Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
13. my sister ] i.e. half-sister. Cf. Gen 11:29, Gen 20:12.
my soul ] A vivid way of expressing the personal pronoun, cf. Gen 27:4; Gen 27:19; Gen 27:25.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 13. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister] Abram did not wish his wife to tell a falsehood, but he wished her to suppress a part of the truth. From Ge 20:12, it is evident she was his step-sister, i.e., his sister by his father, but by a different mother. Some suppose Sarai was the daughter of Haran, and consequently the grand-daughter of Terah: this opinion seems to be founded on Ge 11:29, where Iscah is thought to be the same with Sarai, but the supposition has not a sufficiency of probability to support it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Say thou art my sister: so she was, either,
1. More generally, as his niece; for nephews and nieces are in Scripture called brethren and sisters, as Gen 13:8. Or rather,
2. Properly, i.e. by the fathers side, Gen 20:12. So this expression was true, but ambiguous, and intended to deceive the Egyptians, and therefore unwarrantable. And here Abram, the father of the faithful, elsewhere celebrated for the strength of his faith, betrays his infirmity and distrust of Gods providence and promise, and this fact was not without great danger both to himself and Sarai.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Say, I pray thee, that thou art my sister,…. Which though it was not putting a direct lie into her mouth, she being his sister in some sense, as appears from Ge 20:12 yet it was done to conceal truth, and to deceive the Egyptians, and tended to endanger his wife’s chastity, as well as showed great timorousness in him, and distrust of the divine care and protection of him; and upon the whole it must be criminal in him, and shows that the best of men are liable to sin, and the strongest believer to fall, and that a saint may fail in the exercise of that grace for which he is most eminent, as Abram was for his faith, and yet fell into unbelief, and through that into other sins; this he said to his wife, and desired her to say on occasion, when she found it necessary:
that it may be well with me for thy sake; his life spared, as follows:
and my soul shall live because of thee; his life be safe and secure for her sake, being reckoned her brother, whereas he feared it would be in the utmost danger should it be known she was his wife.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(13) My sister.True literally, as Sarai was Terahs daughter (Gen. 20:12), but absolutely false, as it implied that she was wholly his sister, and therefore not his wife.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 12:13. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, &c. See the notes on ch. 20: where this conduct of Abram is distinctly considered.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Ver. 13. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister. ] The truth was here not only concealed, but dissembled. As the moon hath her specks, so the best have their blemishes: a sheep may slip into a slough as soon as a swine, and an apple tree may have a fit of barrenness as well as a crab tree.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sister. See note on Gen 20:12 and App-29. This was not a lie, Sarai was his half-sister (Gen 20:12).
my soul = I, myself. Hebrew. nephesh. See App-13. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Say: Joh 8:44, Rom 3:6-8, Rom 6:23, Col 3:6
thou: Gen 11:29, Gen 20:2, Gen 20:5, Gen 20:12, Gen 20:13, Gen 26:7, Isa 57:11, Mat 26:69-75, Gal 2:12, Gal 2:13
and: Psa 146:3-5, Jer 17:5-8, Eze 18:4
Reciprocal: Gen 18:15 – denied Gen 19:19 – lest some Gen 19:20 – and my Jdg 15:18 – and fall 1Ki 12:27 – and they shall 1Ki 19:3 – he arose Rom 4:2 – but Heb 7:6 – had
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 12:13. Say thou art my sister The grace Abram was most eminent for was faith, and yet he thus fell through unbelief and distrust of the divine providence, even after God had appeared to him twice! Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my {m} sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
(m) By this we learn not to use unlawful means nor to put others in danger to save ourselves, Gen 12:20. Though it may appear that Abram did not fear death, so much as dying without children, he acts as though God’s promise had not taken place; in which appeared a weak faith.