Genesis 16 · Verse 1

Genesis 16:1

Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Genesis 16:1, King James Version

Genesis 16:1 in other translations

BSBNow Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
WEBNow Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
ASVNow Sarai, Abram’s wife, bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
YLTAnd Sarai, Abram's wife, hath not borne to him, and she hath an handmaid, an Egyptian, and her name is Hagar;
DARBYAnd Sarai Abram's wife did not bear him children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant; and her name was Hagar.
BBENow Sarai, Abram's wife, had given him no children; and she had a servant, a woman of Egypt whose name was Hagar.
WebsterNow Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

What does Genesis 16:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ge 16:1-16. Bestowment of Hagar.

1. Now, Sarai ... had a handmaid--a female slave--one of those obtained in Egypt.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Sarai, having no child, gives Hagar her maid to Abram for wife, Gen 16:1-3. She conceives and despises her mistress, Gen 16:4. Sarai is offended and upbraids Abram, Gen 16:5. Abram vindicates himself; and Hagar, being hardly used by her mistress, runs away, Gen 16:6. She is met by an angel, and counselled to return to her mistress, Gen 16:7-9. God promises greatly to multiply her seed, Gen 16:10. Gives the name of Ishmael to the child that should be born of her, Gen 16:11. Shows his disposition and character, Gen 16:12. Hagar calls the name of the Lord who spoke to her, Thou God seest me, Gen 16:13. She calls the name of the well at which the angel met her, Beer-laharoi, Gen 16:14. Ishmael is born in the 86th year of Abram's age, Gen 16:15, Gen 16:16. Verse 1 She had a handmaid, an Egyptian - As Hagar was an Egyptian, St. Chrysostom's conjecture is very probable. that she was one of those female slaves which Pharaoh gave to Abram when he sojourned in Egypt; see Gen 12:16. Her name הגר hagar signifies a stranger or sojourner, and it is likely she got this name in the family of Abram, as the word is pure Hebrew.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 16:1-3
Sarai, no longer expecting to have children herself, proposed to Abram to take another wife, whose children she might; her slave, whose children would be her property. This was done without asking counsel of the Lord. Unbelief worked, God's almighty power was forgotten. It was a bad example, and a source of manifold uneasiness. In every relation and situation in life there is some cross for us to bear: much of the exercise of faith consists in patiently submitting, in waiting the Lord's time, and using only those means which he appoints for the removal of the cross. Foul temptations may have very fair pretences, and be coloured with that which is very plausible. Fleshly wisdom puts us out of God's way. This would not be the case, if we would ask counsel of God by his word and by prayer, before we attempt that which is doubtful.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 16:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְשָׂרַי֙ve.sa.Raiand SaraiH8297
אֵ֣שֶׁת'E.shet[the] wife ofH802
אַבְרָ֔ם'av.RamAbramH87
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יָלְדָ֖הYal.dahshe had borne childrenH3205
ל֑וֹloto <the> him
וְלָ֛הּve.Lahand [belonged] to <the> her
שִׁפְחָ֥הshif.Chaha maidservantH8198
מִצְרִ֖יתmitz.RitEgyptianH4713
וּשְׁמָ֥הּu.she.Mahand name herH8034
הָגָֽר\׃ha.Gar[was] HagarH1904

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 16:1

  • Galatians 4:24

    Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

  • Genesis 12:16

    And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

  • Genesis 15:2-3

    And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

  • Genesis 21:9-10

    And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

  • Genesis 21:12

    And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

  • Luke 1:36

    And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

  • Genesis 11:30

    But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

  • Judges 13:2

    And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

  • Luke 1:7

    And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

  • Genesis 21:21

    And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

  • Genesis 25:21

    And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Sarai, being barren, gives Hagar to Abram.
4 Hagar, being afflicted for despising her mistress, runs away.
7 An angel commands her to return and submit herself, promises her a numerous posterity, and shows their character and condition.
13 Hagar names the place, and returns to Sarai.
15 Ishmael is born.
16 The age of Abram.

A.M. 2092. B.C. 1912. bare.
15:2,3; 21:10,12; 25:21; Jud 13:2; Lu 1:7,36
Egyptian.
12:16; 21:9,21
name.
Ga 4:24
Agar.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 16:1

    Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

  • Genesis 16:2

    And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath 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.

Read all of Genesis 16

Genesis 16:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y SARAI, mujer de Abram, no le paría: y ella tenía una sierva egipcia, que se llamaba Agar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Saraï, femme d’Abram, ne lui donnait pas d’enfant; et elle avait une servante égyptienne, et son nom était Agar.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Sarai, Abrams Weib, gebar ihm nicht. Und sie hatte eine ägyptische Magd, und ihr Name war Hagar.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Igitur Sarai, uxor Abram, non genuerat liberos: sed habens ancillam ægyptiam nomine Agar,