Genesis 16 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Genesis 16

Sarai and Hagar

16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 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 children¹ by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.² 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

7 The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the LORD said to her,

  “Behold, you are pregnant
    and shall bear a son.
  You shall call his name Ishmael,³
    because the LORD has listened to your affliction.
12   He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
    his hand against everyone
    and everyone’s hand against him,
  and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,”⁴ for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”⁵ 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi;⁶ it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Footnotes

[1] 16:2 Hebrew be built up, which sounds like the Hebrew for children
[2] 16:4 Hebrew her mistress was dishonorable in her eyes; similarly in verse 5
[3] 16:11 Ishmael means God hears
[4] 16:13 Or You are a God who sees me
[5] 16:13 Hebrew Have I really seen him here who sees me? or Would I have looked here for the one who sees me?
[6] 16:14 Beer-lahai-roi means the well of the Living One who sees me

Commentary

v1-2: The problem of Sarai's barren-ness; the suggested solution here which, although apparently successful, in that there is a son, brings strife into the household.

Sarai presented the solution, it was not borne out of prayer, there is no divine revelation. The course of action is of course acceptable in the culture of the day, and therefore appears to be reasonable.

It seems reasonable to suppose that Abram and Sarai acquired Hagar during their sojourn in Egypt. It was common practice for a family head to acquire slaves, sleep with them to father children by them. Abram seemed to follow the way of the culture, rather than trust in the promises of God.

v3: Abram and Sarai have now been in Canaan for 10 years; perhaps there is a growing impatience. Faith accepts God's timing as well as His will.

v4: Abram heeds his wife's voice, and goes astray. Hagar immediately conceives; success! Sometimes the way of human wisdom does have the desired results. But beware of later consequences! Here Hagar begins to despise Sarai.

v5: Sarai, understandably, blames Abram for the situation, for he is head of the household.

v6: Abram acts irresponsibly in allowing Sarai to mistreat Hagar. Throughout this incident, Abram submits to Sara's will, instead of taking the lead himself. Sarai mistreated Hagar; she went into the desert, meaning certain death unless God intervened.

v7: The Lord finds Hagar, and treats her kindly.

v8-9: The Lord deals also with Hagar; her attitude needs to be different; she was wrong to despise Sarai before.

The path of submission; thus the Lord will deal with us, rather than telling us what we may criticise in others. Faith involves kindness to others, whatever we think they deserve.

v10: The promise to Hagar, for her son Ishmael is a son of Abram, therefore he too has to be blessed. Later (chapter 21) Hagar and Ishmael are sent away again, and the Lord maintains His protection over them.

v11-12: Specific details of Ishmael's descendants; they will be aggressive, and live near to the family of Israel, which will bring further strife.

v13-16: The well, for Hagar the place of meeting with God.