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

1Now Sarai Abram’s wife bore him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in to my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 3And 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. 4And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

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

• Saraiשָׂרַיώâray · SaraiH8297
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• meעָצַר‛âtsar · to restrainH6113
• bearingיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• maidשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• mayאוּלַי'ûlay 'ûlay · perhapsH194
• childrenבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• hearkenedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963

Cross-references for Genesis 16:2

• Genesis 17:16And I will bless her, and give thee a son also by her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall come from her.
• Genesis 18:10And he said, I will certainly return to thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
• Genesis 20:18For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.
• Genesis 25:21And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
• Genesis 30:2And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
• Psalms 127:3Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
• Genesis 30:3And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in to her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
• Exodus 21:4If his master hath given him a wife, and she hath borne him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall depart by himself.
• Ruth 4:11And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that hath come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
• Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of 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