Genesis 16:1-6

Hagar and Ishmael

1 Abram's wife Sarai had never had any children by him. But she had a female servant from Egypt named Hagar.

2 So she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go and make love to my servant. Maybe I can have a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai had said.

3 After he had been living in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai gave him her servant Hagar to be his wife.

4 He made love to Hagar. And she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to look down on the woman who owned her.

5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "It's your fault that I'm suffering like this. I put my servant in your arms. Now that she knows she's pregnant, she looks down on me. May the LORD judge between you and me. May he decide which of us is right."

6 "Your servant belongs to you," Abram said. "Do with her what you think is best." Then Sarai treated Hagar badly. So Hagar ran away from her.

Genesis 16:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 16

This chapter gives an account of Abram's marrying his maid, at the instance of his wife Sarai, Ge 16:1-3, who, upon conceiving, despised her mistress; of which complaint is made to Abram, who leaving his maid to his wife, to deal with her as she pleased, dealt harshly by her, and therefore fled from her, Ge 16:4-6; when she was met by an angel, who advised her to return and submit herself to her mistress, and told her her seed would be greatly multiplied, gave a name to the child she went with, and described his temper and disposition, Ge 16:7-12; and then we have the name of God that spoke to her, and of the place where the discourse passed between them, Ge 16:13,14; and the chapter is concluded with the birth of Ishmael, and the age of Abram at his birth, Ge 16:15,16.