Genesis 16:7-16

Hagar and the Angel of Yahweh

7 And the angel of Yahweh found her at a spring of water in the wilderness, at the spring by the road of Shur.

8 And he said to Hagar, the servant of Sarai, "{From where} have you come, and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai my mistress."

9 Then the angel of Yahweh said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit yourself under {her authority}."

10 And the angel of Yahweh said to her, "{I will greatly multiply} your offspring, so that they cannot be counted for [their] abundance."

11 And the angel of Yahweh said to her: "Behold, you are pregnant and shall have a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael, for Yahweh has listened to your suffering.

12 And he shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand [will be] against everyone, and the hand of everyone [will be] against him, and he will live {in hostility with all his brothers}."

13 So she called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, "You [are] El-Roi," for she said, "Here I have seen after he who sees me."

14 Therefore the well was called Beer-Lahai-Roi; behold, it [is] between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar had a child for Abram, a son. And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore to him, Ishmael.

16 And Abram [was] eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Genesis 16:7-16 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "where from this"
• [b]. Or "And"
• [c]. Literally "her hand"
• [d]. Literally "multiplying I will multiply"
• [e]. Literally "against the face of all his brothers"
• [f]. Or "And"
• [g]. "God of seeing"