The Meaning of Genesis 12:19 Explained

Genesis 12:19

KJV: 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.

YLT: Why hast thou said, She is my sister, and I take her to myself for a wife? and now, lo, thy wife, take and go.'

Darby: Why didst thou say, She is my sister, so that I took her as my wife. And now, behold, there is thy wife: take her, and go away.

ASV: why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 12:19 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 12:19 mean?

why did you say my sister she [is] so I might have taken her to me as my wife now therefore here [is] your wife take [her] and go [your way]
לָמָ֤ה אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ ؟ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא וָאֶקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ לִ֖י ؟ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנֵּ֥ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ קַ֥ח וָלֵֽךְ

לָמָ֤ה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙  did  you  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
؟ אֲחֹ֣תִי  my  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
הִ֔וא  she  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וָאֶקַּ֥ח  so  I  might  have  taken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֹתָ֛הּ  her 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לִ֖י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
؟ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה  as  my  wife 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וְעַתָּ֕ה  now  therefore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
הִנֵּ֥ה  here  [is] 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אִשְׁתְּךָ֖  your  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
קַ֥ח  take  [her] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וָלֵֽךְ  and  go  [your  way] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 12:19?

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