Genesis 12:15

the princes of Pharaoh i.e. the chief officers at the court of the king of Egypt. Pharaoh is not a proper name, but the title of the Egyptian king. It is the Hebrew way of transliterating the Egyptian royal title Per'o, "the Great House," which was transferred from the dwelling to the dynasty of the sovereign. It is often compared with "the Sublime Porte." As the king's title, it is no more distinctive than "King," or "Tsar," or "Sultan." There is nothing in this passage to shew which Egyptian king is intended, or at what place he held his court. If Abram was a contemporary of Hammurabi (see note on 14), the Pharaoh of this chapter may have belonged to the 12th or 13th dynasty of Egypt.

All kings of Egypt mentioned in the O.T. (except Shishak, 1 Kings 14:25, and So, 2 Kings 17:4) are designated Pharaoh.

into Pharaoh's house i.e. into the harem, or women's quarter of the king's palace. The verse illustrates the manner in which the courtiers of an Eastern monarch sought to win royal favour by recommending to his notice beautiful women who might be added to his harem. Cf. the story of the Book of Esther.

The story is much abbreviated: but it is implied that Sarai consented to sacrifice her honour for her husband's life. We must remember that in the ethics of the O.T. woman is regarded in a less honourable light than man. The idea of a man sacrificing himself to save a woman's honour belongs almost entirely to the Christian age.