Genesis 16:4
2 So 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.
3 So 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.
And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.
5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”
6 “Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- And he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. But when Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.
- KJV
- And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
- WEB
- He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
- ASV
- And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
- DARBY
- And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lightly esteemed in her eyes.
- BLB
- And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And she saw that she had conceived, and her mistress became despised in her eyes.
- ÅB
- Og han gikk inn til Hagar, og hun ble fruktsommelig; men da hun så at hun var blitt fruktsommelig, ringeaktet hun sin frue.
- OTB
- Han hadde omgang med Hagar, og hun ble gravid. Da hun innså at hun var gravid, begynte hun å se ned på sin frue.
- B1930
- Og han gikk inn til Hagar, og hun blev fruktsommelig; men da hun så at hun var blitt fruktsommelig, ringeaktet hun sin frue.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Samuel 6:16
As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.
Read in contextProverbs 30:23
an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.
Read in context1 Samuel 1:6–8
Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.
Read in context1 Corinthians 13:4–5
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Read in contextProverbs 30:20–21
This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
Read in context1 Corinthians 4:6
Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another.
Read in context