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Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 16:

Abram has been journeying with God for ten years, and although God promised Abram biological descendants in chapter 15, Abram is still childless. Sarai is barren, a challenging position for a woman in biblical times since her value was judged by having sons. Following an ancient custom, Sarai gives Abram her servant, Hagar, knowing any children born to Hagar’s would be considered Sarai’s (16:2). Hagar becomes pregnant and prideful; Sarai responds with abuse. Hagar, despite being pregnant, alone, and living in a desert, runs away. An angel meets her and makes promises to Hagar that are similar to the ones made to Abram (15:5). Before Hagar returns to Abram’s household, she becomes the first person to give God a title, Thou art a God of Seeing, for God saw her in her great need.

The Book of Genesis, Chapter 16:

The Birth of Ishmael

1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; 2 and Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my maid to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ishmael; because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” 13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing”; for she said, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after seeing him?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

*Daily Lectio Divina Question:

How many times, oh Lord, do I get impatient with waiting for your plans and promises for my life that I, like Sarai, want to take things into my own hands? What in my life are you asking me to wait patiently for right now?  Help me to offer that desire to you today.

Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc,  or online.

Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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