Bible/Genesis/16

Genesis 16:2

16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
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. obtain: Heb. be built by her

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Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

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.

And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing: I pray you, go in to my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

16:3 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.

What does Genesis 16:2 mean?

Genesis 16:2 is a verse in the book of Genesis, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include שָׂרַי (Sâray), אָמַר (ʼâmar), אַבְרָם (ʼAbrâm). It connects to 14 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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And
SaraiשָׂרַיSâray/saw-rah'-ee/H8297Sarai, the wife of Abraham
saidאָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)
unto
Abram,אַבְרָםʼAbrâm/ab-rawm'/H87Abram, the original name of Abraham
Behold
now,
the
LORDיְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
hath
restrained
meעָצָרʻâtsâr/aw-tsar'/H6113to inclose; by analogy, to hold back; also to maintain, rule, assemble
from
bearing:יָלַדyâlad/yaw-lad'/H3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
I
pray
thee,
go
inבּוֹאbôwʼ/bo/H935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
unto
my
maid;שִׁפְחָהshiphchâh/shif-khaw'/H8198a female slave (as a member of the household)
it
mayאוּלַיʼûwlay/oo-lah'ee/H194if not; hence perhaps
be
that
I
may
obtain
childrenבָּנָהbânâh/baw-naw'/H1129to build (literally and figuratively)
by
her.
And
AbramאַבְרָםʼAbrâm/ab-rawm'/H87Abram, the original name of Abraham
hearkenedשָׁמַעshâmaʻ/shaw-mah'/H8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
to
the
voiceקוֹלqôwl/kole/H6963a voice or sound
of
Sarai.שָׂרַיSâray/saw-rah'-ee/H8297Sarai, the wife of Abraham
obtain:
Heb.
be
built
by
her

Commentary on Genesis 16:2

HENRY_FULL · Genesis 16:2
cure 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 angel that met her in her flight, ver. 7-14 . IV. Her delivery of a son, ver. 15, 16 . Abram, Sarai, and Hagar. ( b. c. 1911.) 1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no c

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Genesis 3:1

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Yea: Heb. Yea, because, etc.

Genesis 3:12

And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:17

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Genesis 17:16

And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. she: Heb. she shall become nations

Genesis 18:10

And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Genesis 20:18

For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

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.

Genesis 30:2

And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

Genesis 30:3

And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. have: Heb. be built by her

Genesis 30:6

And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. Dan: that is, Judging

Genesis 30:9

When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

Genesis 30:22

And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

Exodus 21:4

If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

Ruth 4:11

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: do thou: or, get thee riches, or, power be famous: Heb. proclaim thy name

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Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Genesis 16:2.

Genesis 11:31

And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Genesis 12:5

And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Genesis 16:1

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

Genesis 16:8

And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

Genesis 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Cain: that is, Gotten, or, Acquired

Genesis 7:1

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Genesis 11:29

And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

Genesis 12:11

And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

Frequently asked questions

What does Genesis 16:2 say?

Genesis 16:2 (King James Version) reads: "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. obtain: Heb. be built by her"

Is Genesis 16:2 in the Old or New Testament?

Genesis 16:2 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Genesis.

Who wrote the book of Genesis?

The book of Genesis is traditionally attributed to Moses.

Reflect

As you read Genesis 16:2, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

Plan a sermon or study on Genesis 16:2
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