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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.

Context of Genesis 16:2

1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 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. 3So 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. 4He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

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 will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
• Genesis 18:10Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.
• Genesis 20:18for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.
• 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.
• Genesis 30:2Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”
• Psalms 127:3Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
• Genesis 30:3Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”
• Exodus 21:4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
• Ruth 4:11Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
• Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from 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