Genesis 16:1-10

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 16:7

Genesis 16:7. And the angel of the Lord, &c.— Hagar was treated so harshly by her mistress, that she resolved to fly from her, and seek a retreat in her own country: as she journeyed towards which, she found in the wilderness of Shur (probably that part of Arabia Petraea which lay next AEgypt) a fountain, and there she sat down to refresh herself; when THE ANGEL of the LORD appeared to her. This is the first place, where mention is made of an angel. Expositors vary in their sentiments... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 16:8

Genesis 16:8. He said, Hagar, Sarai's maid— The angel calls her Sarai's maid, to remind her of her duty and dependence, which she ought not to have relinquished. He advises her, therefore, to return, and patiently to submit to the treatment, however hard to bear, which she had fled to avoid; at the same time comforting her with a prophetic account of her son and his descendants. REFLECTIONS.—We have here Hagar's flight, and return at the command of the angel. 1. The place where she was: the... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 16:10

Genesis 16:10. I will multiply thy seed, &c.— The angel here speaks authoritatively, and not as bearing a message from another: I will multiply. In the next chapter, Gen 17:20 the same promise is renewed: "And these passages," says the Bishop of Bristol, "evince, that the prophecy doth not so properly belong to Ishmael, as to his posterity, which is here foretold to be very numerous. Ishmael married an AEgyptian woman; and, in a few years, his family was so increased, that, in the 37th... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Genesis 16:1

1. Now, Sarai . . . had a handmaid—a female slave—one of those obtained in Egypt. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Genesis 16:3

3. Sarai . . . gave her to . . . Abram to be his wife—"Wife" is here used to describe an inferior, though not degrading, relation, in countries where polygamy prevails. In the case of these female slaves, who are the personal property of his lady, being purchased before her marriage or given as a special present to her, no one can become the husband's secondary wife without her mistress consent or permission. This usage seems to have prevailed in patriarchal times; and Hagar, Sarai's slave, of... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Genesis 16:5

5. And Sarai said . . . My wrong be upon thee—Bursts of temper, or blows, as the original may bear, took place till at length Hagar, perceiving the hopelessness of maintaining the unequal strife, resolved to escape from what had become to her in reality, as well as in name, a house of bondage. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Genesis 16:7

7. And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain—This well, pointed out by tradition, lay on the side of the caravan road, in the midst of Shur, a sandy desert on the west of Arabia-Petræa, to the extent of a hundred fifty miles, between Palestine and Egypt. By taking that direction, she seems to have intended to return to her relatives in that country. Nothing but pride, passion, and sullen obstinacy, could have driven any solitary person to brave the dangers of such an inhospitable wild;... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 16:1-6

Sarai and Hagar 16:1-6Using a woman other than one’s wife (Genesis 16:2) was a method of providing an heir in the case of a childless marriage apart from adoption. [Note: Speiser, p. 130; T. Frymer-Kensky, "Patriarchal Family Relationships and Near Eastern Law," Biblical Archaeologist 44 (1981):209-14.] Hagar was Sarai’s personal servant, not a slave girl. Abram also had at least one personal servant (Genesis 24:2)."It was a serious matter for a man to be childless in the ancient world, for it... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 16:7-14

The angel of the LORD and Hagar 16:7-14This is the first of 48 references to "the angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament. Sometimes, as here, the Angel is deity, and in other places he appears to be an angelic messenger from the Lord."The prophetic description of Ishmael as a ’wild ass of a man’ [Genesis 16:12] (RSV) is rather intriguing. The animal referred to is the wild and untamable onager, which roams the desert at will. This figure of speech depicts very accurately the freedom-loving... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 16:1-16

The Circumstances connected with the Birth of Ishmael1, 2. Abraham was now eighty-five years old, Sarah was seventy-five, and the promise of an heir seemed no nearer fulfilment. Despairing of offspring herself, Sarah persuades Abraham to take her Egyptian maid Hagar as a secondary wife, intending, according to ancient custom, to regard the issue as her own. But her lack of faith in God’s promises was productive of very unhappy consequences. 4. Hagar] The Arabs claim descent from Hagar through... read more

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