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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Genesis 16

1¶ Now Sarai Abram’s wife bore him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing; I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar, her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4¶ And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5Then Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee; I have given my maid into thy bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes; the Lord judge between me and thee.

6But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleases thee. Then Sarai afflicted her, and she fled from her face.

7¶ And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where didst thou come from and where wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

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

10¶ And the angel of the Lord also said unto her, I will multiply thy seed so exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for the multitude.

11And the angel of the Lord yet said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son and shalt call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard thy affliction.

12And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her, Thou God that is seen: for she said, Have I not also here seen the back of him that sees me?

14Therefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; {well of the living one who sees me} behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15¶ And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

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Genesis 16

Genesis 16