Genesis 16:1

Genesis 16:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
• New International Version (NIV)Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar;
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.

Context of Genesis 16:1

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2So Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” Abram did what Sarai told him. 3So after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to her husband to be his wife.

Genesis 16:1 word by word

וְשָׂרַי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת אַבְרָ֔ם לֹ֥א יָלְדָ֖ה ל֑וֹ וְלָ֛הּ שִׁפְחָ֥ה מִצְרִ֖ית וּשְׁמָ֥הּ הָגָֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now Saraiשָׂרַיώâray · SaraiH8297
• Abram’sאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• bareיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• him noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• and she had an handmaidשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• an Egyptianמִצְרִיmitsrîy · EgyptianH4713
• whose nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• Hagarהָגָרhâgâr · HagarH1904

Cross-references for Genesis 16:1

• Genesis 15:2But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?”
• Genesis 21:10So she said to Abraham, “Banish that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
• Genesis 25:21Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
• Judges 13:2There was a man named Manoah from Zorah, from the Danite tribe. His wife was infertile and childless.
• Luke 1:7But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old.
• Genesis 12:16and he did treat Abram well on account of her. Abram received sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
• Genesis 21:9But Sarah noticed the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking.
• Galatians 4:24These things may be treated as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar.

Commentaries on Genesis 16:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1She had a handmaid, an Egyptian - As Hagar was an Egyptian, St. Chrysostom's conjecture is very probable. that she was one of those female slaves which Pharaoh gave to Abram when he sojourned in Egypt; see Genesis 12:16. Her name הגר hagar signifies a stranger or sojourner, and it is likely she got this name in the family of Abram, as the word is pure Hebrew.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
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Sarai gives Hagar to Abram. (1-3) Hagar's misbehaviour to Sarai. (4-6) The Angel commands Hagar to return, The promise to her Birth of Ishmael. (7-16) Verses 1-3 Sarai, no longer expecting to have children herself, proposed to Abram to take another wife, whose children she might; her slave, whose children would be her property. This was done without asking counsel of the Lord. Unbelief worked, God's almighty power was forgotten. It was a bad example, and…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 16:1

• Sarah
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Egyptian
• Hagar
• Sarai
• Sarah; Sarai
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Abraham
• Concubine
• Handmaid
• Judge
• Marriage

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