Genesis 16:1
Abram and Sarai had lived in Canaan for 10 years and Sarai still did not have a baby. She said to Abram, “I think God has stopped me from having my own baby. But I have a plan, here is my Egyptian working girl, Hagar. I want you to take her as a second wife. She belongs to me and so if she has a baby, then that baby will be mine.”
Barkly (portions)
In The King James Version
In Context
Cross References
Genesis 11:30But Sarai could not have a baby.
Genesis 15:2But Abram said, “O Lord. What can you give me? You have not given me the one thing I really want. You have not given me any children. When I die, one of my workmen named Elee-ay-zer from Damascus, will get everything I have.”
Genesis 21:12But God said to Abraham, “Do not worry about Ishmael. It is ok. I will look after him and his mother. You should listen to Sarah and do what she says. Remember that I promised you a family. That family will come from Isaac, not Ishmael.
Genesis 25:21Isaac and Rebekah were married for 20 years and they still did not have any children and so Isaac prayed for her. God heard his prayer and later on Rebekah knew she was going to have a baby.
Matthew Henry on Genesis 16:1
Hagar is the person mostly concerned in the story of this chapter, an obscure Egyptian woman, whose name and story we never should have heard of if Providence had not brought her into the family of Abram. Probably she was one of those maid-servants whom the king of Egypt, among other gifts, bestowed upon Abram, ch. xiv. 16 . Concerning her, we have four things in this chapter:—I. Her marriage to Abram her master, ver. 1-3 . II. Her misbehaviour towards Sarai her mistress, ver. 4-6 . III. Her discourse with an… Read the whole commentary →