Genesis 16
Big idea: Ten years into the waiting, the household takes matters into its own hands. Sarai's proposal is legally ordinary in her world and emotionally catastrophic: give Abram her Egyptian slave, and count the child as her own. Abram agrees without a word of protest. Hagar conceives, despises her mistress, is treated harshly, and runs. And in the wilderness by a spring, God does something he has not done for Abram or Sarai in this chapter — he speaks to the slave, calls her by name and status, tells her she has been heard, and gives her a promise of her own. She responds by naming him: You are a God who sees. She is the first person in Scripture to give God a name.
Chapter 16 ends with Ishmael born and Abram eighty-six, the household's shortcut apparently successful. Chapter 17 begins thirteen silent years later, when God returns and makes clear that the son of the promise is still to come.
16:1–6 — The shortcut, and its cost
Sarai, still childless after ten years in Canaan, gives Abram her Egyptian slave Hagar as a wife, saying Yahweh has restrained her from bearing — perhaps she can build a family through her. Abram listens. Hagar conceives and looks on her mistress with contempt; Sarai blames Abram, Abram hands Hagar back to Sarai's authority, and Sarai deals harshly with her until she flees.
1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 Sarai 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. 3 Sarai, 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. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 Sarai 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.” 6 But 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.
16:7–12 — Found by a spring in the wilderness
Yahweh's angel finds Hagar by a spring on the road to Shur and addresses her by name and station — Hagar, Sarai's servant — with two questions: where have you come from, and where are you going? She answers only the first. He tells her to return and submit, and then gives her promises: offspring too many to count, a son named Ishmael because Yahweh has heard her affliction, and a description of the wild, contested life he will live.
7 Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. 8 He 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.” 9 Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” 10 Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” 11 Yahweh’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. 12 He 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.”
16:13–16 — You are a God who sees
Hagar names the God who spoke to her: El Roi, You are a God who sees — have I really seen him and remained alive after seeing? The well is named Beer Lahai Roi, the well of the Living One who sees me. She returns and bears Ishmael, and Abram is eighty-six.
13 She 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?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).