Genesis 16:1-10

1 Now Sarai Avram's wife had not borne him a child. But she had an Egyptian slave-girl named Hagar;

2 so Sarai said to Avram, "Here now, ADONAI has kept me from having children; so go in and sleep with my slave-girl. Maybe I'll be able to have children through her."Avram listened to what Sarai said.

3 It was after Avram had lived ten years in the land of Kena'an that Sarai Avram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to Avram her husband to be his wife.

4 Avram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she conceived. But when she became aware that she was pregnant, she looked on her mistress with contempt.

5 Sarai said to Avram, "This outrage being done to me is your fault! True, I gave my slave-girl to you to sleep with; but when she saw that she was pregnant, she began holding me in contempt. May ADONAI decide who is right - I or you!"

6 However, Avram answered Sarai, "Look, she's your slave-girl. Deal with her as you think fit."Then Sarai treated her so harshly that she ran away from her.

7 The angel of ADONAI found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur,

8 and said, "Hagar! Sarai's slave-girl! Where have you come from, and where are you going?" She answered, "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai."

9 The angel of ADONAI said to her, "Go back to your mistress, and submit to her authority."

10 The angel of ADONAI said to her, "I will greatly increase your descendants; there will be so many that it will be impossible to count them."

Genesis 16:1-10 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.