Genesis 16

1 Now Abram’s wife [princess] Sarai had borne [given birth to, beget] him no children [offspring, descendants], but she had an [from the land of Egypt] Egyptian maidservant [female slave, servant girl] named [whose identity is] Hagar. word study 2 So Sarai [the princess, Abraham’s wife] said to Abram, “Look now [behold, consider this], the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] has prevented [restrained, held back] me from bearing [giving birth to] children. Please [I pray, if you would] go to my maidservant [female slave, servant girl]; perhaps [if not, it may be] I can build [establish, create] a family by her [through her, with her help].” And Abram listened [heard, obeyed] to the voice [sound, words] of Sarai. word study 3 So after he had lived [resided, dwelt] in Canaan [the land of promise] for ten [a decade, a period of completion] years, his wife Sarai [princess, a woman of noble character] took her Egyptian [from the land of the Nile] maidservant [female slave, servant girl] Hagar and gave her to Abram [the father of many, a man of faith] to be his wife [a secondary wife, a concubine]. word study 4 And he slept with [had intimate relations with, went in to] Hagar, and she conceived [became pregnant, was with child]. But when Hagar realized [saw, perceived] that she was pregnant [with child, had conceived], she began to despise [treat with contempt, lightly esteem] her mistress [lady, female master, Sarai]. word study 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong [injustice, violence] done to me be upon you! I delivered [given, entrusted] my servant [maidservant, female slave] into your arms [bosom, intimate care], and ever since she saw [perceived, realized] that she was pregnant [conceived, with child], she has treated me with contempt [despised, lightly esteemed]. May the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] judge [vindicate, govern] between [in the midst of] you and me.” word study 6 “Here,” said Abram [the father of faith], “your servant [maidservant, female slave] is in your hands [power, authority]. Do whatever [as it pleaseth thee] you want with her [according to your will].” Then Sarai [Abraham’s wife, princess] treated Hagar [Abram’s servant] so harshly [cruelly, roughly] that she fled [ran away quickly] from her [Sarai’s presence]. word study 7 Now the angel [messenger of God, heavenly representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] found Hagar by a spring [fountain, source of water] of water in the desert [wilderness, desolate region]—the spring [eye of the land, fountainhead] along the road [way, path] to Shur [a desert region near Egypt]. word study 8 “Hagar [Sarai’s maid, a female slave], servant of Sarai,” he said, “where [from what place or source] have you come from, and where [to what destination or purpose] are you going?” “I am running away [fleeing, escaping] from my mistress [lady, female master] Sarai,” she replied. word study 9 So the angel [messenger, representative] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] told her, “Return [to turn back, to come back] to your mistress [lady, woman of high social status] and submit [be occupied, humble yourself] to her authority [under her hands, in her power].” word study 10 Then the angel [messenger of the Lord] added, “I will greatly [exceedingly, abundantly] multiply [increase, grow] your offspring [seed, descendants] so that they will be too numerous [innumerable, countless] to count [be numbered, recounted].” word study 11 The angel [messenger] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] proceeded: “Behold [look, take notice], you have conceived [are pregnant, with child] and will bear [give birth to] a son [a male child, descendant]. And you shall name [call] him Ishmael [God will hear], for the LORD [Yehovah] has heard [listened to, hearkened] your cry [affliction, misery] of affliction [trouble, hardship]. word study 12 He will be a wild donkey [a fierce and untamed animal] of a man, and his hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] will be against everyone [all people, every individual], and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility [a state of opposition or conflict] toward all his brothers [relatives, kin].” word study 13 So Hagar gave this name to the LORD [Yehovah] who had spoken [communicated, revealed Himself] to her: “You are the God [El, the all-powerful] who sees me [looks upon, knows intimately], ” for she said, “Here [in this desert place] I have seen [beheld, experienced] the One who sees me [looks after, cares for me]!” word study 14 Therefore [on account of this, for this reason] the well [spring, water source] was called [named, designated as] Beer-lahai-roi [the well of the Living One seeing me, the well of the One who sees] [between Kadesh and Bered, in the area of Kadesh and Bered]. It is located [situated, found] between [in the midst of, among] Kadesh [a holy place, a city in southern Judah] and Bered [a place in southern Palestine]. word study 15 And Hagar [the Egyptian slave girl, mother of Ishmael] bore [gave birth to, beget] Abram [the original name of Abraham] a son [a male child, descendant], and Abram gave [called, named] the name [identity, character] Ishmael [God will hear] to the son [male child, descendant] she had borne [given birth to, brought forth]. word study 16 Abram [the father of a multitude] was eighty-six [fourscore and six] years old when Hagar [the slave girl, Egyptian servant] bore [gave birth to, beget] Ishmael [God will hear, a son of promise] to him [as his own son, a descendant]. word study