Genesis 16
16
Hagar and the Ishmaelites’ origins
1Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to have children. Since she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar, 2Sarai said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from giving birth, so go to my servant. Maybe she will provide me with children.” Abram did just as Sarai said. 3After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took her Egyptian servant Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 4He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when she realized that she was pregnant, she no longer respected her mistress. 5Sarai said to Abram, “This harassment is your fault. I allowed you to embrace my servant, but when she realized she was pregnant, I lost her respect. Let the LORD decide who is right, you or me.”
6Abram said to Sarai, “Since she’s your servant, do whatever you wish to her.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from Sarai.
7The LORD’s messenger found Hagar at a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur, 8and said, “Hagar! Sarai’s servant! Where did you come from and where are you going?”
She said, “From Sarai my mistress. I’m running away.”
9The LORD’s messenger said to her, “Go back to your mistress. Put up with her harsh treatment of you.” 10The LORD’s messenger also said to her,
“I will give you many children,
so many they can’t be counted!”
11The LORD’s messenger said to her,
“You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son.
You will name him Ishmael#16.11 Or God hears
because the LORD has heard about your harsh treatment.
12He will be a wild mule of a man;
he will fight everyone, and they will fight him.
He will live at odds with all his relatives.”#16.12 Or He will reside near all his relatives.
13Hagar named the LORD who spoke to her, “You are El Roi”#16.13 Or God who sees or God whom I’ve seen because she said, “Can I still see after he saw me?”#16.13 Heb uncertain; or Have I really seen God and survived? 14Therefore, that well is called Beer-lahai-roi;#16.14 Or the Well of the Living One who sees me or whom I’ve seen it’s the well between Kadesh and Bered. 15Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram named him Ishmael. 16Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for Abram.
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Genesis 16: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 16
16
Sarai and Hagar
1 # ch. 15:2, 3 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was #ch. 21:9; Gal. 4:24Hagar. 2And 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#16:2 Hebrew be built up, which sounds like the Hebrew for children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3So, after Abram #ch. 12:5had 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. 4And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, #[1 Sam. 1:6, 7]she looked with contempt on her mistress.#16:4 Hebrew her mistress was dishonorable in her eyes; similarly in verse 5 5And 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 #ch. 31:53; 1 Sam. 24:12the Lord judge between you and me!” 6But 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.
7The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to #ch. 25:18; Ex. 15:22Shur. 8And 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.” 9The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10The angel of the Lord also said to her, #ch. 17:20; 21:18; See ch. 25:12-18“I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11And the angel of the Lord said to her,
“Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,#16:11 Ishmael means God hears
# [ch. 29:32] because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
12He shall be #Job 39:5-8; [ch. 21:20] a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he shall dwell #ch. 25:18over against all his kinsmen.”
13So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,”#16:13 Or You are a God who sees me for she said, #[ch. 32:30; Ex. 19:21; 33:20; Judg. 13:22]“Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”#16:13 Hebrew Have I really seen him here who sees me? or Would I have looked here for the one who sees me? 14Therefore the well was called #ch. 24:62; 25:11 Beer-lahai-roi;#16:14 Beer-lahai-roi means the well of the Living One who sees me it lies between #ch. 14:7; 20:1; Num. 13:26Kadesh and Bered.
15And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
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