Genesis 16

She had a handmaid, an Egyptian - As Hagar was an Egyptian, St. Chrysostom's conjecture is very probable. that she was one of those female slaves which Pharaoh gave to Abram when he sojourned in Egypt; see Gen 12:16. Her name הגר hagar signifies a stranger or sojourner, and it is likely she got this name in the family of Abram, as the word is pure Hebrew.

Sarai, having no child, gives Hagar her maid to Abram for wife, Gen 16:1-3. She conceives and despises her mistress, Gen 16:4. Sarai is offended and upbraids Abram, Gen 16:5. Abram vindicates himself; and Hagar, being hardly used by her mistress, runs away, Gen 16:6. She is met by an angel, and counselled to return to her mistress, Gen 16:7-9. God promises greatly to multiply her seed, Gen 16:10. Gives the name of Ishmael to the child that should be born of her, Gen 16:11. Shows his disposition and character, Gen 16:12. Hagar calls the name of the Lord who spoke to her, Thou God seest me, Gen 16:13. She calls the name of the well at which the angel met her, Beer-laharoi, Gen 16:14. Ishmael is born in the 86th year of Abram's age, Gen 16:15, Gen 16:16.

BESTOWMENT OF HAGAR. (Gen. 16:1-16) Now, Sarai . . . had a handmaid--a female slave--one of those obtained in Egypt.

BESTOWMENT OF HAGAR. (Gen. 16:1-16) Now, Sarai . . . had a handmaid--a female slave--one of those obtained in Egypt.

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children,.... She is before said to be barren, and he to be childless, Gen 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 of the Chaldees, and how long before cannot be said; they stayed and dwelt some time at Haran, the Jews (x) say five years, and they had been now ten years in the land of Canaan, Gen 16:3; and were advanced in years, the one being seventy five, and the other eighty five, so that there was no great probability of having any children, wherefore the following step was taken: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar; no doubt but she had many, but this was a principal one, that might be over others, and was chiefly entrusted with the care and management of family affairs under her mistress; she might be the daughter of an Egyptian, born in Abram's house, as Eliezer was the son of a Syrian of Damascus, born there also; or she might be one of the maidservants Pharaoh, king of Egypt, gave to Abram, Gen 12:16; the Jews (y) have a tradition, that she was a daughter of Pharaoh, who, when he saw the wonders done for Sarai, said, it is better that my daughter should be a handmaid in this house, than a mistress in another, and therefore gave her to Sarai; others say (z) she was a daughter of his by a concubine, but neither is probable: from her came the people called Hagarites, Ch1 5:10, and Hagarenes, Psa 83:6; and there were a people in Arabia called Agraei, both by Strabo (a) and Pliny (b); and the latter speaks of a royal city in that country called Agra, which seem to have their names from this person. Melo (c), an Heathen writer, speaking of Abram, says, that he had tw…

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, Gen 12:4; and he had been ten years in Canaan when Hagar was given him by Sarai for his wife, Gen 16:3; and so must be then eighty five years of age, and of course must be eighty six when Ishmael was born. Next: Genesis Chapter 17

As the promise of a lineal heir (Gen 15:4) did not seem likely to be fulfilled, even after the covenant had been made, Sarai resolved, ten years after their entrance into Canaan, to give her Egyptian maid Hagar to her husband, that if possible she might "be built up by her," i.e., obtain children, who might found a house or family (Gen 30:3). The resolution seemed a judicious one, and according to the customs of the East, there would be nothing wrong in carrying it out. Hence Abraham consented without opposition, because, as Malachi (Mal 2:15) says, he sought the seed promised by God. But they were both of them soon to learn, that their thoughts were the thoughts of man and not of God, and that their wishes and actions were not in accordance with the divine promise. Sarai, the originator of the plan, was the first to experience its evil consequences. When the maid was with child by Abram, "her mistress became little in her eyes." When Sarai complained to Abram of the contempt she received from her maid (saying, "My wrong," the wrong done to me, "come upon thee," cf. Jer 51:35; Gen 27:13), and called upon Jehovah to judge between her and her husband, (Note: בּיניך, with a point over the second Jod, to show that it is irregular and suspicious; since בּין with the singular suffix is always treated as a singular, and only with a plural suffix as plural.) Abram gave her full power to act as mistress towards her maid, without raising the slave who was made a concubine above her position. But as soon as Sarai made her feel her power, Hagar fled. Thus, instead of securing the fulfilment of their wishes, Sarai and Abram had reaped nothing but grief and vexation, and apparently had lost the maid through their self-concerted scheme. But the faithful covenant God turned the whole i…

We have here the marriage of Abram to Hagar, who was his secondary wife. Herein, though some excuse may be made for him, he cannot be justified, for from the beginning it was not so; and, when it was so, it seems to have proceeded from an irregular desire to build up families for the speedier peopling of the world and the church. Certainly it must not be so now. Christ has reduced this matter to the first institution, and makes the marriage union to be between one man and one woman only. Now, I. The maker of this match (would one think it?) was Sarai herself: she said to Abram, I pray thee, go in unto my maid, Gen 16:2. Note, 1. It is the policy of Satan to tempt us by our nearest and dearest relations, or those friends that we have an opinion of and an affection for. The temptation is most dangerous when it is sent by a hand that is least suspected: it is our wisdom therefore to consider, not so much who speaks as what is spoken. 2. God's commands consult our comfort and honour much better than our own contrivances do. It would have been much more for Sarai's interest if Abram had kept to the rule of God's law instead of being guided by her foolish projects; but we often do ill for ourselves. II. The inducement to it was Sarai's barrenness. 1. Sarai bare Abram no children. She was very fair (Gen 12:14), was a very agreeable, dutiful wife, and a sharer with him in his large possessions; and yet written childless. Note, (1.) God dispenses his gifts variously, loading us with benefits, but not overloading us: some cross or other is appointed to be an alloy to great enjoyments. (2.) The mercy of children is often given to the poor and denied to the rich, given to the wicked and denied to good people, though the rich have most to leave them and good people would take most c…

Hagar is the person mostly concerned in the story of this chapter, an obscure Egyptian woman, whose name and story we never should have heard of if Providence had not brought her into the family of Abram. Probably she was one of those maid-servants whom the king of Egypt, among other gifts, bestowed upon Abram (Gen 14:16). Concerning her, we have four things in this chapter: - I. Her marriage to Abram her master (Gen 16:1-3). II. Her misbehaviour towards Sarai her mistress (Gen 16:4-6). III. Her discourse with an angel that met her in her flight (Gen 16:7-14). IV. Her delivery of a son (Gen 16:15, Gen 16:16).

16:1-16 While waiting for their promised son to be born, Abram and Sarai attempted an alternate plan that was not in keeping with faith. 16:1-3 Abram and Sarai faced the tension of her being barren and beyond childbearing years. By custom, a barren woman could give her servant to her husband as a slave-wife; the child born to that union was considered the wife’s child and could be adopted as the heir. Sarai’s suggestion, unobjectionable by custom, set a problematic human plan in motion. God’s promises would be fulfilled by faith.

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