Revised Literal Translation

Genesis 16:4-14

4And he went inוַיָּבֹ֥אvai.ya.Vo'H935unto Hagarהָגָ֖רha.GarH1904,and she conceivedוַתַּ֑הַרva.Ta.harH2029:and when she sawוַתֵּ֙רֶא֙va.Te.re'H7200that she had conceivedהָרָ֔תָהha.Ra.tahH2029,her mistressגְּבִרְתָּ֖הּge.vir.TahH1404was despisedוַתֵּקַ֥לva.te.KalH7043in her eyesבְּעֵינֶֽיהָ׃be.'ei.Nei.haH5869.

5And Saraiשָׂרַ֣יsa.RaiH8297saidוַתֹּ֨אמֶרva.To.merH559unto Abramאַבְרָם֮'av.RamH87,My wrongחֲמָסִ֣יcha.ma.SiH2555beupon thee: I have givenנָתַ֤תִּיna.Ta.tiH5414my maidשִׁפְחָתִי֙shif.cha.TiH8198into thy bosomבְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָbe.chei.Ke.chaH2436;and when she sawוַתֵּ֙רֶא֙va.Te.re'H7200that she had conceivedהָרָ֔תָהha.Ra.tahH2029,I was despisedוָאֵקַ֖לva.'e.KalH7043in her eyesבְּעֵינֶ֑יהָbe.'ei.Nei.haH5869:Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068judgeיִשְׁפֹּ֥טyish.PotH8199between me and thee.

6But Abramאַבְרָ֜ם'av.RamH87saidוַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto Saraiשָׂרַ֗יsa.RaiH8297,Behold, thy maidשִׁפְחָתֵךְ֙shif.cha.teKhH8198isin thy handבְּיָדֵ֔ךְbe.ya.DekhH3027;doעֲשִׂי־'a.si-H6213to her as it pleaseth theeהַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינָ֑יִךְha.Tov be.'ei.Na.yikhH5869 H2896.And when Saraiשָׂרַ֔יsa.RaiH8297dealt harshly withוַתְּעַנֶּ֣הָva.te.'a.Ne.haH6031her, she fledוַתִּבְרַ֖חva.tiv.RachH1272from her faceמִפָּנֶֽיהָ׃mi.pa.Nei.haH6440.

7And the angelמַלְאַ֧ךְmal.'AkhH4397of Yhwhיְהוָ֛הYah.wehH3068found herוַֽיִּמְצָאָ֞הּvai.yim.tza.'AhH4672by a fountainעֵ֥ין'einH5869of waterהַמַּ֖יִםha.Ma.yimH4325in the wildernessבַּמִּדְבָּ֑רba.mid.BarH4057,by the fountainהָעַ֖יִןha.'A.yinH5869in the wayבְּדֶ֥רֶךְbe.De.rekhH1870to Shurשֽׁוּר׃ShurH7793.

8And he saidוַיֹּאמַ֗רvai.yo.MarH559,Hagarהָגָ֞רha.GarH1904,Sarai’sשָׂרַ֛יsa.RaiH8297maidשִׁפְחַ֥תshif.ChatH8198,whenceאֵֽי־'ei-H335camest thouבָ֖אתvatH935?and whither wilt thou goH3212?And she saidוַתֹּ֕אמֶרva.To.merH559,I fleeבֹּרַֽחַת׃bo.Ra.chatH1272from the faceמִפְּנֵי֙mi.pe.NeiH6440of my mistressגְּבִרְתִּ֔יge.vir.TiH1404Saraiשָׂרַ֣יsa.RaiH8297.

9And the angelמַלְאַ֣ךְmal.'AkhH4397of Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto her, Returnשׁ֖וּבִיShu.viH7725to thy mistressגְּבִרְתֵּ֑ךְge.vir.TekhH1404,and submitוְהִתְעַנִּ֖יve.hit.'a.NiH6031thyself under her handsיָדֶֽיהָ׃ya.Dei.haH3027.

10And the angelמַלְאַ֣ךְmal.'AkhH4397of Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto her, I will multiplyהַרְבָּ֥הhar.BahH7235thy seedזַרְעֵ֑ךְzar.'EkhH2233exceedinglyאַרְבֶּ֖ה'ar.BehH7235,that it shall not be numberedיִסָּפֵ֖רyi.sa.FerH5608for multitudeמֵרֹֽב׃me.RoH7230.

11And the angelמַלְאַ֣ךְmal.'AkhH4397of Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto her, Beholdהִנָּ֥ךְhi.NakhH2009, thou artwith childהָרָ֖הha.RahH2030,and shalt bearוְיֹלַ֣דְתְּve.yo.LadtH3205a sonבֵּ֑ןBenH1121,and shalt callוְקָרָ֤אתve.ka.RatH7121his nameשְׁמוֹ֙she.MoH8034Ishmaelיִשְׁמָעֵ֔אלyish.ma.'ElH3458;because Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068hath heardשָׁמַ֥עsha.Ma'H8085thy afflictionעָנְיֵֽךְ׃'a.ne.YekhH6040.

12And he will be a wildפֶּ֣רֶאPe.re'H6501manאָדָ֔ם'a.DamH120;his handיָד֣וֹya.DoH3027will beagainst every man, and every man’s handוְיַ֥דve.YadH3027against him; and he shall dwellיִשְׁכֹּֽן׃yish.KonH7931in the presenceפְּנֵ֥יpe.NeiH6440of all his brethrenאֶחָ֖יו'e.ChavH251.

13And she calledוַתִּקְרָ֤אva.tik.Ra'H7121the nameשֵׁם־shem-H8034of Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068that spakeהַדֹּבֵ֣רha.do.VerH1696unto her, Thou Godאֵ֣ל'elH410seest meH7210:for she saidאָֽמְרָ֗ה'a.me.RahH559,Have I also hereהֲלֹ֛םha.LomH1988lookedH7200after himאַחֲרֵ֥י'a.cha.ReiH310that seeth meH7210?

14Wherefore the wellלַבְּאֵ֔רla.be.'ErH875was calledקָרָ֣אka.Ra'H7121Beer–lahai–roiH2416 H883; behold, it isbetween Kadeshקָדֵ֖שׁka.DeshH6946and Beredבָּֽרֶד׃Ba.redH1260.

Read all of Genesis 16

Commentaries on Genesis 16