And Sarai said unto Abram, behold now, the Lord
hath
restrained me from bearing
Or, "hath shut me up" F4; that is, her womb, as were the
wombs of the house of Abimelech, ( Genesis
20:18 ) ; so that she could not conceive and bear children;
she now at this age despaired of having children, perceiving very
probably that it ceased to be with her after the manner of women;
and this she refers to the will and power of God; for, as
children are his gift, and an heritage from him, ( Psalms 127:3
) , so it is his will and pleasure sometimes to withhold this
blessing from those who are very desirous of them:
I pray thee go in unto my maid;
Hagar, the Egyptian before mentioned; her meaning is, that he
would take her to wife, and use her as such:
it may be that I may obtain children by her;
for whatsoever were born of her handmaid, and in her house, were
her own, and so she should account them, and especially as they
would be her husband's, see ( Exodus 21:4 ) ; or,
"may be builded by her" F5; for women, by bearing children,
build up an house, see ( Ruth 4:11 ) ; hence a son
in Hebrew is called "ben", from "banah", to build:
and Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai;
without consulting God about it, the proposal being agreeable to
the flesh, which may be imputed to the infirmity of the good man;
though it does not appear to arise from previous lust predominant
in him; but both Sarai's proposal, and his compliance with it,
might be owing to the eager desire of each after the promised
seed; they both believed the promise, but did not know it, being
not as yet revealed, that Abram should have a son by Sarai; so
that Sarai knowing her own case and circumstances, might conclude
it was to be by another, and by her handmaid; and Abram might
reason and judge after the same manner, which inclined him to
listen to her: Josephus F6 says, indeed, that Sarai moved this
to Abram by the direction and order of God himself; and the
Jewish writers say F7, that Abram hearkened to the Holy
Spirit of God that was in her.
F4 (ynrue) "couclusit me", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Schmidt; "occlusit me", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius.
F5 (hnba) "aedificatur", Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt, Cartwright; so Ainsworth.
F6 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 10. sect. 4.
F7 Jarchi in loc. Bereshit Rabba, ut supra. (sect. 45. fol. 2.)