Genesis 16

Genesis · Chapter 16

Genesis 16:1

1Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.2And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.3And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.4And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.5And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.6But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.7And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.8And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.9And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.10And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.11And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.12And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.13And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?14Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.15And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.16And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and Saraiוְשָׂרַי֙ve-sa-RAIH8297
Sarai

שָׂרַי (sa.ray) A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.29; daughter of: Terah (H8646); sister of: Abraham (H0085), Nahor (H5152H) and Haran (H2039); married to Abraham (H0085); mother of: Isaac (H3327); also called Sarai at Gen.11.29,30,31; 12.5,11,17; 16.1,2,3,5,6,8; 17.15; Another name of sa.rah (שָׂרָה "Sarah" H8283) § Sarai = "princess" original name of Sarah the wife of Abram or Abraham

[the] wife ofאֵ֣שֶׁת'E-shetH0802H
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

Abramאַבְרָ֔ם'av-RAMH0087
Abram

אַבְרָם (av.ram) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.26; son of: Terah (H8646); brother of: Nahor (H5152H), Haran (H2039) and Sarah (H8283); married to Sarah (H8283), Hagar (H1904) and Keturah (H6989); father of: Ishmael (H3458), Isaac (H3327), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); also called Abram at Gen.11.26--17.5; 2x Another name of av.ra.ham (אַבְרָהָם "Abraham" H0085) § Abram = "exalted father" original name of Abraham

notלֹ֥אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

she had borne childrenיָלְדָ֖הYAL-dahH3205
to beget

יָלַד (ya.lad) 1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bear, bring forth 1a1a) of child birth 1a1b) of distress (simile) 1a1c) of wicked (behaviour) 1a2) to beget 1b) (Niphal) to be born 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cause or help to bring forth 1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife 1c3) midwife (participle) 1d) (Pual) to be born 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to beget (a child) 1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity) 1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive) 1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

a maidservantשִׁפְחָ֥הshif-CHAHH8198
maidservant

שִׁפְחָה (shiph.chah) 1) maid, maid-servant, slavegirl 1a) maid, maid-servant (as belonging to a mistress) 1b) of address, speaker, humility (fig)

Egyptianמִצְרִ֖יתmitz-RITH4713
Egyptian

מִצְרִי (mits.ri) Group of mits.ra.yim (מִצְרַ֫יִם "Egypt" H4714G) § Egyptian, of Egypt "double straits" Egyptian-an inhabitant or citizen of Egypt an Egyptian

and name herוּשְׁמָ֥הּu-she-MAHH8034
name

שֵׁם (shem) 1) name 1a) name 1b) reputation, fame, glory 1c) the Name (as designation of God) 1d) memorial, monument Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

[was] Hagarהָגָֽר׃ha-GARH1904
Hagar

הָגָר (ha.gar) A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.16.1; married to Abraham (H0085); mother of: Ishmael (H3458) Also named: Agar (Ἄγαρ "Hagar" G0028) § Hagar = "flight" Sarah's Egyptian slave girl, Abraham's concubine, Ishmael's mother

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.