John Gill Commentary Genesis 12:17

"And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram`s wife." — Genesis 12:17 (ASV)

And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great
plagues
Perhaps with the same sort that Abimelech and his servants were smote with on a like account, (Genesis 20:17Genesis 20:18) . The Jews

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because of Sarai, Abram's wife ;
or "upon the word of Sarai" ^F9 , as it may be literally rendered:

hence the Jews have a notion, that an angel stood by Sarai with a scourge in his hand, and when Sarai bid him smite Pharaoh, he smote him ^F11 ;

but (rbd) signifies not a word only, but thing, matter and business: and so Onkelos renders it here:

and the sense is, that Pharaoh and his courtiers were smitten, because of the affair and business of Sarai; because she was taken by them, and detained in Pharaoh's house, and designed to be made his wife or concubine;

and thus for evil intentions was this punishment inflicted; so that evil designs, not brought into execution, are punishable; though the word of Sarai may mean what she was bid to say, and did.

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: (yrv rbd le) "propter verbum Sarai", Montanus; "super verbo", Munster, Piscator.
• F11: Jarchi in loc. Bereshit Rabba, ut supra. (sect. 41. fol. 35. 4.)