Genesis 16:3
So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Sarai herself initiates this union by giving Hagar to Abram. This detail is crucial because it highlights that the decision wasn't primarily Abram's desire but Sarai's attempt to solve her own barrenness, revealing a human, flawed approach to fulfilling God's promise.
After living in Canaan for ten years, Abram and Sarai still had no children. In an attempt to fulfill God's promise of offspring, Sarai took her Egyptian servant Hagar and gave her to Abram as a wife, a practice not uncommon in that culture but ultimately a human attempt to force God's hand. This decision immediately sets in motion a chain of events, including Hagar's conception and subsequent conflict with Sarai, which will have lasting consequences for Abram's household and beyond.
Ten years. That's a long time to wait for a promise, especially one as crucial as having an heir. See how Abram and Sarai's patience wore thin, pushing them towards a drastic decision.
After a decade in Canaan, Abram and Sarai were still childless, and the promised heir seemed further away than ever. This long delay tested their faith intensely.
Hagar wasn't just a servant; she was Sarai's personal property. This dynamic adds layers of complexity to the decision and its aftermath. What did this 'wife' status really mean?
The text calls Hagar Sarai's 'maid' and then states she was given to Abram 'to be his wife.' This terminology, while seemingly straightforward, reflects a complex social reality and a departure from God's ideal.
Understand the original words
Kena'an · Hebrew Proper Noun
A descriptive term for the region promised to Abram and his descendants by God. It represents the geographical location of the covenant promise and the future inheritance of Israel.
This event occurs after ten years of waiting in Canaan, highlighting the immense pressure Abram and Sarai felt to fulfill God's promise of an heir. Their human attempt to 'help' God, though understandable given their circumstances, immediately sowed seeds of conflict and diverted from the divinely appointed path.
~2000 BC
Abram's Covenantal Promises
God establishes a covenant with Abram, promising him countless descendants and a special land. Abram is around 75 years old.
~1990 BC
Abram Enters Canaan
Abram, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot settle in the land of Canaan as instructed by God. Abram is about 75 years old.
c. 1980 BC— this verse
Abram and Sarai's Impatience
After ten years in Canaan (Abram now ~85, Sarai ~75), Sarai, barren and desperate for an heir, suggests Abram take her Egyptian servant, Hagar, as a surrogate mother.
c. 1980 BC
Birth of Ishmael
Hagar conceives and bears Abram a son, Ishmael. This act immediately introduces tension and rivalry within the household.
This passage describes God's promise to make Sarah (formerly Sarai) fruitful, highlighting the divine intervention in providing an heir, contrasting with Sarai's human attempt to orchestrate the same outcome through Hagar.
Galatians 4:21-31Paul uses the story of Hagar and Sarah as an allegory, directly connecting the physical birth of Ishmael (born according to the flesh) with the spiritual birth of believers through the promise of God (born of the Spirit).
Genesis 21:9-14This passage shows the ongoing conflict between Ishmael and Isaac, illustrating the long-term consequences and continuing rivalry that stemmed from Sarai's decision to give Hagar to Abram.
Ruth 4:13-17Similar to Sarai's desire for an heir, Ruth's story also centers on the theme of barrenness and the divine provision of a child, Obed, through a seemingly complex and unconventional marital arrangement, showing God's redemptive plan working through human situations.
clarkeGenesis 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."
And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar - and gave her to her husband - to be his wife - There are instances of Hindoo women, when barren, consenting to their husbands marrying a second wife for the sake of children; and second marriages on this account, without consent, are very common - Ward
pooleGenesis 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."
1911 i.e. His concubine, or secondary wife. Polygamy, though it was forbidden by God’s first institution, Genesis 2:24 , compared with Matthew 19:5 , and brought into the world by wicked Lamech, yet it was sometimes practised by the patriarchs, either by God’s permission, who could rightly dispense with his own laws whe…
Sarai herself initiates this union by giving Hagar to Abram. This detail is crucial because it highlights that the decision wasn't primarily Abram's desire but Sarai's attempt to solve her own barrenness, revealing a human, flawed approach to fulfilling God's promise.
After living in Canaan for ten years, Abram and Sarai still had no children. In an attempt to fulfill God's promise of offspring, Sarai took her Egyptian servant Hagar and gave her to Abram as a wife, a practice not uncommon in that culture but ultimately a human attempt to force God's hand. This decision immediately sets in motion a chain of events, including Hagar's conception and subsequent conflict with Sarai, which will have lasting consequences for Abram's household and beyond.
After living in Canaan for ten years, Abram and Sarai still had no children. In an attempt to fulfill God's promise of offspring, Sarai took her Egyptian servant Hagar and gave her to Abram as a wife, a practice not uncommon in that culture but ultimately a human attempt to force God's hand. This decision immediately sets in motion a chain of events, including Hagar's conception and subsequent conflict with Sarai, which will have lasting consequences for Abram's household and beyond.
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c. 1979 BC
Hagar Flees
Following mistreatment by Sarai and Ishmael's burgeoning disrespect, Hagar flees into the wilderness. An angel of the Lord finds her, promising a great future for her son.
c. 1979 BC
Hagar Returns
The angel instructs Hagar to return to Sarai and submit to her. She obeys, and the son born from this union is named Ishmael.
"So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife." — Sarai herself initiates this union by giving Hagar to Abram. This detail is crucial because it highlights that the decision wasn't primarily Abram's desire but Sarai's attempt to solve her own barren…
