The Meaning of Genesis 12:16 Explained

Genesis 12:16

KJV: And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

YLT: and to Abram he hath done good because of her, and he hath sheep and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and handmaids, and she-asses, and camels.

Darby: And he treated Abram well on her account; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and bondmen, and bondwomen, and she-asses, and camels.

ASV: And he dealt well with Abram for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he entreated  Abram  well  for her sake: and he had sheep,  and oxen,  and he asses,  and menservants,  and maidservants,  and she asses,  and camels. 

What does Genesis 12:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 12:10-20 - Abram And Sarai In Egypt
It is a comfort that the Holy Spirit permits us to trace the successive stages through which the father of those who believe made his way to the maturity of faith. We all stumble as we step out on the difficult path. But God is patient with His dull scholars and protects them. See Psalms 105:15. It was certain that no weapon formed against him could prosper, nor God's promise fail, yet Abram meanly sacrificed Sarai with his pitiful proposition for his own safety. This doubting outbreak would never have occurred, unless the patriarch had gone down to Egypt, which in Scripture stands for creature-confidence. See Isaiah 30:1. The God of glory, who had sent him forth, was responsible for his maintenance in Canaan, even though famine prevailed. He ought to have stayed quietly in the position to which God had called him, leaving the Almighty to provide. Live with God in the heights; and do not go down into Egypt. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 12

1  God calls Abram, and blesses him with a promise of Christ
4  He departs with Lot from Haran, and comes to Canaan
6  He journeys through Canaan,
7  which is promised to him in a vision
10  He is driven by famine into Egypt
11  Fear makes him feign his wife to be his sister
14  Pharaoh, having taken her from him, is compelled to restore her
18  Pharaoh reproves Abram, whom he dismisses

What do the individual words in Genesis 12:16 mean?

And Abram he treated well for her sake and he had - sheep and oxen and male donkeys and menservants and maidservants and female donkeys and camels
וּלְאַבְרָ֥ם הֵיטִ֖יב בַּעֲבוּרָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־ ל֤וֹ צֹאן־ וּבָקָר֙ וַחֲמֹרִ֔ים וַעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת וּגְמַלִּֽים

וּלְאַבְרָ֥ם  And  Abram 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָם  
Sense: original name of Abraham.
הֵיטִ֖יב  he  treated  well 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
בַּעֲבוּרָ֑הּ  for  her  sake 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עֲבוּר  
Sense: for the sake of, on account of, because of, in order to conj.
וַֽיְהִי־  and  he  had 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
ל֤וֹ  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
צֹאן־  sheep 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וּבָקָר֙  and  oxen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וַחֲמֹרִ֔ים  and  male  donkeys 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
וַעֲבָדִים֙  and  menservants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת  and  maidservants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.
וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת  and  female  donkeys 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אָתֹון  
Sense: she-ass, she-donkey.
וּגְמַלִּֽים  and  camels 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גָּמָל  
Sense: camel.