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16
1 Now Sarai [Mockery], Avram [Exalted father]’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian [person from Abode of slavery], whose name was Hagar [Flight]. * Context: Hagar: In (Gen. 12:10–20) Abraham and “his sister” Sarah went down to Egypt, Sarah was taken to the house of Pharaoh. In response, Adonai afflicted Pharaoh and all his household with mighty plagues. In the midrash (Gen. Rabbah 45:1), Pharoah sees the character and relationship to the God that Sarah and Abraham have, so he gives Sarah his own daughter so that she can learn to be of this type of person. He said: “It would be better for my daughter to be a handmaiden in this house than a noblewoman in another Egyptian.” 2 Sarai [Mockery] said to Avram [Exalted father], “See now, Adonai has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Avram [Exalted father] sh'ma ·hear obey· the voice of Sarai [Mockery]. 3 Sarai [Mockery], Avram [Exalted father]’s wife, took Hagar [Flight] the Egyptian [person from Abode of slavery], her servant, after Avram [Exalted father] had lived ten years in the land of Canaan [Humbled], and gave her to Avram [Exalted father] her husband to be his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar [Flight], and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. † Context: Hagar is the second wife but she was and is first Sarah’s maid. The elevated status of second wife brings both blessing and frustration. Sarah speaks to Hagar as she had before the marriage, this is a source of contention combined with one woman having a child and the other woman barren. 5 Sarai [Mockery] said to Avram [Exalted father], “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Adonai judge between me and you.”
6 But Avram [Exalted father] said to Sarai [Mockery], “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai [Mockery] dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.
7 Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar [Flight], Sarai [Mockery]’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?”
She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai [Mockery].”
9 Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] said to her, “Teshuvah ·Completely return· to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” 10 Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” 11 Ha mal'ak Yahweh [The Angel of He sustains breathing] said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael [Pays attention God], because Adonai has sh'ma ·heard obeyed· your affliction. 12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers.”
13 She called the name of Adonai who spoke to her, “You are El Ro'i Ra'ah [God who sees me / God who provides],” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi [Well of the one who lives and sees]. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar [Flight] bore a son for Avram [Exalted father]. Avram [Exalted father] called the name of his son, whom Hagar [Flight] bore, Ishmael [Pays attention God]. 16 Avram [Exalted father] was eighty-six years old when Hagar [Flight] bore Ishmael [Pays attention God] to Avram [Exalted father].

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*16:1 Context: Hagar: In (Gen. 12:10–20) Abraham and “his sister” Sarah went down to Egypt, Sarah was taken to the house of Pharaoh. In response, Adonai afflicted Pharaoh and all his household with mighty plagues. In the midrash (Gen. Rabbah 45:1), Pharoah sees the character and relationship to the God that Sarah and Abraham have, so he gives Sarah his own daughter so that she can learn to be of this type of person. He said: “It would be better for my daughter to be a handmaiden in this house than a noblewoman in another Egyptian.”

†16:4 Context: Hagar is the second wife but she was and is first Sarah’s maid. The elevated status of second wife brings both blessing and frustration. Sarah speaks to Hagar as she had before the marriage, this is a source of contention combined with one woman having a child and the other woman barren.

© 2016 Thomas Robinson