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Genesis 16:2
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So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, Yahweh has shut my womb from bearing children. Please go in to my servant-woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai sayde vnto Abram: beholde, nowe the Lorde hath restrayned me, that I can not beare, I pray thee go in to my mayde, it may be that I may be builded by her: and Abram obeyed the voyce of Sarai.
Sarai told Abram, "The Lord has not allowed me to have children, so sleep with my slave. Maybe she can have a son, and I will accept him as my own." Abram did what Sarai said.
and Sar'ai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sar'ai.
the Lord hath closid me, that Y schulde not bere child; entre thou to my seruauntesse, if in hap Y schal take children, nameli of hir. And whanne he assentide to hir preiynge, sche took Agar Egipcian,
And Sarai said vnto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee go in vnto my maid: it may bee that I may obtaine children by her: and Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
and sayde vnto Abram: Beholde, the LORDE hath closed me, that I can not beare. Go in (I praye the) vnto my mayde: peraduenture I shalbe multiplied by her, more then by myself. And Abram herkened vnto the voyce of Sarai. Than Sarai
So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please have relations with my slave woman; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said to Abram, See, the Lord has not let me have children; go in to my servant, for I may get a family through her. And Abram did as Sarai said.
And Sarai said to Abram, Now seeing that Yahweh has restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray you, to my slave; it may be that I shall obtain [children] by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold, now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee go in to my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Sarai said to Abram," See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
So Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her." Abram did what Sarai told him.
So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
and Sarai said to Abram, "The Lord has not given me any children. Sleep with my slave, and if she has a child, it will be mine." Abram agreed,
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.
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has shut me up, that I do not bear. Go in, I pray thee, to my maidservant: it may be that I shall be built up by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said vnto Abram, Beholde now, the Lorde hath restrained me from childe bearing. I pray thee goe in vnto my maide: it may be that I shall receiue a childe by her. And Abram obeyed the voyce of Sarai.
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children; therefore go in unto my maid; it may be that I may be consoled by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
and so she said to Abram, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Why don't you sleep with my slave? Perhaps she can have a child for me." Abram agreed with what Sarai said.
Sarai said to Avram," See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Avram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said unto Abram: 'Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall be builded up through her.' And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
So Sarai said to Abram, "The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal.
So Sarai said to Abram, "Now see, the Lord has kept me from having children. Go in to the woman who serves me. It may be that I will get children through her." Abram listened to what Sarai said.
and Sarai said to Abram, "You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sara said to Abram, Behold, the Lord has restrained me from bearing, go therefore in to my maid, that I may get children for myself through her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sara.
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
So Sarai said to Abram, "Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
So then Sarai said unto Abram Behold, I pray thee, Yahweh hath restrained me, from bearing, go in I pray thee unto, my handmaid, peradventure I may be built up from, her, And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request,
And Sarai said to Abram, "Look, please, Yahweh has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my servant; perhaps I will have children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said to Abram, See, now, Jehovah has kept me from bearing; go in now to my slave-girl; perhaps I may be built up from her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Sarai said to Abram, "Look, the Lord has not allowed me to have children, so have sexual relations with my slave girl. If she has a child, maybe I can have my own family through her." Abram did what Sarai said.
Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family." And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
and Sarai saith unto Abram, `Lo, I pray thee, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing, go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; perhaps I am built up from her;' and Abram hearkeneth to the voice of Sarai.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the Lord: Genesis 17:16, Genesis 18:10, Genesis 20:18, Genesis 25:21, Genesis 30:2, Genesis 30:3, Genesis 30:9, Genesis 30:22, Psalms 127:3
obtain children: Heb. be builded, Genesis 30:3, Genesis 30:6, Exodus 21:4, Ruth 4:11
hearkened: Genesis 3:1-6, Genesis 3:12, Genesis 3:17
Reciprocal: Genesis 11:30 - barren Genesis 19:31 - to come 1 Samuel 1:2 - but Luke 1:7 - they had Acts 7:5 - when Galatians 4:22 - that
Cross-References
And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it."
Then to Adam the LORD God said, "Because you have listened [attentively] to the voice of your wife, and have eaten [fruit] from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it'; The ground is [now] under a curse because of you; In sorrow and toil you shall eat [the fruit] of it All the days of your life.
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not borne him any children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.
So Sarai said to Abram, "See here, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. I am asking you to go in to [the bed of] my maid [so that she may bear you a child]; perhaps I will obtain children by her." And Abram listened to Sarai and did as she said.
He went in to [the bed of] Hagar, and she conceived; and when she realized that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress [regarding Sarai as insignificant because of her infertility].
But Abram said to Sarai, "Look, your maid is entirely in your hands and subject to your authority; do as you please with her." So Sarai treated her harshly and humiliated her, and Hagar fled from her.
The Angel of the LORD said to her, "Go back to your mistress, and submit humbly to her authority."
Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count."
"I will bless her, and indeed I will also give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."
He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And Sarai said unto Abram, behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing,.... Or, "hath shut me up" d; 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" e; 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 f says, indeed, that Sarai moved this to Abram by the direction and order of God himself; and the Jewish writers say g, that Abram hearkened to the Holy Spirit of God that was in her.
d ×¢×¦×¨× × "couclusit me", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Schmidt; "occlusit me", Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius. e ××× × "aedificatur", Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt, Cartwright so Ainsworth. f Antiqu. l. 1. c. 10. sect. 4. g Jarchi in loc. Bereshit Rabba, ut supra. (sect. 45. fol. 2.)
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Birth of Ishmael
1. ×× ×¨ haÌgaÌr, Hagar, âflight.â Hejrah, the flight of Muhammed.
7. ×××× mal'ak âmessenger, angel.â A deputy commissioned to discharge a certain duty for the principal whom he represents. As the most usual task is that of bearing messages, commands, or tidings, he is commonly called a âmessengerâ αÌÌÎ³Î³ÎµÎ»Î¿Ï angelos). The word is therefore a term of office, and does not further distinguish the office-bearer than as an intelligent being. Hence, a ×××× mal'ak may be a man deputed by a man Genesis 32:3; Job 1:14, or by God Haggai 1:13; Malachi 3:1, or a superhuman being delegated in this case only by God. The English term âangelâ is now especially appropriated to the latter class of messengers.
1st. The nature of angels is spiritual Hebrews 1:14. This characteristic ranges over the whole chain of spiritual being from man up to God himself. The extreme links, however, are excluded: man, because he is a special class of intelligent creatures; and God, because he is supreme. Other classes of spiritual beings may be excluded - as the cherubim, the seraphim - because they have not the same office, though the word âangelicâ is sometimes used by us as synonymous with heavenly or spiritual. They were all of course originally good; but some of them have fallen from holiness, and become evil spirits or devils Matthew 25:31, Matthew 25:41; Jude 1:6; Revelation 12:7. The latter are circumscribed in their sphere of action, as if confined within the walls of their prison, in consequence of their fallen state and malignant disposition Genesis 3:0; Job 1:2; 1 Peter 2:4; Revelation 20:2. Being spiritual, they are not only moral, but intelligent. They also excel in strength Psalms 103:20. The holy angels have the full range of action for which their qualities are adapted. They can assume a real form, expressive of their present functions, and affecting the senses of sight, hearing, and touch, or the roots of those senses in the soul. They may even perform innocent functions of a human body, such as eating Genesis 18:8; Genesis 19:3. Being spirits, they can resolve the material food into its original elements in a way which we need not attempt to conceive or describe. But this case of eating stands altogether alone. Angels have no distinction of sex Matthew 22:30. They do not grow old or die. They are not a race, and have not a body in the ordinary sense of the term.
2d. Their office is expressed by their name. In common with other intelligent creatures, they take part in the worship of God Revelation 7:11; but their special office is to execute the commands of God in the natural world Psalms 103:20, and especially to minister to the heirs of salvation Hebrews 1:14; Matthew 18:10; Luke 15:10; Luke 16:22. It is not needful here to enter into the uniquenesses of their ministry.
3d. The angel of Jehovah. This phrase is especially employed to denote the Lord himself in that form in which he condescends to make himself manifest to man; for the Lord God says of this angel, âBeware of him, and obey his voice; provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in his inmostâ Exodus 23:21; that is, my nature is in his essence. Accordingly, he who is called the angel of the Lord in one place is otherwise denominated the Lord or God in the immediate context (Genesis 16:7, Genesis 16:13; Genesis 22:11-12; Genesis 31:11, Genesis 31:13; Genesis 48:15-16; Exodus 3:2-15; Exodus 23:20-23; with Exodus 33:14-15). It is remarkable, at the same time, that the Lord is spoken of in these cases as a distinct person from the angel of the Lord, who is also called the Lord. The phraseology intimates to us a certain inherent plurality within the essence of the one only God, of which we have had previous indications Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22. The phrase âangel of the Lord,â however, indicates a more distant manifestation to man than the term Lord itself. It brings the medium of communication into greater prominence. It seems to denote some person of the Godhead in angelic form. ש××ּר shuÌr, Shur, âwall.â A city or place probably near the head of the gulf of Suez. The desert of Shur is now Jofar.
11. ×ש×××¢×× yıÌshmaÌâeÌ'l, Jishmael, âthe Mighty will hear.â
13. ר×× ×× 'eÌl roÌ'ıÌy, âGod of vision or seeing.â
14. ר×× ××× ××ר be'eÌr-lachay-ro'ıÌy, Beer-lachai-roi, âwell of vision to the living.â ××¨× bered, Bered, âhail.â The site is not known.
Sarah has been barren probably much more than twenty years. She appears to have at length reluctantly arrived at the conclusion that she would never be a mother. Nature and history prompted the union of one man to one wife in marriage, and it might have been presumed that God would honor his own institution. But the history of the creation of man was forgotten or unheeded, and the custom of the East prompted Sarai to resort to the expedient of giving her maid to her husband for a second wife, that she might have children by her.
Genesis 16:1-6
A Mizrite handmaid. - Hagar was probably obtained, ten years before, during their sojourn in Egypt. âThe Lord hath restrained me.â It was natural to the ancient mind to recognize the power and will of God in all things. âI shall be builded by her,â ××× × 'ıÌbaÌneh, built as the foundation of a house, by the addition of sons or daughters (×× ×× baÌnıÌym or ×× ×ת baÌnoÌt). She thought she had or wished to have a share in the promise, if not by herself personally, yet through her maid. The faith of Sarah had not yet come fully to the birth. Abram yields to the suggestion of his wife, and complies with the custom of the country. Ten years had elapsed since they had entered the land they were to inherit. Impatience at the long delay leads to an invention of their own for obtaining an heir. The contempt of her maid was unjustifiable. But it was the natural consequence of Saraiâs own improper and imprudent step, in giving her to her husband as a concubine. Unwilling, however, to see in herself the occasion of her maidâs insolence, she transfers the blame to her husband, who empowers or reminds her of her power still to deal with her as it pleased her. Hagar, unable to bear the yoke of humiliation, flees from her mistress.
Genesis 16:7-12
The angel of the Lord either represents the Lord, or presents the Lord in angelic form. The Lord manifests himself to Hagar seemingly on account of her relationship to Abram, but in the more distant form of angelic visitation. She herself appears to be a believer in God. The spring of water is a place of refreshment on her journey. She is on the way to Shur, which was before Mizraim as thou goest rewards Asshur Genesis 25:18, and therefore fleeing to Egypt, her native land. The angel of the Lord interrogates her, and requires her to return to her mistress, and humble herself under her hands.
Genesis 16:10
I will multiply. - This language is proper only to the Lord Himself, because it claims a divine prerogative. The Lord is, therefore, in this angel. He promises to Hagar a numerous offspring. âIshmael.â âEl,â the Mighty, will hear; but âJehovah,â the Lord (Yahweh), heard her humiliation. Yahweh, therefore, is the same God as El. He describes Ishmael and his progeny in him as resembling the wild ass. This animal is a fit symbol of the wild, free, untamable Bedouin of the desert. He is to live in contention, and yet to dwell independently, among all his brethren. His brethren are the descendants of Heber, the Joctanites, composing the thirteen original tribes of the Arabs, and the Palgites to whom the descendants of Abram belonged. The Ishmaelites constituted the second element of the great Arab nation, and shared in their nomadic character and independence. The character here given of them is true even to the present day.
Genesis 16:13-16
God of my vision - (El-roi). Here we have the same divine name as in Ishmael. âHave I even still seenâ - continued to live and see the sun after having seen God? Beer-lahai-roi, the well of vision (of God) to the living. To see God and live was an issue contrary to expectation Exodus 33:20. The well is between Kadesh and Bered. The site of the latter has not been ascertained. R. Jonathan gives ××Ö¼×¦× cheluÌtsaÌ' the ÎÌÌÎ»Î¿Ï Ïα elousa of Ptolemy, now el-Khulasa, about twelve miles south of Beersheba. Rowland finds the well at Moyle or Muweilah, still further south in the same direction. The birth of Ishmael is in the sixteenth year after Abramâs call, and the eleventh after his arrival in Kenaan.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Genesis 16:2. Go in unto my maid. — It must not be forgotten that female slaves constituted a part of the private patrimony or possessions of a wife, and that she had a right, according to the usages of those times, to dispose of them as she pleased, the husband having no authority in the case.
I may obtain children by her. — The slave being the absolute property of the mistress, not only her person, but the fruits of her labour, with all her children, were her owner's property also.
The children, therefore, which were born of the slave, were considered as the children of the mistress. It was on this ground that Sarai gave her slave to Abram; and we find, what must necessarily be the consequence in all cases of polygamy, that strifes and contentions took place.
