Hagar and Ishmael

16 Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai(A) said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. He slept with[a] Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering![b] I put my slave in your arms,[c] and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”(B)

Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your power; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

The angel of the Lord(C) found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”

She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.”

The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring,(D) and they will be too many to count.”

11 The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael,[d] for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. 12 This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”(E)

13 So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,”[e] for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen(F) the one who sees me?” [f] 14 That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi.[g] It is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Footnotes

  1. 16:4 Lit He came to
  2. 16:5 Or “May my suffering be on you!
  3. 16:5 Lit bosom
  4. 16:11 = God Hears
  5. 16:13 = God Sees Me
  6. 16:13 Hb obscure
  7. 16:14 = Well of the Living One Who Sees Me

Sarai and Hagar

16 Now[a] Sarai, the wife of Abram, had borne him no children. And she had a female Egyptian servant, and her name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Look, please, Yahweh has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my servant; perhaps I will have children by her.”[b] And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Then[c] Sarai, the wife of Abram, took Hagar, her Egyptian servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband as his wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she[d] saw that she had conceived, then her mistress grew small in her eyes. And Sarai said to Abram, “may my harm be upon you. I had my servant sleep with you,[e] and when she saw that she had conceived, she no longer respected me.[f] May Yahweh judge between me and you!” And Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your servant is under your authority.[g] Do to her that which is good in your eyes.” And Sarai mistreated her, and she[h] fled from her presence.

Hagar and the Angel of Yahweh

And the angel of Yahweh found her at a spring of water in the wilderness, at the spring by the road of Shur. And he said to Hagar, the servant of Sarai, “From where[i] have you come, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai my mistress.” Then[j] the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her authority.”[k] 10 And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “I will greatly multiply[l] your offspring, so that they cannot be counted for their abundance.” 11 And the angel of Yahweh said to her:

“Behold, you are pregnant
    and shall have a son.
And you shall call his name Ishmael,
    for Yahweh has listened to your suffering.
12 And he shall be a wild donkey of a man,
    his hand will be against everyone,
    and the hand of everyone will be against him,
and he will live in hostility with all his brothers.”[m]

13 So[n] she called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are El-Roi,”[o] for she said, “Here I have seen after he who sees me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-Lahai-Roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 And Hagar had a child for Abram, a son. And Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore to him, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 16:1 Or “And”
  2. Genesis 16:2 Literally “I will be built from her”
  3. Genesis 16:3 Or “And”
  4. Genesis 16:4 That is, Hagar
  5. Genesis 16:5 Literally “I put my servant in your lap”
  6. Genesis 16:5 Literally “I grew small in her eyes”
  7. Genesis 16:6 Literally “in your hand”
  8. Genesis 16:6 That is, Hagar
  9. Genesis 16:8 Literally “where from this”
  10. Genesis 16:9 Or “And”
  11. Genesis 16:9 Literally “her hand”
  12. Genesis 16:10 Literally “multiplying I will multiply”
  13. Genesis 16:12 Literally “against the face of all his brothers”
  14. Genesis 16:13 Or “And”
  15. Genesis 16:13 “God of seeing”