Genesis 16:3
in Genesis 16So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
KJV
And 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.
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This verse in Genesis 16
Commentary
7 notes on this verseIt was not because he was ablaze with the heat of some unbridled passion, not because he was overcome by the charm of seductive beauty that Abraham gave preference to a relationship with a slave girl over the conjugal bed, but through a desire to procure a posterity and to enlarge his progeny. After the flood the human race was still numerically sparse. Hence it was also a matter of moral obligation that no one be seen to have failed to render the debt to nature.
This site's exposition
after he had lived in Canaan for ten years
on Genesis 16:3-4
The writer counts the years, ten in Canaan since God spoke. Sarai took Hagar and gave her to Abram, the same two verbs Genesis used of Eve at the tree in 3:6. The plan works at once, and Hagar conceives and begins to despise her mistress.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
As we said above, it is a most authentic proof of moderation (sophrosyne) that Sarah gives in offering her slave girl to Abraham without a hint of jealousy, after she had observed that in ten months' time she had not conceived.
Virtue's purpose was, as we have said, that the wise man do training exercises first in preliminary education and shadow so that later, with this training behind him, he might arrive at greater things—which is the proper procedural order.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Abram to be his wife--"Wife" is here used to describe an inferior, though not degrading, relation, in countries where polygamy prevails. In the case of these female slaves, who are the personal property of his lady, being purchased before her marriage or given as a special present to her, no one can become the husband's secondary wife without her mistress consent or permission.
And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar - and gave her to her husband - to be his wife - There are instances of Hindoo women, when barren, consenting to their husbands marrying a second wife for the sake of children; and second marriages on this account, without consent, are very common - Ward
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּקַּ֞ח | vatikach | and she took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| שָׂרַ֣י | sarai | Sarai | H8297 → | 17 times |
| אֵֽשֶׁת־ | ʾeshet- | [the] wife of | H802 → | 781 times |
| אַבְרָ֗ם | ʾavram | Abram | H87 → | 61 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָגָ֤ר | hagar | Hagar | H1904 → | 12 times |
| הַמִּצְרִית֙ | hamitzrit | the Egyptian | H4713 → | 70 times |
| שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ | shifchatah | maidservant her | H8198 → | 63 times |
| מִקֵּץ֙ | miketz | from [the] end of | H7093 → | 67 times |
| עֶ֣שֶׂר | ʾeser | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| שָׁנִ֔ים | shanim | years | H8141 → | 877 times |
| לְשֶׁ֥בֶת | leshevet | of [the] dwelling of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| אַבְרָ֖ם | ʾavram | Abram | H87 → | 61 times |
| בְּאֶ֣רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כְּנָ֑עַן | kenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
| וַתִּתֵּ֥ן | vatiten | and she gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֹתָ֛הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> her | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְאַבְרָ֥ם | leavram | to Abram | H87 → | 61 times |
| אִישָׁ֖הּ | ʾishah | husband her | H376 → | 1663 times |
| ל֥וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ | leishah | to a wife | H802 → | 781 times |
וַתִּקַּ֞חand she took
vatikachH3947 →966 times
שָׂרַ֣יSarai
saraiH8297 →17 times
אֵֽשֶׁת־[the] wife of
ʾeshet-H802 →781 times
אַבְרָ֗םAbram
ʾavramH87 →61 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָגָ֤רHagar
hagarH1904 →12 times
הַמִּצְרִית֙the Egyptian
hamitzritH4713 →70 times
שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּmaidservant her
shifchatahH8198 →63 times
מִקֵּץ֙from [the] end of
miketzH7093 →67 times
עֶ֣שֶׂרten
ʾeserH6235 →176 times
שָׁנִ֔יםyears
shanimH8141 →877 times
לְשֶׁ֥בֶתof [the] dwelling of
leshevetH3427 →1079 times
אַבְרָ֖םAbram
ʾavramH87 →61 times
בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
כְּנָ֑עַןCanaan
kenaanH3667 →94 times
וַתִּתֵּ֥ןand she gave
vatitenH5414 →2011 times
אֹתָ֛הּ<obj.> her
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
לְאַבְרָ֥םto Abram
leavramH87 →61 times
אִישָׁ֖הּhusband her
ʾishahH376 →1663 times
ל֥וֹof him
lo
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃to a wife
leishahH802 →781 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 16:5Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me…
it leads to
- Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
- Exodus 5:21
“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill…
- Genesis 31:53
Through
2 Samuel 5:13After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 3:9
These were all the sons of David, besides the sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.
- Deuteronomy 17:17
He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
- 1 Chronicles 3:9
Through
Galatians 4:25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
it leads to
- Psalms 68:17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.
- Galatians 1:17
nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
- Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you…
- Psalms 68:17
Through
1 Kings 11:3He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 5:13–16
After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
- 2 Samuel 5:13–16
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham; Didymus the Blind, ON GENESIS 236-37; Didymus the Blind, ON GENESIS 237-38; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).