Genesis 16: Hagar and the Birth of Ishmael

genesis-16

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Sarai and Hagar

16 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 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. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her,

“Behold, you are pregnant
    and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
    because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
    his hand against everyone
    and everyone's hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Chapter Analysis

Genesis 16: Hagar, Ishmael, And God’s Mercy In The Wilderness

Genesis 16 records Sarai’s attempt to obtain a child through Hagar, her Egyptian servant. The result brought conflict into Abram’s household, yet God saw Hagar in her distress, promised to multiply her descendants, and named her son Ishmael.

I. Sarai Gives Hagar To Abram

Genesis 16:1–3

🔹 Sarai had not borne children to Abram.
🔹 Sarai had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.
🔹 Sarai asked Abram to take Hagar so that she might obtain children through her.
🔹 Abram listened to Sarai’s plan.
🔹 Sarai gave Hagar to Abram as a wife after they had lived in Canaan for ten years.

II. Conflict Grows In Abram’s Household

Genesis 16:4–6

🔹 Hagar conceived after Abram went in to her.
🔹 Hagar looked with contempt upon Sarai after becoming pregnant.
🔹 Sarai blamed Abram for the conflict.
🔹 Abram told Sarai that Hagar was in her hand.
🔹 Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar.
🔹 Hagar fled from Sarai’s presence.

III. The Angel Of The LORD Meets Hagar

Genesis 16:7–14

🔹 The Angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring in the wilderness.
🔹 He asked Hagar where she had come from and where she was going.
🔹 Hagar said that she was fleeing from Sarai.
🔹 The Angel of the LORD told Hagar to return and submit to Sarai’s authority.
🔹 He promised to multiply Hagar’s descendants greatly.
🔹 He told her that she would bear a son and name him Ishmael, because the LORD had heard her affliction.
🔹 Ishmael would be a wild man, living in conflict with others.
🔹 Hagar called the LORD who spoke to her El Roi, meaning the God who sees.
🔹 The well was called Beer Lahai Roi.

IV. Ishmael Is Born

Genesis 16:15–16

🔹 Hagar bore Abram a son.
🔹 Abram named his son Ishmael.
🔹 Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.