Genesis 16:1-16

  • Hagar and Ishmael (1-16)

16  Now Aʹbram’s wife Sarʹai had borne him no children,+ but she had an Egyptian servant whose name was Haʹgar.+  So Sarʹai said to Aʹbram: “Please now! Jehovah has prevented me from bearing children. Please, have relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have children by means of her.”+ So Aʹbram listened to what Sarʹai said.  After Aʹbram had lived for ten years in the land of Caʹnaan, Aʹbram’s wife Sarʹai took her Egyptian servant Haʹgar and gave her to her husband Aʹbram as his wife.  So he had relations with Haʹgar, and she became pregnant. When she realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.  At this Sarʹai said to Aʹbram: “The injury done to me is your fault. I was the one who put my servant in your arms,* but when she realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise me. May Jehovah judge between me and you.”  So Aʹbram said to Sarʹai: “Look! Your servant is under your authority. Do to her whatever you think is best.” Then Sarʹai humiliated her, and she ran away from her.  Later Jehovah’s angel found her at a spring of waters in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.+  And he said: “Haʹgar, servant of Sarʹai, where have you come from and where are you going?” To this she said: “I am running away from my mistress Sarʹai.”  Jehovah’s angel then said to her: “Return to your mistress and humble yourself under her hand.” 10  Then Jehovah’s angel said: “I will greatly multiply your offspring,* so that they will be too numerous to count.”+ 11  Jehovah’s angel added: “Here you are pregnant, and you will give birth to a son, and you must name him Ishʹma·el,* for Jehovah has heard your affliction. 12  He will be a wild donkey* of a man. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him, and he will dwell opposite all his brothers.”* 13  Then she called on the name of Jehovah, who was speaking to her: “You are a God of sight,”+ for she said: “Have I here actually looked upon the one who sees me?” 14  That is why the well was called Beʹer-laʹhai-roi.* (It is between Kaʹdesh and Beʹred.) 15  So Haʹgar bore to Aʹbram a son, and Aʹbram named his son, whom Haʹgar bore, Ishʹma·el.+ 16  Aʹbram was 86 years old when Haʹgar bore Ishʹma·el to him.

Footnotes

Lit., “in your bosom.”
Lit., “seed.”
Meaning “God Hears.”
Or “an onager,” a kind of wild donkey, though some think that it refers to a zebra. Likely a reference to an independent disposition.
Or possibly, “and he will live in hostility to all his brothers.”
Meaning “Well of the Living One Who Sees Me.”