Genesis

Genesis 16:1–3

¹Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. 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 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.

Read all of Genesis 16

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 16:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now Abram’s	אַבְרָ֔ם	’aḇ·rām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H87 Abram
wife	אֵ֣שֶׁת	’ê·šeṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
Sarai	וְשָׂרַי֙	wə·śā·ray	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8297 Sarai
had borne	יָלְדָ֖ה	yā·lə·ḏāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
him	ל֑וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
no	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
but	וְלָ֛הּ	wə·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Preposition; third person feminine singular
she had an Egyptian	מִצְרִ֖ית	miṣ·rîṯ	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4713 Mitsrite
maidservant	שִׁפְחָ֥ה	šip̄·ḥāh	Noun - feminine singular	H8198 maid, maid-servant
named	וּשְׁמָ֥הּ	ū·šə·māh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H8034 name
Hagar	הָגָֽר׃	hā·ḡār	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1904 Hagar

Genesis 16:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Sarai	שָׂרַ֜י	śā·ray	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8297 Sarai
said	וַתֹּ֨אמֶר	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Abram	אַבְרָ֗ם	’aḇ·rām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H87 Abram
Look	הִנֵּה־	hin·nêh-	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
now	נָ֞א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
has prevented me	עֲצָרַ֤נִי	‘ă·ṣā·ra·nî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singular	H6113 restrain, retain
from bearing	מִלֶּ֔דֶת	mil·le·ḏeṯ	Preposition-m; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
Please	נָא֙	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
go	בֹּא־	bō-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
my maidservant	שִׁפְחָתִ֔י	šip̄·ḥā·ṯî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H8198 maid, maid-servant
perhaps	אוּלַ֥י	’ū·lay	Adverb	H194 peradventure, perhaps
I can build a family	אִבָּנֶ֖ה	’ib·bā·neh	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H1129 build
by her	מִמֶּ֑נָּה	mim·mɛn·nå̄h	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
And Abram	אַבְרָ֖ם	’aḇ·rām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H87 Abram
listened	וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע	way·yiš·ma‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H8085 hear
to the voice	לְק֥וֹל	lə·qō·wl	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6963 sound, voice
of Sarai	שָׂרָֽי׃	śā·rāy	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8297 Sarai

Genesis 16:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So after	מִקֵּץ֙	miq·qêṣ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7093 end
had lived	לְשֶׁ֥בֶת	lə·še·ḇeṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
in Canaan	כְּנָ֑עַן	kə·nā·‘an	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3667 Canaan
for ten	עֶ֣שֶׂר	‘e·śer	Number - feminine singular	H6235 ten
years	שָׁנִ֔ים	šā·nîm	Noun - feminine plural	H8141 year
wife	אֵֽשֶׁת־	’ê·šeṯ-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
Sarai	שָׂרַ֣י	śā·ray	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8297 Sarai
took	וַתִּקַּ֞ח	wat·tiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3947 take
her Egyptian	הַמִּצְרִית֙	ham·miṣ·rîṯ	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4713 Mitsrite
maidservant	שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ	šip̄·ḥā·ṯāh	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H8198 maid, maid-servant
Hagar	הָגָ֤ר	hā·ḡār	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1904 Hagar
and gave	וַתִּתֵּ֥ן	wat·tit·tên	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5414 give, put, set
her	אֹתָ֛הּ	’ō·ṯāh	Direct object marker; third person feminine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
to Abram	לְאַבְרָ֥ם	lə·’aḇ·rām	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H87 Abram
to be	ל֥וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
his wife	לְאִשָּֽׁה׃	lə·’iš·šāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 16:1 Galatians 4:24 · Genesis 12:16 · Genesis 15:2–3 · Genesis 21:9–10 · Luke 1:36 · Genesis 11:30 · Luke 1:7 · Judges 13:2 · Genesis 21:21 · Genesis 21:12 · Genesis 25:21

Genesis 16:2 Genesis 3:17 · Exodus 21:4 · Genesis 18:10

Genesis 16:3 Genesis 12:4–5 · Genesis 16:5 · 2 Samuel 5:13

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.