And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the
Egyptian,
&c.] Took her by the hand, it is probable, and led her into
the apartment where Abram was, and presented her to him; their
characters are very exactly described, and the contrast
beautifully given, that the affair might be the more remarkable
and observable:
after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of
Canaan;
so that he was now eighty five years of age, for he was sventy
five when he departed from Haran and came into Canaan, ( Genesis 12:4
) ; and Sarai, being ten years younger than he, must be sventy
five; the Jews from hence have formed a rule or canon; that if a
man marries a woman, and she has no children in ten years, he is
obliged to marry another F8:
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his
wife;
his secondary wife, or concubine; which, though contrary to the
first institution of marriage, was connived at of God, and was
practised by good men: nothing can excuse them but their earnest
desire after the Messiah, the promised seed; and one may
conclude, that nothing but this especially could move Sarai to
take such a step, so contrary to the temper and disposition of
women in common.