So when Abram entered Egypt
This phrase marks a significant moment in Abram's journey, as he enters Egypt due to a famine in Canaan. The Hebrew root for "entered" (בּוֹא, bo) implies a purposeful action, suggesting Abram's decision was deliberate and necessary. Egypt, known as "Mizraim" in Hebrew, was a powerful and prosperous nation, often a refuge during times of famine. Historically, Egypt's fertile Nile Delta made it a logical destination for those seeking sustenance. Abram's entry into Egypt foreshadows future events in the biblical narrative, including the Israelites' eventual sojourn and exodus from the same land.

the Egyptians saw
The verb "saw" (רָאָה, ra'ah) in Hebrew indicates more than just a casual glance; it suggests a careful observation or discernment. The Egyptians' perception of Sarai's beauty is immediate and significant, setting the stage for the unfolding drama. This moment highlights the cultural and social dynamics of ancient Egypt, where beauty was highly esteemed and could influence one's status and treatment. The Egyptians' recognition of Sarai's beauty also underscores the universal appreciation of beauty across cultures and times.

that the woman
Referring to Sarai, Abram's wife, this phrase emphasizes her role in the narrative. In the patriarchal context of the ancient Near East, women often held a secondary status, yet Sarai's beauty and presence become pivotal in the story. The Hebrew word for "woman" (אִשָּׁה, ishah) is used here, which can also mean "wife," indicating her marital status and the potential implications of her beauty being noticed by others. Sarai's identity as Abram's wife is central to the unfolding events and the moral and ethical dilemmas that arise.

was very beautiful
The description of Sarai as "very beautiful" (יָפֶה, yafeh) is significant. The Hebrew word for "beautiful" is often used in the Bible to describe physical attractiveness, and the addition of "very" (מְאֹד, me'od) intensifies this attribute. This acknowledgment of Sarai's beauty is not merely superficial; it plays a crucial role in the narrative, affecting Abram's decisions and the interactions with the Egyptians. Beauty, in this context, becomes a double-edged sword, bringing both favor and potential danger. The emphasis on Sarai's beauty also serves to highlight God's providence and protection over her and Abram, despite the challenges they face.

(14, 15) Pharaoh is not the name of a person, but was the title borne by all the Egyptian monarchs.

Verses 14, 15. - And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also - literally, and the pronces (שָׂרֵי, mas. of Sarah), chief men or courtiers, who, in accordance with the ancient custom of Egypt that no slave should approach the priestly person of Pharaoh, were sons of the principal priests (vide Havernick, § 18) - of Pharaoh. The official title of the kings of Egypt (cf. Caesar, the designation of the Roman emperors, and Czar, that of the Emperor of Russia), who are never introduced in the Pentateuch, as in later books, by their individual names (1 Kings 3:1; 9:40); an indirect evidence that the author of Genesis must at least have been acquainted with the manners of the Egyptian Court. The term Pharaoh, which continued in use till after the Persian invasion - under the Greek empire the Egyptian rulers were styled Ptolemies - is declared by Josephus to signify "king" ('Ant.,' 8:06, 2), which agrees with the Koptic Pouro (Piouro; from ouro, to rule, whence touro, queen), which also means king. Modern Egyptologers, however, in. cline to regard it as corresponding to the Phra of the inscriptions (Rosellini, Lepeius, Wilkinson), or to the hieroglyphic Peraa, or Perao, "the great house (M. de Rouge, Brugsch, Ebers), an appellation which belonged to the Egyptian monarchs, and with which may be compared "the Sublime Porte," as applied to the Turkish sultans (cf. Canon Cook in 'Speaker's Commentary,' vol. 1. p. 47?). The particular monarch who occupied the Egyptian throne at the time of Abram's arrival has been conjectured to be Necao (Josephus, 'Bell. Jud.,' 5. 9:4), Ramessemenes (Syncellus, p. 101), Pharethones (Euseb., 'Praep. Ev.,' 9:8), Apappus (Wilkinson, 'Anc. Egypt.,' vol. 1. p. 13, note 5, Dr. Bitch's edition), Achthoes, the sixth king of the eleventh dynasty (Osburn, 'Men. Hist. of Egypt,' vol. 1. Genesis 7. p. 375), Salatis or Saitas, the first king of the fifteenth dynasty, whose reign commenced B.C. 2080 (Stuart Peele in 'Smith's Dict.,' art. Pharaoh), a monarch belonging to the sixteenth dynasty of shepherd kings (Kalisch), and a Pharaoh who flourished between the middle of the eleventh and thirteenth dynasties, most probably one of the earliest Pharaohs of the twelfth (Canon Cook in 'Speaker's Commentary,' vol. 1. p. 447). Amid such conflicting testimony from erudite archaeologists it is apparent that nothing can be ascertained with exactitude as to the date of Abram's sojourn in Egypt; though the last-named writer, who exhibits the latest results of scholarship on the question, mentions in support of his conclusion a variety of considerations that may be profitably studied. Saw her. So that she must have been unveiled, which agrees with monumental evidence that in the reign of the Pharaohs the Egyptian ladies exposed their faces, though the custom was discontinued after the Pemian conquest (vide Hengstenberg's 'Egypt and the Books of Moses,' p. 199). And commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken. Capta (Targum of Jonathan), rapta (Arab.), abducta (Pagnini), capta et deducta (Rosenmüller); all implying more or less the idea of violence, which, however, besides being not warranted by the text, was scarcely likely in the circumstances, the king being perfectly honorable in his proposals, and Abram and Sarai by their deception having rendered it impossible to object without divulging their secret. Into Pharaoh's house. Or harem, with a view to marriage as a secondary wife. Cf. the Papyrus D'Orbiney, now in the British Museum, but belonging to the age of Rameses II., in which the Pharaoh of the time, acting on the advice of his counselors, sends two armies to fetch a beautiful woman by force, and then to murder her husband. A translation by M. Renouf will be found in The Tale of the Two Brothers, in 'Records of the Past,' vol. 2. p. 138.

Parallel Commentaries ...


So
וַיְהִ֕י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

when Abram
אַבְרָ֖ם (’aḇ·rām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87: Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abraham

entered
כְּב֥וֹא (kə·ḇō·w)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

Egypt,
מִצְרָ֑יְמָה (miṣ·rā·yə·māh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

the Egyptians
הַמִּצְרִים֙ (ham·miṣ·rîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 4713: Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egypt

saw
וַיִּרְא֤וּ (way·yir·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the woman
הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה (hā·’iš·šāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

was very
מְאֹֽד׃ (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

beautiful.
יָפָ֥ה (yā·p̄āh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 3303: Fair, beautiful


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OT Law: Genesis 12:14 It happened that when Abram had come (Gen. Ge Gn)