But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.
- BSB “Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.
- NKJV So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.
- NASB But Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your slave woman is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.
- NLT Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abram deferred to Sarai, who treated Hagar harshly, causing her to flee. Conflict drove the pregnant Hagar into the wilderness.
Overview
Abram steps back rather than mediating, and Sarai's harsh treatment forces Hagar to run away. The breakdown of the household leaves a vulnerable, pregnant woman alone in the desert. Yet this flight becomes the occasion for God's gracious intervention, showing His care for the mistreated even amid human failure.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Jer 38:5Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.
- Prov 15:17–18Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
- Prov 27:8As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
- Ps 106:41–42And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.
- Eccl 10:4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
- Prov 29:19A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.
- 1 Pet 3:7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
- Prov 14:29He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
- Prov 15:1A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
- Gen 24:10And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
- Job 2:6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
- Exod 2:15Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
- Gen 13:8–9And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 16:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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