New International VersionSo after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.
New Living TranslationSo Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)
English Standard VersionSo, 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.
Berean Standard BibleSo after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.
King James BibleAnd 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.
New King James VersionThen Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.
New American Standard BibleAnd so after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave woman, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.
NASB 1995After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.
NASB 1977And after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.
Legacy Standard BibleAnd after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant-woman, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.
Amplified BibleAfter Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian [maid], and gave her to her husband Abram to be his [secondary] wife.
Christian Standard BibleSo Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years.
Holman Christian Standard BibleSo Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan 10 years.
American Standard VersionAnd Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
Contemporary English Versionand Sarai gave him Hagar to be his wife. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan for ten years.
English Revised VersionAnd Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationAfter Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Abram's wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
Good News TranslationSo she gave Hagar to him to be his concubine. (This happened after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years.)
International Standard Versionso Abram's wife Sarai took her Egyptian servant, Hagar, and gave her as a wife to her husband Abram. This took place ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.
NET BibleSo after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram's wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to her husband to be his wife.
New Heart English BibleSo Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd 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. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleSo after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.
World English BibleSarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Sarai, Abram’s wife, takes Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of the tenth year of Abram’s dwelling in the land of Canaan, and gives her to her husband Abram—to him for a wife,
Young's Literal Translation And Sarai, Abram's wife, taketh Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of the tenth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, and giveth her to Abram her husband, to him for a wife,
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd Sarai, Abram's wife, will take Hagar the Egyptian, her maid servant, at the end of ten years of Abram's resting in the land of Canaan, and will give her to Abram her husband, to him for a wife. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleShe took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, ten years after they first dwelt in the land of Chanaan, and gave her to her husband to wife.
Catholic Public Domain Versionshe took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, ten years after they began to live in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to her husband as a wife.
New American BibleThus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
New Revised Standard VersionSo, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her Egyptian maid, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. This happened after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd Sarai, the wife of Abram, brought Hagar the Egyptian her Handmaid after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and she gave her as a wife to Abram her husband. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationSo Sara the wife of Abram having taken Agar the Egyptian her handmaid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Chanaan, gave her to Abram her husband as a wife to him.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context The Birth of Ishmael… 2So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3So afterhehad livedin Canaanfor tenyears,hiswifeSaraitookher EgyptianmaidservantHagarand gaveherto Abramto behis wife.4And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.…
Cross References Genesis 12:5And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
Genesis 21:9-10But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son, / and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”
Genesis 30:3-4Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.” / So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,
Genesis 25:12This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
Genesis 29:24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
Genesis 30:9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
Genesis 35:22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
Genesis 37:2This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
Exodus 2:21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
Exodus 21:7-11And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do. / If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her. / And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter. ...
Deuteronomy 21:10-14When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand and you take them captive, / if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife, / then you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails, ...
1 Samuel 1:2He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
1 Samuel 25:42-43So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife. / David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel. So she and Abigail were both his wives.
2 Samuel 5:13After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
Matthew 1:18-25This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. / Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. / But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ...
Treasury of Scripture And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. A. Genesis 12:4,5 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abramwas seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran… gave. Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrongbe 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. Genesis 30:4,9 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her… his. Genesis 25:6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. Genesis 28:9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife. Genesis 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. Jump to Previous AbramAbram'sCanaanDweltEgyptianEndHagarHandmaidHusbandMaidSaraiSar'aiServantTenWifeJump to Next AbramAbram'sCanaanDweltEgyptianEndHagarHandmaidHusbandMaidSaraiSar'aiServantTenWifeGenesis 16 1.Sarai, being barren, gives Hagar to Abram.4.Hagar, being afflicted for despising her mistress, runs away.7.An angel commands her to return and submit herself,10.promises her a numerous posterity,12.and shows their character and condition.13.Hagar names the place, and returns to Sarai.15.Ishmael is born.16.The age of Abram.So after he had lived in Canaan for ten yearsThis phrase indicates a significant period since Abram's arrival in Canaan, highlighting the duration of waiting for God's promise of offspring. The ten-year period underscores the patience and faith required of Abram and Sarai, as they had been promised descendants as numerous as the stars ( Genesis 15:5). This waiting period tests their faith and sets the stage for the subsequent actions taken by Sarai. The number ten often symbolizes completeness or a full measure in biblical numerology, suggesting that this was a complete period of testing. his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar
Sarai's action of taking Hagar reflects the customs and legal practices of the ancient Near East, where a barren wife could give her maidservant to her husband to bear children on her behalf. Hagar, being Egyptian, may have been acquired during Abram and Sarai's earlier sojourn in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20). This cultural practice, while accepted at the time, demonstrates a human attempt to fulfill divine promises through human means, contrasting with the faith-based approach God desires. and gave her to Abram to be his wife
By giving Hagar to Abram as a wife, Sarai is attempting to secure the promised offspring through culturally acceptable means. This act introduces polygamy into Abram's family, which often leads to strife and complications, as seen in other biblical narratives (e.g., Jacob with Leah and Rachel). The decision reflects a lack of trust in God's timing and plan, leading to future conflict between Sarai and Hagar. This situation foreshadows the tension between the descendants of Ishmael (Hagar's son) and Isaac (Sarai's son), which is a recurring theme in biblical history. Persons / Places / Events 1. AbramLater known as Abraham, he is a central figure in the Bible, known for his faith and obedience to God. At this point, he is living in Canaan, the land promised to him by God. 2. SaraiAbram's wife, later known as Sarah. She is struggling with infertility and takes matters into her own hands by giving her maidservant to Abram. 3. HagarAn Egyptian maidservant of Sarai. She becomes a secondary wife to Abram and the mother of Ishmael. 4. CanaanThe land where Abram and Sarai are residing, which God promised to Abram and his descendants. 5. The EventSarai's decision to give Hagar to Abram as a wife, which leads to significant familial and spiritual consequences. Teaching Points Trust in God's TimingSarai's decision reflects a lack of trust in God's timing. We must learn to wait on God's promises, trusting that His timing is perfect. Consequences of ImpatienceActing out of impatience can lead to unintended consequences, as seen in the strife between Hagar and Sarai. We should seek God's guidance before making decisions. Faith vs. Human EffortThe account contrasts faith in God's promises with human efforts to fulfill those promises. True faith requires reliance on God rather than our own understanding. God's SovereigntyDespite human errors, God's plan prevails. This reassures us that God can work through our mistakes to fulfill His purposes. The Role of Women in ScriptureSarai and Hagar's account highlights the complex roles women play in God's account, encouraging us to consider the dignity and challenges faced by women in biblical times. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1.What is the meaning of Genesis 16:3?
2.How does Genesis 16:3 illustrate consequences of not waiting on God's timing?
3.What role does Sarai's decision play in the unfolding of God's promise?
4.How does Genesis 16:3 connect to God's covenant with Abram in Genesis 15?
5.What lessons can we learn from Sarai's actions in Genesis 16:3?
6.How can we apply patience and trust in God's plan from Genesis 16:3?
7.Why did Sarai give Hagar to Abram as a wife in Genesis 16:3?
8.How does Genesis 16:3 reflect cultural practices of the time?
9.What does Genesis 16:3 reveal about Sarai's faith in God's promise?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 16?
11.Was Hagar a wife or concubine of Abraham?
12.What is the total number of Abraham's wives?
13.Was Hagar a wife or concubine of Abraham?
14.What is the story of Abraham and Ishmael?What Does Genesis 16:3 Mean So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years• This phrase marks a full decade since Abram obeyed God’s call inGenesis 12:4. Time has stretched out, and the promised offspring (Genesis 15:4–5) has not yet appeared. • Ten years of waiting tests faith.Hebrews 6:12 highlights the need for “faith and patience,” while2 Peter 3:9 reminds us that God is never slow from His own perspective. • The literal date-stamp underscores that God works in real history, not myth. Abram was 85 (Genesis 16:16), so the human impossibility of childbearing is intensifying—setting the stage for a miracle (Genesis 21:5).
his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar• Sarai initiates the action. Where Abram once “took” Sarai on the journey of faith (Genesis 12:5), now Sarai “takes” Hagar, signaling a role-reversal. • Hagar’s origin—Egypt—recalls Abram and Sarai’s earlier detour (Genesis 12:10–20). Choices made outside of faith can introduce complications that resurface later. • Culture allowed a barren wife to provide a servant as surrogate (cf.Genesis 30:3–9). Scripture records this practice, but subsequent strife (Genesis 16:4–6) shows it was never God’s best (compareProverbs 3:5). • Sarai’s impatience resembles Eve’s impulse inGenesis 3:6—both women act independently of God’s explicit word.Isaiah 30:1 warns against “covering with a covering, but not of My Spirit.”
and gave her to Abram to be his wife• The verb “gave” echoes God’s earlier promise to “give” descendants (Genesis 15:4–5), but this is human giving, not divine giving. • Abram accepts, making Hagar a secondary wife. While polygamy occurs in Genesis (e.g.,Genesis 29:24–30), every instance breeds rivalry and pain. Jesus later reaffirms God’s original design of one man, one woman (Matthew 19:4–6). •Galatians 4:22–23 contrasts Hagar’s child “born according to the flesh” with Isaac “born through the promise,” proving that human schemes cannot produce spiritual inheritance. • Abram’s silence here parallels Adam’s silence inGenesis 3:6. Responsibility still rests on the man to lead in faith (Ephesians 5:23).
summaryGenesis 16:3 narrates a pivotal moment of impatience: after ten long years in Canaan, Sarai resorts to cultural custom, taking Hagar and giving her to Abram as a wife. The text stands as literal history, showing how even God-fearing people can lapse into flesh-driven solutions when waiting feels interminable. Scripture cross-references underline that God’s timing is perfect, human shortcuts sow conflict, and the promised seed would still arrive only by supernatural provision. (3) Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.--He was now, therefore, eighty-five years of age (see Genesis 16:16 and Genesis 12:4), and this long delay had not only tried his faith, but brought him and Sarai to the conclusion that the promised seed was to be obtained by other means. Verse 3. - And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan ( i.e. in his eighty-fifth, and her seventy-fifth year; a note of time introduced, probably, to account for their impatience in waiting for the promised seed), and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. Afterwards styled a pilgash or concubine ( Genesis 25:6), she is here improperly called a wife quae praeterDei legem is alienum thorum inducitur (Calvin), from whom the pilgash or concubine differed (1) in power over the family, which belonged solely to the true wife, not to the secondary; (2) in the manner of espousal, which in the case of the former was accompanied with solemn rites of espousal and liberal gifts of dowry; and (3) in privilege of issue, the offspring of the secondary wife having no title to inherit. The act of Sarai (cf. the similar behavior of Stratonice, the wife of King Deiotarus, who, according to Plutarch, gave her maid Electra to her husband, and so obtained an heir to the crown) is as little to be imitated as the conduct of Abram. The apparent repetitions in Vers. 1-3 do not require the hypothesis of different authorship (Tuch, Colenso, Bleek, Davidson) for their explanation, but are characteristic of the genius of Hebrew composition (cf.Genesis 7:1-10), and may even be considerably removed by connecting Vers. 1, 2 withGenesis 15, and commencing the new sub-section withGenesis 16:3 (Quarry, p. 331).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew So afterמִקֵּץ֙(miq·qêṣ)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7093:An extremity, after[he]לְאַבְרָ֥ם(lə·’aḇ·rām)Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87:Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abrahamhad livedלְשֶׁ֥בֶת(lə·še·ḇeṯ)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3427:To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marryin Canaanכְּנָ֑עַן(kə·nā·‘an)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3667:Canaan -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their land West of the Jordanfor tenעֶ֣שֶׂר(‘e·śer)Number - feminine singular
Strong's 6235:Tenyears,שָׁנִ֔ים(šā·nîm)Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8141:A year[his]אַבְרָ֗ם(’aḇ·rām)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87:Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abrahamwifeאֵֽשֶׁת־(’ê·šeṯ-)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802:Woman, wife, femaleSaraiשָׂרַ֣י(śā·ray)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8297:Sarai -- a wife of Abramtookוַתִּקַּ֞ח(wat·tiq·qaḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3947:To takeher Egyptianהַמִּצְרִית֙(ham·miṣ·rîṯ)Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4713:Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egyptmaidservantשִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ(šip̄·ḥā·ṯāh)Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8198:Maid, maidservantHagarהָגָ֤ר(hā·ḡār)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1904:Hagarand gaveוַתִּתֵּ֥ן(wat·tit·tên)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414:To give, put, setherאֹתָ֛הּ(’ō·ṯāh)Direct object marker | third person feminine singular
Strong's 853:Untranslatable mark of the accusative caseto Abramאַבְרָ֖ם(’aḇ·rām)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87:Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abrahamto be his wife.לְאִשָּֽׁה׃(lə·’iš·šāh)Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802:Woman, wife, female
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OT Law: Genesis 16:3 Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian (Gen. Ge Gn) |
