr 21:30; So 1:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 12:10
And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
Genesis 12:11
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Genesis 12:12
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

Read all of Genesis 12

Genesis 12:11 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y aconteció que cuando estaba para entrar en Egipto, dijo á Sarai su mujer: He aquí, ahora conozco que eres mujer hermosa de vista;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il arriva, comme il était près d’entrer en Égypte, qu’il dit à Saraï, sa femme: Voici, je sais que tu es une femme belle de visage;
German Elberfelder 1871	Und es geschah, als er nahe daran war, nach Ägypten zu kommen, da sprach er zu Sarai, seinem Weibe: Siehe doch, ich weiß, daß du ein Weib, schön von Ansehen, bist;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Cumque prope esset ut ingrederetur Ægyptum, dixit Sarai uxori suæ: Novi quod pulchra sis mulier: