Genesis

Genesis 16:2–3

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 16:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So Saraiשָׂרַ֜יśā·rayNoun - proper - feminine singularH8297 Sarai
saidוַתֹּ֨אמֶרwat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Abramאַבְרָ֗ם’aḇ·rāmNoun - proper - masculine singularH87 Abram
Lookהִנֵּה־hin·nêh-InterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
nowנָ֞אnāInterjectionH4994 I (we) pray, now
the LORDיְהוָה֙Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
has prevented meעֲצָרַ֤נִי‘ă·ṣā·ra·nîVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singularH6113 restrain, retain
from bearingמִלֶּ֔דֶתmil·le·ḏeṯPreposition-m; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3205 bear, bring forth, beget
Pleaseנָא֙nāInterjectionH4994 I (we) pray, now
goבֹּא־bō-Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
my maidservantשִׁפְחָתִ֔יšip̄·ḥā·ṯîNoun - feminine singular construct; first person common singularH8198 maid, maid-servant
perhapsאוּלַ֥י’ū·layAdverbH194 peradventure, perhaps
I can build a familyאִבָּנֶ֖ה’ib·bā·nehVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common singularH1129 build
by herמִמֶּ֑נָּהmim·mɛn·nå̄hPreposition; third person feminine singularH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
And Abramאַבְרָ֖ם’aḇ·rāmNoun - proper - masculine singularH87 Abram
listenedוַיִּשְׁמַ֥עway·yiš·ma‘Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH8085 hear
to the voiceלְק֥וֹלlə·qō·wlPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular constructH6963 sound, voice
of Saraiשָׂרָֽי׃śā·rāyNoun - proper - feminine singularH8297 Sarai

Genesis 16:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So afterמִקֵּץ֙miq·qêṣPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular constructH7093 end
had livedלְשֶׁ֥בֶתlə·še·ḇeṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3427 sit, remain, dwell
in Canaanכְּנָ֑עַןkə·nā·‘anNoun - proper - masculine singularH3667 Canaan
for tenעֶ֣שֶׂר‘e·śerNumber - feminine singularH6235 ten
yearsשָׁנִ֔יםšā·nîmNoun - feminine pluralH8141 year
wifeאֵֽשֶׁת־’ê·šeṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH802 woman, wife, female
Saraiשָׂרַ֣יśā·rayNoun - proper - feminine singularH8297 Sarai
tookוַתִּקַּ֞חwat·tiq·qaḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH3947 take
her Egyptianהַמִּצְרִית֙ham·miṣ·rîṯArticle; Noun - proper - feminine singularH4713 Mitsrite
maidservantשִׁפְחָתָ֔הּšip̄·ḥā·ṯāhNoun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singularH8198 maid, maid-servant
Hagarהָגָ֤רhā·ḡārNoun - proper - feminine singularH1904 Hagar
and gaveוַתִּתֵּ֥ןwat·tit·tênConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH5414 give, put, set
herאֹתָ֛הּ’ō·ṯāhDirect object marker; third person feminine singularH853 mark of the accusative
to Abramלְאַבְרָ֥םlə·’aḇ·rāmPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH87 Abram
to beל֥וֹlōwPreposition; third person masculine singular
his wifeלְאִשָּֽׁה׃lə·’iš·šāhPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singularH802 woman, wife, female

Cross-references

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

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.