Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Genesis 12:16/ספורנו על בראשית י״ב:ט״ז

אוַתֻּקַּח הָאִשָּׁה וּלְאַבְרָם הֵיטִיב. שֶׁלֹּא נִמְלְכוּ רִאשׁוֹנָה בּוֹ לְפַתּוֹתוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הַמִּנְהָג, וְזֶה כִּי חָשְׁבוּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה צֹרֶךְ לָזֶה כְּלָל מֵאַחַר שֶׁלְּקָחָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאִשָּׁה, וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁאָמְרָה שֶׁהָיְתָה אֲחוֹת אַבְרָהָם בִּלְבַד וּרְאוּיָה לְהִנָּשֵׂא, לֹא הָיוּ נִשּׂוּאִין מְעֻלִּים מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁהָיוּ לְהִנָּשֵׂא לַמֶּלֶךְ לְאִשָּׁה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵעִיד בְּאָמְרוֹ וָאֶקַּח אוֹתָהּ לִי לְאִשָּׁה, אֲבָל לְקָחוּהָ לַמֶּלֶךְ רִאשׁוֹנָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ הֵיטִיב בַּעֲבוּרָהּ בְּמֹהַר וּבְמַתָּן כַּמִּנְהָג.
1ותקח האשה ולאברם היטיב, the members of Pharaoh’s household did not even waste time to seduce Sarai but abducted her forcefully. They thought that seeing that it was a compliment for Sarai to be desired by the king himself, she would automatically consent to such an elevation of her status. Seeing that she had described herself only as Avram’s sister and not his wife, they had no reason to believe that there was a legal obstacle to such a union. Pharaoh himself said “I took her as a wife for myself,” not a concubine, not a mistress. In verse 19 he explains that he had taken Sarai as a wife, feeling certain that she was not legally linked to any other man.
בצֹאן וּבָקָר וַעֲבָדִים. רַב כְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ.