Genesis 16:1

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

Now Sarai {H8297} Abram's {H87} wife {H802} bare {H3205} him no {H3808} children {H3205}: and she had an handmaid {H8198}, an Egyptian {H4713}, whose name {H8034} was Hagar {H1904}.

Now Sarai Avram's wife had not borne him a child. But she had an Egyptian slave-girl named Hagar;

Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.

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

Commentary

Context

Genesis 16:1 introduces a pivotal moment in the narrative of Abram and Sarai, directly following God's profound covenant promise to Abram regarding countless descendants and the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:5, Genesis 12:7). At this point, approximately ten years have passed since Abram first entered Canaan, and Sarai remains childless. In the ancient Near East, barrenness was a significant social and personal distress, often seen as a curse or a sign of divine displeasure. This verse sets the stage for Sarai's human attempt to fulfill God's promise, introducing Hagar, an Egyptian handmaid, as a means to provide an heir.

Key Themes

  • Human Impatience vs. Divine Timing: This verse highlights the tension between God's clear, yet seemingly delayed, promise and human efforts to expedite divine plans. Sarai's barrenness was a direct challenge to the Abrahamic covenant, prompting a solution based on cultural norms rather than continued faith and patience in God's sovereignty.
  • The Practice of Surrogacy/Concubinage: The mention of a "handmaid" (Hebrew: shiphchah) reflects a common custom in the ancient world where a barren wife might offer her servant to her husband to bear children on her behalf. These children would then legally be considered the wife's. This practice, though culturally accepted, ultimately leads to significant relational strife in the following verses.
  • Introduction of Hagar: Hagar's identity as an "Egyptian" is noted, a detail that foreshadows future interactions and conflicts between Abram's descendants and Egypt, as well as the unique role Hagar and her son Ishmael will play in biblical history.

Linguistic Insights

The term "handmaid" (Hebrew: שִׁפְחָה, shiphchah) refers to a female servant or slave. In the context of the ancient Near East, particularly as seen in legal codes like the Code of Hammurabi, a shiphchah could indeed be given by a barren wife to her husband to bear children, with the offspring legally belonging to the wife. This sheds light on the cultural context behind Sarai's decision, though it does not imply divine approval for this method of obtaining an heir.

Practical Application

Genesis 16:1 serves as a timeless reminder of the human tendency to take matters into our own hands when God's promises seem to tarry. Sarai's actions, though rooted in a desire to see God's promise fulfilled, demonstrate a lack of trust in God's perfect timing and method. For believers today, this verse encourages us to:

  • Trust God's Timing: Even when circumstances seem impossible or God's promises are delayed, we are called to wait patiently and trust in His faithfulness, knowing His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
  • Avoid Human Shortcuts: Solutions born out of impatience, even if culturally acceptable or seemingly logical, can lead to unforeseen complications and heartache, as the subsequent events with Hagar and Ishmael clearly illustrate.
  • Rely on Divine Power: God is capable of fulfilling His promises in miraculous ways, even when human ability fails, as He ultimately did by giving Abram and Sarai a son, Isaac, in their old age (Genesis 21:2).
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Cross-References

  • Galatians 4:24 (8 votes)

    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 (6 votes)

    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 21:9 (5 votes)

    ¶ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

  • Genesis 21:10 (5 votes)

    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 15:2 (5 votes)

    ¶ 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?

  • Genesis 15:3 (5 votes)

    And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

  • Genesis 21:12 (4 votes)

    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.