And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Sarai's cry, "May the wrong done to me be on you!" reveals a deep frustration, not just at Hagar's contempt, but also at Abram for his perceived inaction, implying he's the cause of her humiliation. This is underscored by her desperate appeal, "May the LORD judge between you and me!", highlighting how this family conflict escalates to a divine arbitration.
And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Sarai, frustrated by her inability to conceive, offers her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abram as a surrogate mother. Hagar quickly becomes pregnant and, empowered by her new status, begins to treat Sarai with contempt. In this verse, Sarai expresses her deep hurt and anger to Abram, blaming him for the situation and appealing to God to judge between them.
Sarai's attempt to secure an heir backfired spectacularly, leading to bitterness and division. What can we learn from this well-intentioned but flawed plan?
Sarai, desperate for a child, offered her maidservant Hagar to Abram. This was a common practice, but it was Sarai's idea, born of her own impatience rather than God's direct command. She thought she was helping God fulfill His promise, but she was stepping outside of His will and the natural order.
A Step Outside God's Plan
This story reminds us that even with the best intentions, trying to force God's hand or take matters into our own hands can lead to unintended, painful consequences. True faith trusts God's timing and His ways, even when they are slow or difficult to understand.
Once Hagar conceived, the dynamic shifted dramatically. What happens when gratitude turns to arrogance and humility to disdain?
The moment Hagar realized she was pregnant, her attitude toward Sarai changed drastically. What began as a solution to Sarai's barrenness quickly devolved into a source of deep humiliation for Sarai and pride for Hagar.
From Servant to Scornful
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This is a stark reminder of how pride can twist even seemingly favorable situations into something destructive. Hagar's newfound status, however temporary, led her to disrespect the very person who, in a sense, orchestrated her current position. The conflict wasn't just between mistress and maid; it was between humility and pride, gratitude and contempt.
Sarai's frustration boiled over, leading her to invoke God's judgment. What does this reveal about fractured relationships and our ultimate recourse?
The intense emotional fallout from Hagar's contempt pushed Sarai to a breaking point. Unable to resolve the conflict directly with her husband or the maidservant, she makes a powerful, though perhaps rash, appeal to God.
The Cry for Divine Justice
This moment shows us that when relationships become so strained that communication and understanding break down, our final recourse is often to appeal to God. While Sarai's words are filled with passion and perhaps a degree of desperation, they also reflect a deep-seated belief that God is just and cares about the injustices we suffer. It's a reminder that even in the messiest human conflicts, God remains sovereign and is the ultimate source of true judgment and reconciliation.
Understand the original words
chamas · Hebrew Noun
'Chamas' refers to violence, wrong, injustice, or physical harm. It denotes an act that violates the rights of another or goes against the moral order established by God.
shaphat · Hebrew Verb
'Shaphat' refers to the act of judging, deciding, or settling a dispute. When invoking God as judge, the speaker is calling for divine intervention to discern the truth and declare who is in the right and who is in the wrong.
This verse captures the immediate fallout of a deeply flawed human attempt to 'help' God fulfill His promises. Sarai's impatience leads her to give Hagar to Abram, but instead of resolving their childlessness, it ignites domestic strife and introduces a complex, long-lasting tension.
c. 2091 BC
Abram and Sarai enter Canaan
Abram, following God's call, journeys to Canaan with his wife Sarai and nephew Lot. God promises him numerous descendants and that Canaan will be their inheritance.
c. 2081 BC— this verse
Abram takes Hagar as concubine
After ten years in Canaan with no children, and facing God's continued promise of descendants, Sarai, impatient, gives her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abram as a concubine, hoping to have children through her.
c. 2080 BC
Birth of Ishmael
Hagar conceives and bears Abram a son, named Ishmael. This event immediately introduces tension and conflict into Abram's household.
c. 2070 BC
Angel appears to Hagar
Following mistreatment by Sarai, Hagar flees into the wilderness. An angel of the LORD finds her, instructs her to return and submit to Sarai, and promises her descendants.
This passage directly parallels the Genesis account, explaining that Ishmael, born of the slave woman Hagar, represents those in bondage, contrasting with Isaac, born of the free woman Sarah, who represents freedom in Christ.
Romans 9:7-13Paul uses the differing births of Isaac and Ishmael to illustrate God's sovereign choice, highlighting that God's promise and purposes are not based on natural lineage but on His election, just as He chose Isaac over Ishmael from birth.
Genesis 21:10-11This passage describes Sarah's insistence on expelling Hagar and Ishmael, directly stemming from the conflict that began in Genesis 16, showing the long-term consequences of Sarah's actions and Hagar's subsequent behavior.
1 Samuel 24:15David uses a similar plea to Saul, invoking the LORD to 'judge' between them, reflecting Sarah's desperate appeal in Genesis 16:5 and showing this type of appeal to God in moments of severe relational conflict is a recurring theme.
gillGenesis 16:5: "And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee."
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 j…
clarkeGenesis 16:5: "And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee."
My wrong be upon thee - This appears to be intended as a reproof to Abram, containing an insinuation that it was his fault that she herself had not been a mother, and that now he carried himself more affectionately towards Hagar than he did to her, in consequence of which conduct the slave…
Sarai's cry, "May the wrong done to me be on you!" reveals a deep frustration, not just at Hagar's contempt, but also at Abram for his perceived inaction, implying he's the cause of her humiliation. This is underscored by her desperate appeal, "May the LORD judge between you and me!", highlighting how this family conflict escalates to a divine arbitration.
Sarai, frustrated by her inability to conceive, offers her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abram as a surrogate mother. Hagar quickly becomes pregnant and, empowered by her new status, begins to treat Sarai with contempt. In this verse, Sarai expresses her deep hurt and anger to Abram, blaming him for the situation and appealing to God to judge between them.
Sarai, frustrated by her inability to conceive, offers her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abram as a surrogate mother. Hagar quickly becomes pregnant and, empowered by her new status, begins to treat Sarai with contempt. In this verse, Sarai expresses her deep hurt and anger to Abram, blaming him for the situation and appealing to God to judge between them.
"And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”" — Sarai's cry, "May the wrong done to me be on you!" reveals a deep frustration, not just at Hagar's contempt, but also at Abram for his perceived inaction, implying he's the cause of her humiliation.…
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Last reviewed October 2026