Pharaoh’s house, great strokes and “take and go”
Says וַיִּרְאוּ הַמִּצְרִים (“and the Egyptians saw”; the lexicon’s “Egyptian”). In 12:15 שָׂרֵי פַרְעֹה (“the officials of Pharaoh”) has the consonants of “Sarai.” וַתֻּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה בֵּית פַּרְעֹה is “and the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh” (BSB “the palace of Pharaoh”). In 12:16 הֵיטִיב בַּעֲבוּרָהּ (“he did well on her account”) answers 12:13. The Hebrew order is צֹאן־וּבָקָר וַחֲמֹרִים וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחֹת וַאֲתֹנֹת וּגְמַלִּים: sheep, cattle, he-asses, slaves, slave women, she-asses, camels; BSB regroups them.
Says וַיְנַגַּע יְהוָה אֶת־פַּרְעֹה נְגָעִים גְּדֹלִים is “and the Lord struck Pharaoh with great strokes,” verb and noun from one root (the lexicon: “stroke, metaph., esp. of a disease, regarded as sent by a divine chastisement”), עַל־דְּבַר שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם (“on account of Sarai, Abram’s wife”). In 12:19 קַח וָלֵךְ (“take and go”) echoes 12:1. 12:20 has וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ (“and they sent away”).
Implies She was taken into Pharaoh’s house, and the Lord protected Sarai and Abram.
Uncertain How far Pharaoh took her is not said beyond וָאֶקַּח אֹתָהּ לִי לְאִשָּׁה (“and I took her to me as wife”). Whether the episode shows a failure of faith or foreshadows the Exodus plagues and sending out is read both ways. No lean is taken here.
Claims
- Saysוַיִּרְאוּ הַמִּצְרִים (“and the Egyptians saw”; the lexicon’s “Egyptian”). In 12:15 שָׂרֵי פַרְעֹה (“the officials of Pharaoh”) has the consonants of “Sarai.” וַתֻּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה בֵּית פַּרְעֹה is “and the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh” (BSB “the palace of Pharaoh”). In 12:16 הֵיטִיב בַּעֲבוּרָהּ (“he did well on her account”) answers 12:13. The Hebrew order is צֹאן־וּבָקָר וַחֲמֹרִים וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחֹת וַאֲתֹנֹת וּגְמַלִּים: sheep, cattle, he-asses, slaves, slave women, she-asses, camels; BSB regroups them.
- Saysוַיְנַגַּע יְהוָה אֶת־פַּרְעֹה נְגָעִים גְּדֹלִים is “and the Lord struck Pharaoh with great strokes,” verb and noun from one root (the lexicon: “stroke, metaph., esp. of a disease, regarded as sent by a divine chastisement”), עַל־דְּבַר שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם (“on account of Sarai, Abram’s wife”). In 12:19 קַח וָלֵךְ (“take and go”) echoes 12:1. 12:20 has וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ (“and they sent away”).
- ImpliesShe was taken into Pharaoh’s house, and the Lord protected Sarai and Abram.
- UncertainHow far Pharaoh took her is not said beyond וָאֶקַּח אֹתָהּ לִי לְאִשָּׁה (“and I took her to me as wife”). Whether the episode shows a failure of faith or foreshadows the Exodus plagues and sending out is read both ways. No lean is taken here.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 12:14–20 (WLC/OSHB; morph HNcmpc HC/VQw3fs HC/Vpw3ms HNcmpa HC/Vpw3mp)
- BSB public domain Gen 12:15–16 (BSB)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 596 (leaf n619), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H4713 “Egyptian”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 108 (leaf n131), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H1004 “house”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 133 (leaf n156), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H1241 “cattle, herd, ox”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 331 (leaf n354), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H2543 “(he-)ass”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 87 (leaf n110), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H860 “she-ass”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 619 (leaf n642), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H5060 “touch, reach, strike”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 619 (leaf n642), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H5061 “stroke, plague, mark, plague-spot”; checked against the printed page (scan)
2026-11-12
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