2, 3. (a) Why did Abram conceal his wife’s true identity? (b) In responding to the situation, how did Abram deal with his wife?

² We read at Genesis 12:11-13: “It came about that as soon as he got near to entering Egypt, then he said to Sarai his wife: ‘Please, now! I well know you are a woman beautiful in appearance. So it is bound to happen that the Egyptians will see you and will say, “This is his wife.” And they will certainly kill me, but you they will preserve alive. Please say you are my sister, in order that it may go well with me on your account, and my soul will be certain to live due to you.’” Although Sarai was over 65 years old, she was still strikingly beautiful. That put Abram’s life at risk.a (Genesis 12:4, 5; 17:17) More important, Jehovah’s interests were at stake, for he had said that through Abram’s seed all the nations of the earth would bless themselves. (Genesis 12:2, 3, 7) Since Abram was still childless, it was critical that he remain alive.

³ Abram spoke to his wife about using a ploy they had earlier agreed upon, namely, to say that she was his sister. Note that although he had patriarchal authority, he did not abuse his position but elicited her cooperation and support. (Genesis 12:11-13; 20:13) In this, Abram set a fine example for husbands to exercise loving headship, and Sarai, by demonstrating her subjection, is an example for wives today.​—Ephesians 5:23-28; Colossians 4:6.

4. How should faithful servants of God today conduct themselves when the lives of their brothers are at stake?

⁴ Sarai could say that she was Abram’s sister because she really was his half sister. (Genesis 20:12) Furthermore, he was not under obligation to divulge information to people who were not entitled to it. (Matthew 7:6) Faithful servants of God in modern times heed the Bible’s command to be honest. (Hebrews 13:18) They would never, for instance, lie under oath in a court of law. When the physical or spiritual lives of their brothers are at stake, such as in times of persecution or civil distress, however, they heed Jesus’ counsel to be “cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves.”​—Matthew 10:16; see The Watchtower, November 1, 1996, page 18, paragraph 19.

5. Why was Sarai willing to obey Abram’s request?

⁵ How did Sarai respond to Abram’s request? The apostle Peter describes women like her as “hoping in God.” Sarai could therefore appreciate the spiritual issues involved. Besides, she loved and respected her husband. Sarai thus chose to ‘subject herself to her husband’ and conceal her married status. (1 Peter 3:5) Of course, doing so exposed her to risks. “As soon as Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians got to see the woman, that she was very beautiful. And the princes of Pharaoh also got to see her and they began praising her to Pharaoh, so that the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh.”​—Genesis 12:14, 15.