Genesis Chapter 12 verse 15 Holy Bible

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15) The princes . . . commended her before Pharaoh.--In the days of Abram Canaan was the highway to Egypt, and so large an immigration of men of the Semitic stock found their way thither that they overspread the whole Delta, and finally, under the name of the Hyksos, made themselves masters of the throne of the Pharaohs, and retained their supremacy for several centuries. To keep out these hordes, Amenemhai had built a chain of fortresses, with a connecting wall; and though probably, as M. Chabas concludes (Rev. Arch., XVe Annee, Livr. ii. 7), the Hyksos had already in Abram's time attained to empire, nevertheless, on arriving at this wall, so powerful a sheik, with so large a following, would be interrogated by the Egyptian scribes, and a report sent to the Pharaoh. The word sar. translated here prince, is common to the Babylonian, Egyptian, and Hebrew languages; but while in Babylonia it was the title of the sovereign, in Egypt it was applied to subordinate officers, such as those in command at these fortresses. By one of these Abram would, no doubt, be conducted into Pharaoh's presence; and on one of the sepulchres at Benihassan we find an exactly parallel occurrence in the presentation of a nomad prince, evidently of Semitic origin, who, with his family and dependents, is seeking the Pharaoh's protection, and is received by him with honour. As women did not at that time go veiled in Egypt, this custom not having been introduced there till the Persian conquest, the officers at the frontier would have full opportunity of seeing Sarai. and would, no doubt, mention the extraordinary lightness of her complexion.The most probable derivation of the word Pharaoh is that which identifies it with a symbol constantly used in inscriptions to indicate the king, and which may be read per-ao or phar-ao. It signifies, literally, the double house, or palace. This would be a title of respect. veiling the person of the monarch under the name of his dwelling, in much the same manner as we include the sovereign and his attendants under the name of the Court. For the arguments in favour of this derivation, see Canon Cook's Excursus on the Egyptian words in the Pentateuch, at the end of Vol. I. of the Speaker's Commentary. He also gives there the reasons for his opinion, in opposition to that of M. Chabas, that the Pharaoh in whose days Abram visited Egypt was an early king of the twelfth dynasty, some time anterior to the usurpation of the Hyksos.Parallel Commentaries ...HebrewWhen Pharaoh’sפַרְעֹ֔ה (p̄ar·‘ōh)Noun - proper - masculine singularStrong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kingsofficialsשָׂרֵ֣י (śā·rê)Noun - masculine plural constructStrong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, princesawוַיִּרְא֤וּ (way·yir·’ū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralStrong's 7200: To see[Sarai],אֹתָהּ֙ (’ō·ṯāh)Direct object marker | third person feminine singularStrong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative casethey commendedוַיְהַֽלְל֥וּ (way·hal·lū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralStrong's 1984: To shineher toאֶל־ (’el-)PrepositionStrong's 413: Near, with, among, to[him],פַּרְעֹ֑ה (par·‘ōh)Noun - proper - masculine singularStrong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kingsand sheהָאִשָּׁ֖ה (hā·’iš·šāh)Article | Noun - feminine singularStrong's 802: Woman, wife, femalewas takenוַתֻּקַּ֥ח (wat·tuq·qaḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - QalPass - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularStrong's 3947: To takeinto the palaceבֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)Noun - masculine singular constructStrong's 1004: A houseof Pharaoh.פַּרְעֹֽה׃ (par·‘ōh)Noun - proper - masculine singularStrong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kingsJump to PreviousCommended Great House Officials Palace Pharaoh Pharaoh's Praise Praised Princes Words