Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 16:3
3So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years.
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
1Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2Sarai 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. So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. 4He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. 5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Saraiשָׂרַיώâray · SaraiH8297
- Abram’sאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
- wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- Hagarהָגָרhâgâr · HagarH1904
- her maidשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
- the Egyptianמִצְרִיmitsrîy · EgyptianH4713
- afterקֵץqêts · endH7093
- had dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of Canaanכְּנַ֫עַןkena‛an · CanaanH3667
- and gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- her to her husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
Cross-references for Genesis 16:3
- Genesis 12:4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
- Genesis 16:5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”
- Genesis 30:4So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her.
- Genesis 25:6But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, and while he was still alive he sent them eastward, away from his son Isaac, to the land of the East.
- Genesis 28:9so Esau went to Ishmael and married, in addition to his other wives, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. She was the sister of Nebaioth.
- Genesis 32:22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two slave women, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok.
- Genesis 35:22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
- Judges 19:1In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite staying in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim acquired a woman from Bethlehem in Judah as his concubine.
- 2 Samuel 5:13After he arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
- 1 Kings 11:3He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred who were concubines, and they turned his heart away.
- Galatians 4:25Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery 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
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