1 Now Sarai the wife of Abraham had brought forth no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 And Sarai said unto Abram, “Behold, the LORD has restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray you, unto my handmaid; maybe I shall at least obtain[a] children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
3 Thus ten years after they had dwelt in Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian her handmaid, and gave her to her husband as wife.
4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she began to look down upon her mistress [Sarai].
5 And Sarai said unto Abram, “I made a mistake; I gave my handmaid to you, and when she saw that she had conceived, she began to disrespect me. The LORD will judge between me and you.”
6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Yes, but she is your maid; you may do with her as you see fit.” So Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.
7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness; by the fountain in the way to Shur.
8 And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid, where did you come from, and where will you go? And she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”
9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”
10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, “I will so greatly increase thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.”
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, “Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael[b], because the LORD has heard your affliction.
12 And he shall be a wild, like a donkey among men; his hand shall be against all men, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over[c] against all his brethren.”
13 And she called the name of the LORD that spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me;” for she said, “Have I even looked for him that sees me?”
14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi[f]; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bare “Ishmael”.
16 And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
[2a] Hebrew ‘be builded by her.’
[11] ‘with child and shall bear’ compare w. Isaiah 7:14
[11b] That is, ‘God hears’
[12] ‘a wild, a donkey’ he is called a wild, like a donkey and not ‘like a donkey, wild,’ indicating the fierceness or totality of his wild nature.
[12c] Or, to the east of
[13] Or, ‘You, God, sees me’. Hebrew ‘El roi, that is, God of seeing.’
[14f] lit. ‘The well of the living one who sees me.’