Genesis 16:2

Genesis 16:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of Genesis 16:2

1Sarai, Abram’s wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Why don’t you sleep with my slave? Maybe I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed with Sarai. 3After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to be disrespectful to Sarai, her owner.

Genesis 16:2 word by word

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֜י אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם הִנֵּה־נָ֞א עֲצָרַ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ מִלֶּ֔דֶת בֹּא־נָא֙ אֶל־שִׁפְחָתִ֔י אוּלַ֥י אִבָּנֶ֖ה מִמֵּ֑נָּה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָ֖ם לְק֥וֹל שָׂרָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Saraiשָׂרַיώâray · SaraiH8297
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• Behold now, the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• hath restrained meעָצַר‛âtsar · to restrainH6113
• from bearingיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• I pray thee, go inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto my maidשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• it mayאוּלַי'ûlay 'ûlay · perhapsH194
• be that I may obtain childrenבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• hearkenedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• to the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963

Cross-references for Genesis 16:2

• Genesis 17:16I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become ⌞a mother of⌟ nations, and kings will come from her.”
• Genesis 18:10The Lord said, “I promise I’ll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah happened to be listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.
• Genesis 20:18(The Lord had made it impossible for any woman in Abimelech’s household to have children because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.)
• Genesis 25:21Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
• Genesis 30:2Jacob became angry with Rachel and asked, “Can I take the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”
• Psalms 127:3Children are an inheritance from the Lord. They are a reward from him.
• Genesis 30:3She said, “Here’s my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her. She can have children for me, and I can build a family for myself through her.”
• Exodus 21:4If his master gives him a wife and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to the master, and the slave must leave by himself.
• Ruth 4:11All the people who were at the gate, including the leaders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this wife, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built our family of Israel. So show your strength of character in Ephrathah and make a name for yourself in Bethlehem.
• Genesis 3:1The snake was more clever than all the wild animals the Lord God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must never eat the fruit of any tree in the garden’?”

Commentaries on Genesis 16:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Go 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 labor, with all her children, were her owner's…Read 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. 1-161. Now, Sarai ... had a handmaid--a female slave--one of those obtained in Egypt.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 16:2

• Childlessness
• Responsibility
• Sarah
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Abram
• Sarai
• Sarah; Sarai
• Abraham, Abram
• Abraham
• Barren
• Concubine
• Judge
• Marriage
• Submit

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