Genesis 16:1-6

Context

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai,¹ Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children,² but she had an Egyptian servant³ named Hagar.⁴ 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since⁵ the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with⁶ my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.”⁷ Abram did what⁸ Sarai told him.

16:3 So after Abram had lived⁹ in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant,¹⁰ to her husband to be his wife.¹¹ 16:4 He had sexual relations with¹² Hagar, and she became pregnant.¹³ Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai.¹⁴ 16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me!¹⁵ I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you,¹⁶ but when she realized¹⁷ that she was pregnant, she despised me.¹⁸ May the Lord judge between you and me!”¹⁹

16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your²⁰ servant is under your authority,²¹ do to her whatever you think best.”²² Then Sarai treated Hagar²³ harshly,²⁴ so she ran away from Sarai.²⁵

[16:1] ¹tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1] ²sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.

[16:1] ³tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.

[16:1] ⁴sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)

[16:2] ⁵tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

[16:2] ⁶tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

[16:2] ⁷tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

[16:2] ⁸tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

[16:3] ⁹tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.

[16:3] ¹⁰tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3] ¹¹sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.

[16:4] ¹²tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4] ¹³tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4] ¹⁴tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.

[16:5] ¹⁵tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5] ¹⁶tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5] ¹⁷tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5] ¹⁸tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

[16:5] ¹⁹tn Heb “me and you.”

[16:6] ²⁰tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”

[16:6] ²¹tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:6] ²²tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[16:6] ²³tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6] ²⁴tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”

[16:6] ²⁵tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.