VERSE 1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar (rg"h' Hm'v.W tyrIc.mi hx'p.vi Hl'w> Al hd'l.y" al{ ~r'b.a; tv,ae yr;f'w> [waw w/proper noun Sarai + noun f.s.constr. ishshah wife, woman + proper noun Abram + neg lo + Qal perf.3f.s. yaladh bear + waw w/prep lamedh w/3m.s.suff. "him" + noun f.s.abs. shipchah maid servant + proper noun Egypt + waw w/noun m.s.constr.w/3f.s.suff. shem + proper noun Hagar]).

VERSE 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children (td,L,mi hw"hy> ynIr;c'[] an"-hNEhi ~r'b.a;-la, yr;f' rm,aTow [waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. amar say + proper noun Sarai + prep el to + proper noun Abram + interj hinneh behold + interj na now + Qal perf.3m.s.w/1s.suff. atsar restrain, close up, withhold, prevent + proper noun Yahweh + prep min w/Qal infin.constr. yaldah bear, conceive]).

Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her (hN"Memi hn<B'ai yl;Wa ytix'p.vi-la, an"-aBo (Qal imper.m.s. bo go + interj na please, now + prep el to + noun f.s.constr.w/1s.suff. shipchah maid servant + adv ulay perhaps + Niphal impf.1s. banah build; "obtain" + prep min w/3f.s.suff. "through her"])."

And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai (yr'f' lAql. ~r'b.a; [m;v.YIw: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. shama listen + proper noun Abram + prep lamedh w/noun m.s.abs. qol voice + proper noun Sarai]).

VERSE 3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan (![;n"K. #r,a,B. ~r'b.a; tb,v,l. ~ynIv' rf,[, #Qemi [prep min w/noun m.s.abs. qets end + adj.f.s.abs. esher ten + noun f.p.abs. shanah year + prep lamedh w/Qal infin.constr. yashab dwell + proper noun Abram + prep beth w/noun both s.abs. eretz land + proper noun Canaan], Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife [hV'ail. Al Hv'yai ~r'b.a;l. Ht'ao !TeTiw: Ht'x'p.vi tyrIc.Mih; rg"h'-ta, ~r'b.a;-tv,ae yr;f' xQ;Tiw: [waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. laqach take + proper noun Sarai + noun f.s.constr. ishshah wife + proper noun Abram + d.o. marker + proper noun Hagar + def.art.w/proper noun Egypt(ian) + noun f.s.constr.w/3f.s.suff. shipchah maid servant + waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. nathan give + d.o. marker w/3f.s.suff. "her" + prep lamedh w/proper noun Abram + noun m.s.constr.w/3f.s.suff. ish man "her husband" + prep lamedh w/3m.s.suff. "his" + prep lamedh w/noun f.s.abs. ishshah wife]).

VERSE 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived (rh;T;w: rg"h'-la, aboY"w: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. bo go + prep el to + proper noun Hagar + waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. harah bear, conceive]; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight [h'yn<y[eB. HT'r>biG> lq;Tew: ht'r'h' yKi ar,Tew: [waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. ra-ah see + part ki that + Qal perf.3f.s. harah conceive + waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. qalal be slight, trifling, of little account; "was despised" + noun f.s.constr.w/3f.s.suff. gebhereth lady; mistress + prep beth w/noun f. dual constr.w/3f.s.suff. ayin eye]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 1-4

1. Verse 1 gives us the background to the whole incident.
2. Frequently episodes are marked by a circumstantial clause as here, "Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children" (cf. 3:1; 4:1; 21:1).
3. Sarai, the prime mover, is immediately introduced, followed by the motives for her scheme, "no children," are hinted at.
4. The situation of her barrenness was mentioned back in 11:30.
5. Her barreness had been exacerbated by the promises made to Abram in 15:4 the he would father a natural son, not an adopted one.
6. As Sarai was "Abram’s wife," that seemed to suggest that she would bear him a son.
7. "She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar" spells out the relationship between the two women.
8. Hagar is the central character/woman of this story.
9. She is here called a "maid" (shipchah), that is, the servant companion of a rich woman (Ps. 123:2).
10. Maids were part of the dowry that a rich woman brought with her into the marriage, as Bildah and Zilpah were (30:24, 29).
11. Hagar not only was subject to her mistress but belonged to her as well.
12. That Hagar was under Sarai’s authority is seen by the personal pronouns "my maid," and "her maid."
13. Sarai give Hagar to Abram, and even afterwards Abram states, "the maid is under your authority" (vv. 2, 6).
14. In some contexts "maid" (shipchah) is interchangeable with "slave-girl" (amah, see 21:10).
15. "Maid" is the more colloquially appropriate term in narrative.
16. "Slave-girls" often served as concubines, a second-class wives either because the master has another wife as well or because the girl’s family was too poor to pay a dowry for her (Ex. 21:7-11).
17. Hagar is described as an Egyptian so it seems quiet likely that Sarai acquired her in Egypt (cf. 12:16).
18. Despite her ethnic origins her name seems to be Semitic rather than Egyptian (cf. Arabic heriga).
19. Her name means "flight" anticipating her later actions.
20. This first scene is dominated by Sarai and cast into two parallel panels.
21. She gives the orders, and Abram and Hagar simply carry out her wishes.
22. When Hagar is cheeky (cf. v. 4), Sarai blames Abram for the problem,
23. He again allows Sarai to do as she pleases.
24. The term "has kept/prevented" in v. 2 is used of infertility only here and in 20:18.
25. The idea that it is God who gives or denies conception is common in the OT (25:21; 30:2; Lev. 20:20; Deut. 28:11; Ps. 113:9).
26. It was a serious matter for a man to be childless in the ancient world, for it left him without an heir.
27. But it was even more calamitous for a woman: to have a great brood of children was the mark of success as a wife; to have none was ignominious failure.
28. So throughout the ancient East polygamy was resorted to as a means of obviating childlessness.
29. Wealthier wives preferred the practice of surrogate motherhood, whereby they allowed their husbands to "go in to" their maids, a euphemism for sexual intercourse (cf. 16:4; 30:3; 38:8, 9; 39:14).
30. The mistress could then feel that her maid’s child was her own and exert some control over it in a way that she could not if her husband simply took a second wife.
31. Sarai expresses the hope that she may "have sons/children through her."
32. The verb banah is used by Sarai in the sense of "I will be built up through her."
33. The verb is an obvious play on ben son.
34. Given the social mores of the ancient Near East, Sarai’s suggestion was a perfectly proper and respectable course of action.
35. While her action was acceptable by the standards of the times, it is not viewed as anything but a mistake by the narrator of Genesis.
36. Close attention to the wording of vv. 2-3 suggests the narrator’s disapproval, for he clearly alludes to Gen. 3.
37. The promise of a real heir in 15:4 suggests that something abnormal was on the horizon.
38. The manner in which Sarai takes the initiative to solve the problem instead of simply waiting on the LORD’s intervention smacks of Abram’s approach in 12:10-20, where in a potentially dangerous situation he called Sarai his sister.
39. "Abram listened to his wife" means he obeyed his wife an expression that occurs only here and in Gen. 3:17.
40. "Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar…and gave her to Abram her husband" is identical in sequence of nouns and verbs that we find in 3:6: "The woman [wife]…took…gave to her husband."
41. So both by terminology and actions there is a close connection between the two episodes.
42. Both here and in chap. 3 the woman takes the initiative and the recipient of the gift is the man.
43. In both stories the man reacts in accordance with the woman’s action.
44. In 3b he eats the proffered fruit; in 16:4a he goes in to Hagar.
45. "Ten years after Abram lived in the land of Canaan" inform us that Abram and Sarai had plenty of time to contemplate the promise made to them.
46. It was time for them to strengthen their faith that God would step in a do what was necessary to provide them with a natural heir totally apart from their help.
47. Here they are fail the testing of the faith and enter into operation energy of the flesh to advance God’s plan.
48. "He went in to Hagar" avoids the explicit subject of Abram.
49. Abram and Hagar are simply instruments of Sarai.
50. "And she conceived" leads to the expectation that Sarai’s scheme will be a success.
51. Hagar ironically has no problem at all becoming pregnant.
52. She is taken an brought to Abram; he has sex with her, with no emotional reactions described beforehand or after.
53. But she turns against the one who solicited her for help and becomes pompous toward her (at least that is Sarai’s perception).
54. But note Hagar’s reaction to the realization that she was pregnant: "she (Sarai) was despised in her sight."
55. Hagar’s pride and her mistresses’ antagonism is almost inevitable in a world that placed so much store by childbearing.
56. Sarai’s divine discipline began on the night she slept alone knowing her husband was making love to her maid.
57. This by the way parallels Abram’s DD knowing Sarai was in Pharaoh’s harem.
58. Then there was constant friction between maid and mistress as Hagar under her STA acted inappropriately towards Sarai.

Domestic Strife (vv. 5-6)

VERSE 5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you (^yl,[' ysim'x] ~r'b.a;-la, yr;f' rm,aTow: [waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. amar say + proper noun Sarai + prep el to + proper noun Abram + noun m.s.constr.w/1s.suff. chamas wrong, violence + prep al upon w/2m.s.suff.].

I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight (h'yn<y[eB. lq;aew" ht'r'h' yKi ar,Tew: ^q,yxeB. ytix'p.vi yTit;n" ykinOa' [pro.1s. anoki I + Qal perf.1s. nathan give + noun f.s.constr.w/1s.suff. shipchah maid + prep beth w/noun m.s.constr.w/2m.s.suff. cheq bosom; "arms" + waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. ra-ah see + part ki that + Qal perf.3f.s. harah be with child, conceive + waw w/Qal impf.1s. qalal be trifling; "I was despised" + prep beth w/noun f. dual constr.w/3f.s.suff. ayin eye]).

May the LORD judge between you and me (^yn<ybeW ynIyBe hw"hy> jPov.yI [Qal impf.3m.s. shaphat judge + proper noun Yahweh + prep bayin w/1s.suff. "between me" + waw w/prep bayin w/2m.s.suff. "and between me])."

VERSE 6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight (%yIn"y[eB. bAJh; Hl'-yfi[] %dey"B. %tex'p.vi hNEhi yr;f'-la, ~r'b.a; rm,aYOw: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. amar say + proper noun Abram + prep el to + proper noun Sarai + interj. hinneh behold + noun f.s.constr.w/2f.s.suff. shipchah maid + prep beth w/noun f.s.constr.w/2f.s.suff. yadh hand + Qal imper.f.s. ashah + prep lamedh w/3f.s.suff. "to her" + def.art.w/adj.m.s.abs. tobh good + prep beth w/noun f dual constr.w/2f.s.suff. ayin eye])."

So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence (h'yn<P'mi xr;b.Tiw: yr;f' h'N<[;T.w: [h'yn<P'mi xr;b.Tiw: yr;f' h'N<[;T.w: [waw w/Piel impf.3f.s.w/3f.s.suff. anah be busy with, be occupied with; "treated harsly + proper noun Sarai + waw w/Qal impf.2f.s. barach flee + prep min w/noun m.p.constr. paneh face w/3f.s.suff. "from her presence"]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 6-7

1. Sarai is the non-child bearing ishshah, and Hagar is the child-bearing ishshah.
2. Sarai sees her rights and standing in the home undermined, and the humiliation that came with it irks her to no end.
3. Her anger aroused Sarai takes the initiative and blames Abram for the predictable outcome of her scheme.
4. He anger comes through not only in ascribing her troubles to Abram but calling Hagar’s newfound pride "violence" (chamas translated "wrong" in the versions).
5. This term is used of the sins that brought on the flood (6:11, 13) and the vicious retaliation reeked by Simeon and Levi (49:5).
6. Her outburst in v. 5 closes with what is a virtual curse: "May the LORD judge between you and me" (cf. 1Sam. 24:12, 15).
7. Sarai blames Abram implying that she has made a supreme sacrifice in giving "my maid into your arms."
8. In her twisted logic she acts as though there was a conspiracy against her sponsored by Abram and the maid!
9. Abram wrongly did what his wife asked him to do and she is upset with him for the predictable results.
10. Sarai is correct in her statement that the she "was despised in her sight."
11. But again, that is what is to be expected in these kinds of situations.
12. Abram tried to mollify his wife by reaffirming her authority over her maid (v. 6).
13. Hagar was now his wife and the mother of his child and so he should have offered her protection.
14. If Hagar shows pride, and if Sarai shows false blame, Abram demonstrates false neutrality.
15. He too, like Sarai, does not refer to Hagar by name but only by title.
16. For Abram, Hagar is either "your maidservant" or "her."
17. If Abram will not offer his second wife legal protection then Yahweh will.
18. Abram’s judgment on the matter is lame and passive.
19. Sarai’s abuse of Hagar (Heb anah), which induces Hagar to flee (barah) finds parallel in the exodus of Israel from Egypt.
20. There, the Egyptian oppression of the Hebrews (anah, Ex. 1:11, 12) moved the latter to flee (barah, Ex. 14:5).
21. But here the roles are reversed: a matriarch of Israel oppressing an Egyptian).
22. This whole event is reflected in the OT wisdom literature: "Under three things the earth quakes, and under four, it cannot bear up: Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food, Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress."

Birth of Ishmael (vv. 7-16)

VERSE 7 Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur (rWv %r,d,B. !yI[;h'-l[; rB'd>MiB; ~yIM;h; !y[e-l[; hw"hy> %a;l.m; Ha'c'm.YIw: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s.w/3f.s.suff. matsa find + noun m.s.constr. male-ak messenger; "angel" + proper noun Yahweh + prep al by + noun f.s.constr. ayin spring + def.art.w/noun m.p.abs. mayim water + prep beth w/noun m.s.abs. midbar desert + prep al upon + def.art.w/noun f.s.abs. ayin spring + prep beth w/noun both s.abs. derek way + proper noun Shur]).

VERSE 8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going (ykilete hn"a'w> tab' hZ<mi-yae yr;f' tx;p.vi rg"h' rm;aYOw: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. amar say + proper noun Hagar + noun f.s.constr. shipchah maid + proper noun Sarai + interrog.part. e where + Qal perf.2f.s. bo come, go + waw w/interrog an where? + Qal impf.2f.s. halak walk; "are you going"]?"

And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai (tx;r;Bo ykinOa' yTir>biG> yr;f' ynEP.mi rm,aTow: [waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. amar say + prep min w/noun both p.constr. paneh face + proper noun Sarai + noun f.s.constr.w/1s.suff. gebereth lady, queen, mistress + pro.1s. anoki I + Qal part.f.s.abs. barach flee, run away])."

VERSE 9 Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority (h'yd,y" tx;T; yNI[;t.hiw> %Ter>biG>-la, ybiWv hw"hy> %a;l.m; Hl' rm,aYOw: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. amar say + prep lamedh w/3f.s.suff. "to her" + noun m.s.constr. male-ak messenger, angel + proper noun Yahweh + Qal imper.f.s. shub (re)turn + prep el to + noun f.s.constr.w/2f.s.suff. gebereth mistress + waw w/Hithpael imper.f.s. anah be busy with; "submit yourself" + prep tachath beneath "to her" + noun f. dual constr.w/3f.s.suff. yadh hand; "her authority"])."

VERSE 10 Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count (brome rpeS'yI al{w> %[er>z:-ta, hB,r>a; hB'r>h; hw"hy> %a;l.m; Hl' rm,aYOw: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. amar say + prep lamedh w/3f.s.suff. "to her" + noun m.s.constr. mal-akh angel + proper noun Yahweh + Hiphil infin.constr. rabah be many + Hiphil impf.1s. rabah be many; w/infinitive "greatly multiply + d.o. marker + noun m.s.constr.w/2f.s.suff. zera seed + waw w/neg lo + Niphal impf.3m.s. saphar count + prep min w/noun m.s.abs. robh multitude; "to many"])."

VERSE 11 The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son (!Be T.d>l;yOw> hr'h' %N"hi hw"hy> %a;l.m; Hl' rm,aYOw: [waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. amar say + prep lamedh w/3f.s.suff. "to her" + noun m.s.constr. mal-ak angel + proper noun Yahweh + interj hinneh behold + adj.f.s.abs. harah pregnant + waw w/Qal perf.2f.s. yaladh bear + noun m.s.abs. ben son]; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction [%yEn>['-la, hw"hy> [m;v'-yKi la[em'v.yI Amv. tar'q'w> [waw w/Qal perf.2f.s. qara call + noun m.s.constr.w/3m.s.suff. shem name + proper noun Ishmael + part ki because + Qal perf.3m.s. shama hear; "given heed" + proper noun Yahweh + prep el + noun m.s.constr.w/2f.s.suff. ani affliction, poverty]).

VERSE 12 "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers (!Kov.yI wyx'a,-lk' ynEP.-l[;w> AB lKo dy:w> lKob; Ady" ~d'a' ar,P, hy<h.yI aWhw> [waw w/pro.3m.s. hu he + Qal impf.3m.s. hayah be + noun m.s.abs. pere wild ass + noun m.s.abs. adam man + noun f.s.constr.w/3m.s.suff. hand "his hand" + part. beth w/def.art.w/noun m.s. kol every; "against everyone + waw w/noun f.s.constr. yad hand + noun m.s.abs. kol every + prep beth w/3m.s.suff. "against him" + waw w/prep al toward + noun both p.constr. paneh face; "in the presence" + noun m.s.constr. kol + noun m.p.constr. ach brother + Qal impf.3m.s. shaskan dwell])."

VERSE 13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees" (yair\ lae hT'a; h'yl,ae rbeDoh; hw"hy>-~ve ar'q.Tiw: [waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. qara call + noun m.s.constr. shem name + proper noun Yahweh + def.art.w/Qal part.m.s.abs. dabar speak + prep el to w/3f.s.suff. "to her" + pro.2m.s. attah you + noun m.s.abs. el God + noun m.s.abs. ra-i who sees; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him [yairo yrex]a; ytiyair' ~l{h] ~g:h] hr'm.a' yKi [part ki for + Qal perf.3f.s. amar say + def.art.w/interrog gam alike, again; + adv halom + Qal perf.1s. ra-ah see + adv achare after + Qal part.m.s.constr.w/1s.suff. ra-ah see]; literally: "Have I also seen Him who sees me?"])?"

VERSE 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered (dr,B' !ybeW vdeq'-!ybe hNEhi yairoƒyx;l;ƒraeB. raeB.l; ar'q' !Ke-l[; [part al w/part ken "therefore" + Qal perf.3m.s. qara call + prep lamedh w/noun f.s.abs. be-er well + proper noun Beer-lahai-roi + interj hinneh behold + prep bayin between + proper noun Kadesh + waw w/prep bayin between + proper noun Bered]).

VERSE 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael (la[em'v.yI rg"h' hd'l.y"-rv,a] AnB.-~v, ~r'b.a; ar'q.YIw: !Be ~r'b.a;l. rg"h' dl,Tew: [waw w/Qal impf.3f.s. yaladh bear + proper noun Haga + prep lamedh w/proper noun Abram + noun m.s.abs. ben son + waw w/Qal impf.3m.s. qara call + proper noun Abram + noun m.s.abs. shem name + noun m.s.constr.w/3m.s.suff. ben son +rel.pro. asher which Qal perf.3f.s. yaladh bear + proper noun Hagar + proper noun Ishmael]).

VERSE 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him (~r'b.a;l. la[em'v.yI-ta, rg"h'-td,l,B. ~ynIv' vvew> hn"v' ~ynImov.-!B, ~r'b.a;w> [waw w/proper noun Abram + noun m.s.constr. ben son + adj.m.p.abs. shemonim eighty + noun f.s.abs. shanah year + waw w/adj.f.s.abs. shesh six + noun f.p.abs. shanah year + prep beth w/Qal infin.constr. yaladh bear + proper noun Hagar + d.o. marker + proper noun Ishmael + prep lamedh w/proper noun Abram]).

ANALYSIS: VERSES 8-16

1. The second scene is set in the wilderness on one of the roads to Egypt.
2. Hagar is making her way to her native land but encounters the angel of the LORD who sends her back to Sarai.
3. This extreme intervention is viewed by the narrator as an act of grace that salvages at least temporarily something from the wreck of human relationships described in scene 1.
4. This scene opens with the angel finding Hagar by a well and closes with the well being named.
5. "The angel of the LORD" is mentioned 56x in the OT, while "the angel of God" appears 10x.
6. When first seen, they are usually taken to be men, but by the end of the encounter one of them is realized to be God (18:2, 22; Judg. 6:11-22; 13:3-22).
7. That is, God manifested in human form.
8. Clearly the Angel of Yahweh is as self-manifestation of Yahweh, for He speaks as God, identifies Himself with God, and claims the exercise the prerogatives of God (Gen. 16:6-7; 21:17-18; 22:11-18; 31:11-13; Ex. 3:2; Judg. 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11-22; 2Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12; 3:1; 12:8).
9. Yet He is distinguished from Yahweh (Gen. 24:7; Zech. 1:12-13).
10. That He is a member of the Trinity is indicated by the fact that the appearances of the Angel of Yahweh cease after the Incarnation.
11. This is confirmed by the OT statement that the Angel of God accompanied Israel when they left Egypt (Ex. 14:19; cf. 23:20) and the NT statement that Rock who followed Israel was Christ (1Cor. 10:4).
12. This story, like the others in which the Angel of Yahweh appears, presupposes that initially Hagar did not realize to whom she was talking.
13. He was just a man who had come to the well, a typical setting for male/female encounter in the OT narrative (cf. 24:11; 29:2).
14. It was only in the course of conversation that she realized his identity.
15. "The way to Shur" denotes the more southerly of the routes from Canaan to Egypt, from Beersheba via Kadesh-Barnea.
16. "Shur" is also the name of a desert through which the Israelites journeyed after crossing the Red Sea (Ex. 15:22).
17. For the first time Hagar is addressed by name and is called "Sarai’s maid."
18. This may have surprised Hagar.
19. How could a stranger have known about her identity?
20. The question which follows, "Where have you come from?" although sounding quite natural to Hagar, strikes the reader as rhetorical.
21. It is as unnecessary as the LORD asking Adam, "where are you?" (3:9) or Cain "where is Abel?" (4:9).
22. Whereas both Adam and Cain prevaricated, Hagar is perfectly honest in her answer, "I am running away from Sarai, my mistress."
23. She admits that she is a runaway slave, and her chosen verb "fleeing/run away" implies she has very good reason to escape (cf. v. 6).
24. "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority" is a harsh and uncompromising command that seems callous, the more so when it is seen that the "submit" (hithpael of anah) comes from the same root as "treat harshly" (v. 6) and "oppress" (15:13).
25. Hagar is being told to submit not just to her mistress’ authority but to suffering at her hand (cf. Col. 3:22; 1Tim. 6:1, 2; Titus 2:9).
26. The mysterious identity of the one who can make such harsh demands and make such amazing promises is a last apparent when the Angel of Yahweh gives a birth oracle, an annunciation that was to become a hallmark of angelic prediction in the Bible (cf. 18:9-15; Judg. 13:3-7; Isa. 7:14-17; Lk. 1:31-33).
27. The oracle begins with the long term aspect of the annunciation, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count" (v. 10).
28. This is a regular feature of the promises to the patriarchs (cf. 17:2; 22:17; 26:24).
29. "I will greatly multiply" is part of a divine reassurance to Hagar.
30. In other biblical oracles, the statement about pregnancy usually refers to the near future, here the angel comments on Hagar’s present condition (v. 11).
31. The promise of a son looks to the future (near term) as does his name Ishmael.
32. The child’s name means "God (El) has noticed/heard."
33. Regarding Hagar, God has heard your oppression means that although Hagar was not promised relief from oppression, she was assured that her suffering had been and would be taken note of by God.
34. Similarly, Leah says "The LORD has seen my oppression" in 29:32, as does Hannah in 1Sam. 1:11.
35. V. 12 describes Ishmael’s future destiny, to enjoy a free-roaming bedouinlike existence.
36. The freedom his mother sought will be his one day.
37. The "wild ass" lives in the desert, looks more like a horse than a donkey, and is used in the OT as a figure of an individualistic lifestyle untrammeled by social convention (Job 39:5; Jer. 2:24; Hos. 8:9).
38. "His hand will be against everyone" goes with Ishmael’s love of freedom which would bring him into conflict with his dealings with other men.
39. "And he will to the east of his brothers" describes the Bedouin living on the fringes of more permanent settlements.
40. The term "east" also means "apart from," "opposite" suggesting the haughty defiant attitude of Ishmael toward those caught up in a more conventional way of life (cf. 25:18).
41. The scene comes to a climax with Hagar recognizing the divine presence in the Angel and his mercy toward her (v. 13).
42. Typically in such situations a person comes to realize the presence of God after He disappears.
43. "Your are a God who sees" begins Hagar’s calling on the name of the LORD (v. 13).
44. In Scripture when God sees, He cares (cf. 29:32; Ex. 3:7).
45. In appearing to Hagar, the LORD has shown He cares for her.
46. Note though she calls God El, whereas the narrator calls Him Yahweh, the name God revealed to Moses (Ex. 3:14-15; 6:3).
47. Prior to her calling on the name of the LORD she said "Have I remained alive here after seeing him?" (v. 13).
48. This merely expresses astonishment on her part.
49. It is also a recognition of God’s care for Hagar in the midst of a most unlikely situation, a theme developed in Ps. 139:1-12).
50. She was in part to blame for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her and she bolted from the directive and geographical will of God, yet God appears to this lowly woman, pregnant and unwanted and unloved.
51. The mention of the well rounds off the scene.
52. Like Ishmael’s name, it name stands as a permanent reminder of God’s merciful care.
53. Its name means "Well of the living who sees me."
54. The traditional location is Muweileh on the caravan route south of Beersheba.
55. The third scene (vv. 15-16) finds Hagar back with Abram bearing him a son Ishmael.
56. The absence of Sarai is noteworthy.
57. The child was intended to be Sarai’s, but three times the text says, "Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram."
58. In fulfillment of the angelic prediction, he called his name Ishmael.
59. So although Sarai’s scheme succeeded, she seems to have been shut out from enjoying its success.
60. There may be a hint that Abram is protecting Hagar.
61. The note on Abram’s age (cf. 12:4; 16:3) rounds off the story.
62. Eleven years have elapsed since his arrival in Canaan; another thirteen are to elapse before the promise of a son is renewed (17:1).