Genesis 16: Hagar and the God who sees
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Sarai has no children, so she gives her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abram, and Hagar becomes pregnant. Sarai treats her harshly and Hagar runs away. Yahweh's angel finds her by a spring, sends her back, and tells her to name her son Ishmael, and Hagar calls Yahweh "a God who sees".
Who is speaking?
Sarai, Abram, Hagar and the angel of Yahweh speak. No verse is in gold: the words to Hagar in verses 8 to 12 are given to Yahweh's angel. Verse 13 says it was Yahweh who spoke to her (see the note there). God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
In plain English: Sarai, Abram's wife, had given him no children. She had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
In plain English: Sarai said to Abram, "Look, Yahweh has kept me from having children. Please sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." Abram did what Sarai said.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
In plain English: So after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian servant Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
In plain English: He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, she began to look down on her mistress.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May Yahweh judge between me and you.”
In plain English: Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong done to me is your fault. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she sees she is pregnant, she looks down on me. May Yahweh judge between you and me."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.
In plain English: Abram said to Sarai, "Look, your servant is in your hands. Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai treated her harshly, and Hagar ran away from her.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.
In plain English: Yahweh's angel found Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the road to Shur.
The Hebrew word: "Angel" is malak, a messenger. This is the first time the Bible uses the word.
How it is translated: This Bible says "angel" in 101 of its 196 verses and "messenger" in 92. In Genesis it says "angel" in 15 of its 17 verses.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”
In plain English: He said, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She said, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”
In plain English: Yahweh's angel said to her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.”
In plain English: Yahweh's angel said to her, "I will greatly increase your offspring, so many that they cannot be counted."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction.
In plain English: Yahweh's angel said to her, "Look, you are pregnant and will have a son. You are to name him Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your suffering.
Good to know: Ishmael, Yishmael, sounds like "God hears". The verse gives the reason for the name: Yahweh has heard (shama) her suffering.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.”
In plain English: He will be like a wild donkey among people. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him. He will live at odds with all his brothers (or: alongside all his brothers)."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”
In plain English: She called Yahweh, who spoke to her, by this name: "You are a God who sees." For she said, "Have I really stayed alive after seeing him?" (or: "Have I really seen here the back of the one who sees me?")
The Hebrew words: "A God who sees" is El Roi; roi means sight or seeing. Hagar's question is hard to read in Hebrew. Word for word it says, "Have I even here seen after (or: the back of) the one who sees me?" Bibles translate it in different ways.
Church tradition: Verses 7 to 11 say that Yahweh's angel spoke to Hagar, and in the angel says, "I will greatly multiply your offspring." This verse says she named Yahweh, who spoke to her. Churches read this in different ways: some teach that the angel of Yahweh is God himself appearing, others that the angel is a messenger who speaks in God's name.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
14Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
In plain English: That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.
Good to know: The name includes be'er, "well", and roi (seeing), the same word Hagar uses for God in . "Therefore" ties the name to her words.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
15Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
In plain English: Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram named the son Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
In plain English: Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.