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.

ESV brought to you by Crossway / Good News Publishers

Learn More

Genesis 16

1Now Sarai, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children; but having a handmaid, an Egyptian, named Agar,

2She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing. Go in unto my handmaid; it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request,

3She took Agar the Egyptian, her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan: and gave her to her husband to wife.

4And he went in to her. But she, perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress.

5And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me; I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she, perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee.

6And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold, thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her its it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away.

7And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert,

8He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? And whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress.

9And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.

10And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Ismael: because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

12He shall be a wild man. His hand will be against all men, and all men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren.

13And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou, the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me.

14Therefore she called that well: The well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Bared.

15And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael.

16Abram was fourscore and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.

An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Learn More

Choose your language

ESV Hear the Word Audio Bible

Genesis 16

Genesis 16