INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 16 This chapter gives an account of Abram's marrying his maid, at the instance of his wife Sarai, Genesis 16:1, who, upon conceiving, despised her mistress; of which complaint is made to Abram, who leaving his maid to his wife, to deal with her as she pleased, dealt harshly... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW SARAI, ABRAM'S WIFE, BARE HIM NO CHILDREN,.... She is before said to be barren, and he to be childless, Genesis 11:30; God had promised him a seed, but as yet he had none, which was a trial of his faith; he had been married many years to Sarai his wife, she was his wife when they came out of Ur... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SARAI SAID UNTO ABRAM, BEHOLD NOW, THE LORD HATH RESTRAINED ME FROM BEARING,.... Or, "hath shut me up" d; that is, her womb, as were the wombs of the house of Abimelech, Genesis 20:18; so that she could not conceive and bear children; she now at this age despaired of having children, perceiving... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SARAI, ABRAM'S WIFE, TOOK HAGAR HER MAID, THE EGYPTIAN,.... Took her by the hand, it is probable, and led her into the apartment where Abram was, and presented her to him; their characters are very exactly described, and the contrast beautifully given, that the affair might be the more remarkabl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WENT IN UNTO HAGAR, AND SHE CONCEIVED,.... The formality of the marriage being over, he enjoyed her as his wife, and she immediately conceived by him: AND WHEN SHE SAW THAT SHE HAD CONCEIVED; when she perceived that she was with child: HER MISTRESS WAS DESPISED IN HER EYES; she thought hers... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SARAI SAID TO ABRAM,.... Being affronted with the behaviour of her maid to her, she applies to Abram for the redress of her grievance, judging it, perhaps, below her dignity to enter into an altercation with her maid: MY WRONG [BE] UPON THEE; in her passion imprecating evil on him, as a just pu... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ABRAM SAID UNTO SARAI,.... In a meek, mild and gentle manner: BEHOLD, THY MAID [IS] IN THINE HAND; though Hagar was Abram's secondary wife he still considers her as Sarai's maid, and as subject to her, and allows her to exercise authority over her; for he still retained the same love and affect... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER,.... This is the first time that mention is made of an angel in Scripture, but is not to be understood of a created angel, but of a divine Person, as appears from Genesis 16:10, the uncreated angel, the Logos or Son of God, called the Angel of God's presence, and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, HAGAR, SARAI'S MAID,.... He calls her by her name, which might surprise her, and describes her by her character and condition, in order to check her pride, and put her in mind of her duty to her mistress; and to suggest to her, that she ought to have been not where she was, but in the h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO HER,.... The same angel; though Jarchi thinks that one angel after another was sent, and that at every speech there was a fresh angel; and because this phrase is repeated again and again, some of the Rabbins have fancied there were four angels r, and others five,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO HER,.... The same as before, who, by what follows, appears to be Jehovah himself: I WILL MULTIPLY THY SEED EXCEEDINGLY; not that she should have many children herself, for that she had more than this one she now went with, is not certain; but that that seed she h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO HER,.... Continued his discourse with her, informing her she should have a son, and what his name should be, and what his character, and the place of his habitation: BEHOLD, THOU [ART] WITH CHILD; this she knew, and it is said, not for her information, as to this... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WILL BE A WILD MAN,.... Living in a wilderness, delighting in hunting and killing wild beasts, and robbing and plundering all that pass by; and such an one Ishmael was, see Genesis 21:20; and such the Saracens, his posterity, were, and such the wild Arabs are to this day, who descended from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHE CALLED THE NAME OF THE LORD THAT SPAKE UNTO HER,.... Either she called on the name of the Lord, and prayed unto him, that he would forgive her sin and give her some fresh tokens of his love; and also gave him thanks for his gracious regards unto her, that he should look upon, and look after... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE THE WELL WAS CALLED BEERLAHAIROI,.... That is, the fountain where the angel found her, Genesis 16:7; this, from the appearance of God to her at it, was afterwards called by her and others by this name, which signifies "the well of him that liveth and seeth me"; that is, of the living and a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAGAR BARE ABRAM A SON,.... Being returned to his house, and received by him, and reconciled to Sarai, she brought forth a son to Abram, according to the prediction of the angel: AND ABRAM CALLED HIS SON'S NAME, WHICH HAGAR BARE, ISHMAEL; and this name Jarchi suggests he gave by the inspiration... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABRAM [WAS] EIGHTY YEARS OLD WHEN HAGAR BARE ISHMAEL TO ABRAM. Which is easily reckoned, for he was seventy five years of age when he left Haran, Genesis 12:4; and he had been ten years in Canaan when Hagar was given him by Sarai for his wife, Genesis 16:3; and so must be then eighty five years... [ Continue Reading ]