Matthew Henry Commentary Genesis 12:10-20

"And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh`s house. And he dealt well with Abram for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels. And Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram`s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 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. And Pharaoh gave men charge concerning him: and they brought him on the way, and his wife, and all that he had." — Genesis 12:10-20 (ASV)

There is no state on earth free from trials, nor any character free from blemishes. There was famine in Canaan, the glory of all lands, and unbelief, with the evils it always brings, in Abram the father of the faithful. Perfect happiness and perfect purity dwell only in heaven.

When Abram had to leave Canaan for a time, he goes to Egypt, so that he would not seem to look back, intending to stay there no longer than necessary. There Abram misrepresented his relationship to Sarai, equivocated, and taught his wife and his attendants to do so too.

He concealed a truth in such a way that he effectively denied it, and by doing so, exposed both his wife and the Egyptians to sin. The grace Abram was most noted for was faith; yet he fell in this way through unbelief and distrust of Divine providence, even after God had appeared to him twice.

Alas, what will become of weak faith when strong faith is so shaken! If God did not deliver us, many times, out of hardships and distresses which we bring upon ourselves by our own sin and folly, we would be ruined. He does not deal with us according to what we deserve. Those are beneficial chastisements that hinder us in a sinful way and bring us to our duty, particularly to the duty of restoring what we have wrongfully taken or kept.

Pharaoh's rebuke of Abram was very just: What is this that you have done? How unbecoming for a wise and good man!

If those who profess religion do that which is unfair and deceptive, especially if they say that which borders on a lie, they must expect to hear of it; and they have reason to thank those who will tell them of it. The sending away was kind.

Pharaoh was so far from any intention to kill Abram, as Abram had feared, that he took particular care of him. Indeed, Pharaoh charged his men not to hurt Abram in any way.

We often perplex ourselves with fears that are completely groundless. Many times we fear when there is nothing to fear.

It is not enough for those in authority that they themselves do no harm; they must also keep their servants and those around them from doing harm.