Genesis 12 · Verse 18

Genesis 12:18

And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Genesis 12:18, King James Version

Genesis 12:18 in other translations

BSBSo Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
WEBPharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?
ASVAnd Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
YLTAnd Pharaoh calleth for Abram, and saith, ‘What is this thou hast done to me? why hast thou not declared to me that she is thy wife?
DARBYAnd Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this thou hast done to me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
BBEThen Pharaoh sent for Abram, and said, What have you done to me? why did you not say that she was your wife?
WebsterAnd Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done to me? why didst thou not tell me that she is thy wife?

What does Genesis 12:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 12:18-20
18-20. Here is a most humiliating rebuke, and Abram deserved it. Had not God interfered, he might have been tempted to stay in Egypt and forget the promise (Psa 105:13, 15). Often still does God rebuke His people and remind them through enemies that this world is not their rest.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · 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 12:18 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.

וַיִּקְרָ֤אvai.yik.Ra'and he summonedH7121
פַרְעֹה֙far.'OhPharaohH6547
לְאַבְרָ֔םle.'av.Ram<to> AbramH87
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
זֹּ֖אתzotthisH2063
עָשִׂ֣יתָ'a.Si.tahave you doneH6213
לִּ֑יLito <the> me
לָ֚מָּהLa.mah<to> why?H4100
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
הִגַּ֣דְתָּhi.Gad.tadid you tellH5046
לִּ֔יLito <the> me
כִּ֥יkithatH3588
אִשְׁתְּךָ֖'ish.te.Kha[was] wife yourH802
הִֽוא\׃hi'sheH1931

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

Cross references for Genesis 12:18

  • Genesis 20:9-10

    Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

  • Genesis 26:9-11

    And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

  • 1 Samuel 14:43

    Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

  • Proverbs 21:1

    The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

  • Genesis 44:15

    And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

  • Exodus 32:21

    And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

  • Genesis 4:10

    And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

  • Joshua 7:19

    And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

  • Genesis 3:13

    And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

  • Genesis 31:26

    And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3:13; 4:10; 20:9,10; 26:9-11; 31:26; 44:15; Ex 32:21; Jos 7:19
1Sa 14:43; Pr 21:1

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

Context

  • Genesis 12:17

    And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.

  • Genesis 12:18

    And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

  • Genesis 12:19

    Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

Read all of Genesis 12

Genesis 12:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces Faraón llamó á Abram, y le dijo: ¿Qué es esto que has hecho conmigo? ¿Por qué no me declaraste que era tu mujer?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le Pharaon appela Abram, et dit: Qu’est-ce que tu m’as fait? Pourquoi ne m’as-tu pas déclaré qu’elle était ta femme?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und der Pharao ließ Abram rufen und sprach: Was hast du mir da getan? Warum hast du mir nicht kundgetan, daß sie dein Weib ist?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Vocavitque Pharao Abram, et dixit ei: Quidnam est hoc quod fecisti mihi? quare non indicasti quod uxor tua esset?