American Standard Version
Genesis 16:3
3And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
Genesis 16:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
- New International Version (NIV)So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.
Context of Genesis 16:3
1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2And 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, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: Jehovah judge between me and thee.
Read all of Genesis 16Genesis 16:3 word by word
וַתִּקַּ֞ח שָׂרַ֣י אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָ֗ם אֶת־הָגָ֤ר הַמִּצְרִית֙ שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ מִקֵּץ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר שָׁנִ֔ים לְשֶׁ֥בֶת אַבְרָ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְאַבְרָ֥ם אִישָׁ֖הּ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃Read the interlinear
- Saraiשָׂרַיώâray · SaraiH8297
- wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- Hagarהָגָרhâgâr · HagarH1904
- Egyptianמִצְרִיmitsrîy · EgyptianH4713
- Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
- dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667
- gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
Cross-references for Genesis 16:3
- Genesis 12:4So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
- Genesis 16:5And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: Jehovah judge between me and thee.
- Genesis 30:4And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
- Genesis 25:6But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
- Genesis 28:9and Esau went unto Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
- Genesis 32:22And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two handmaids, and his eleven children, and passed over the ford of the Jabbok.
- Genesis 35:22And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
- Judges 19:1And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah.
- 2 Samuel 5:13And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.
- 1 Kings 11:3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
- Galatians 4:25Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children.
Commentaries on Genesis 16:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar - and gave her to her husband - to be his wife - There are instances of Hindoo women, when barren, consenting to their husbands marrying a second wife for the sake of children; and second marriages on this account, without consent, are very common - WardRead the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-16Verses 1-16 - The Birth of Ishmael 1. הנר hāgār Hagar, “flight.” Hejrah, the flight of Muhammed. 7. מלאך mal'ak “messenger, angel.” 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 “messenger” ̓́ angelos ). The word is therefore a term of office, and does not further distinguish the office-bearer than as an intelligent…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Abram and Sarai dealt with the stress of Sarai not being able to have children and being too old to give birth. According to the custom in that culture, a woman unable to have children could give her servant as a secondary wife to her husband. The child from this union became the primary wife's child. They adopted the child as the heir. Sarai's suggestion was acceptable according to the culture's custom. But it was a human plan that showed a lack of faith…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Sarai ... gave her to ... Abram to be his wife--"Wife" is here used to describe an inferior, though not degrading, relation, in countries where polygamy prevails. In the case of these female slaves, who are the personal property of his lady, being purchased before her marriage or given as a special present to her, no one can become the husband's secondary wife without her mistress consent or permission. This usage seems to have prevailed in patriarchal…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 16:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries