Genesis 16

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD 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.

3 Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.

4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May the LORD judge between me and you.”

6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.

7 The LORD’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.

8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”

9 The LORD’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”

10 The LORD’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.”

11 The LORD’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction.

12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.”

13 She called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”

14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Around Genesis 16

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

Genesis 16 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Sarai has no child, and in her house lives a servant, an Egyptian named Hagar. Sarai gives her to Abram as a wife, hoping to obtain children through her. Hagar conceives, and the household breaks apart. Sarai blames Abram, Abram tells her to do as she sees fit with Hagar, and Sarai deals harshly with her. Hagar runs into the wilderness.

By a spring on the way to Shur the LORD’s angel finds her and asks where she has come from and where she is going. He tells her to return, promises offspring too many to count, and says she will bear a son and call him Ishmael, because the LORD has heard her affliction. Hagar names the one who spoke to her: “You are a God who sees,” she says. The well is called Beer Lahai Roi. Then Hagar bears her son, and Abram is eighty-six.

Background

The chapter is hard reading. A servant is given away, used and then mistreated, and the text tells it without softening it. Hagar is the first person in Genesis to give God a name. Her story returns in Genesis 21, and Paul uses it in Galatians 4. Muslims also honor Hagar and Ishmael, and Jews and Christians read the chapter with them in mind.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 21 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes