Hebrew Torah  - Transliterated & Translated - Verse by Verse & with Commentary

Bereishit Chapter 16

א וְשָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם לֹא יָלְדָה לוֹ וְלָהּ שִׁפְחָה מִצְרִית וּשְׁמָהּ הָגָר

VeSarai eshet Avram lo yaledah lo velah shifchah Mitzrit ushmah Hagar.

1. Avram's wife Sarai had not born him any children. She had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.

ב וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרַי אֶל-אַבְרָם הִנֵּה-נָא עֲצָרַנִי יְהוָה מִלֶּדֶת--בֹּא-נָא אֶל-שִׁפְחָתִי אוּלַי אִבָּנֶה מִמֶּנָּה וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם לְקוֹל שָׂרָי

Vatomer Sarai el-Avram hineh-na atzarani HASHEM miledet bo-na el-shifchati ulai ibaneh mimenah vayishma Avram lekol Sarai.

2. Sarai said to Avram, "Hashem has restrained me from having children. Marry my maid; and perhaps I will have sons from her." Avram heeded to what Sarai said.

ג וַתִּקַּח שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת-אַבְרָם אֶת-הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית שִׁפְחָתָהּ מִקֵּץ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים לְשֶׁבֶת אַבְרָם בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַתִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָם אִישָׁהּ לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה

Vatikach Sarai eshet Avram et-Hagar haMitzrit shifchatah miketz eser shanim leshevet Avram be'eretz Kena'an vatiten otah le-Avram ishah lo le'ishah.

3. Avram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian her maid after Avram had lived in the land of Kena'an for ten years. She gave her to Avram her husband as a wife.

ד וַיָּבֹא אֶל-הָגָר וַתַּהַר וַתֵּרֶא כִּי הָרָתָה וַתֵּקַל גְּבִרְתָּהּ בְּעֵינֶיהָ

Vayavo el-Hagar vatahar vatere ki haratah vatekal gevirtah be'eineiha.

4. [Avram] married Hagar and she became pregnant. When she realized that she was pregnant, she looked upon her mistress with contempt.

ה וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרַי אֶל-אַבְרָם חֲמָסִי עָלֶיךָ--אָנֹכִי נָתַתִּי שִׁפְחָתִי בְּחֵיקֶךָ וַתֵּרֶא כִּי הָרָתָה וָאֵקַל בְּעֵינֶיהָ יִשְׁפֹּט יְהוָה בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶיךָ

Vatomer Sarai el-Avram chamasi aleicha anochi natati shifchati becheikecha vatere ki haratah va'ekal be'eineiha yishpot HASHEM beyni uveineicha.

5. Sarai said to Avram, "This outrage against me is your fault. I myself placed my maid in your lap. Now that she sees herself pregnant, she looks upon me with disrespect. Let HASHEM judge between me and you."

ו וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל-שָׂרַי הִנֵּה שִׁפְחָתֵךְ בְּיָדֵךְ--עֲשִׂי-לָהּ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיִךְ וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ

Vayomer Avram el-Sarai hineh shifchatech beyadech asi-lah hatov be'einaich vate'aneha Sarai vativrach mipaneiha.

6. Avram said to Sarai, "Your maid is in your hands. Do with her as you see fit." Sarai abused her, and [Hagar] ran away from her.

ז וַיִּמְצָאָהּ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה עַל-עֵין הַמַּיִם--בַּמִּדְבָּר עַל-הָעַיִן בְּדֶרֶךְ שׁוּר

Vayimtza'ah mal'ach HASHEM al-ein hamayim bamidbar al-ha'ayin bederech Shur.

7. An angel of HASHEM found her by a spring in the desert. [It was] by the spring on the way to Shur.

ח וַיֹּאמַר הָגָר שִׁפְחַת שָׂרַי אֵי-מִזֶּה בָאת--וְאָנָה תֵלֵכִי וַתֹּאמֶר--מִפְּנֵי שָׂרַי גְּבִרְתִּי אָנֹכִי בֹּרַחַת

Vayomar Hagar shifchat Sarai ei-mizeh vat ve'anah telechi vatomer mipenei Sarai gevirti anochi borachat.

8. [The angel] said, "Hagar maid of Sarai, from where are you coming, and where are you going?" She said, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."

ט וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה שׁוּבִי אֶל-גְּבִרְתֵּךְ וְהִתְעַנִּי תַּחַת יָדֶיהָ

Vayomer lah mal'ach HASHEM shuvi el-gevirtech vehit'ani tachat yadeiha.

9. The angel of HASHEM said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit yourself to her."

י וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת-זַרְעֵךְ וְלֹא יִסָּפֵר מֵרֹב

Vayomer lah mal'ach HASHEM harbah arbeh et-zar'ech velo yisafer merov.

10. The angel of HASHEM said to her, "I will make your offspring numerous. They will be so many that they will not be able to be counted."

יא וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה הִנָּךְ הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל כִּי-שָׁמַע יְהוָה אֶל-עָנְיֵךְ

Vayomer lah mal'ach HASHEM hinach harah veyoladet ben vekarat shmo Yishma'el ki-shama HASHEM el-oniech.

11. The angel of HASHEM said to her, "You are pregnant and will have a son. You shall name him Yishmael, for HASHEM has heard about your suffering.

יב יב וְהוּא יִהְיֶה פֶּרֶא אָדָם--יָדוֹ בַכֹּל וְיַד כֹּל בּוֹ וְעַל-פְּנֵי כָל-אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן

Vehu yihyeh pereh adam yado vakol veyad kol bo ve'al-penei chol-echav yishkon.

12. He will be a rebel. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him. Over all his brothers he shall dwell."

יג וַתִּקְרָא שֵׁם-יְהוָה הַדֹּבֵר אֵלֶיהָ אַתָּה אֵל רֳאִי כִּי אָמְרָה הֲגַם הֲלֹם רָאִיתִי--אַחֲרֵי רֹאִי

Vatikra shem-HASHEM hadover eleiha atah El Ro'i ki amerah hagam halom ra'iti acharei ro'i.

13. [Hagar] gave a name to HASHEM who had spoken to her: "You are a G-d of Vision," for she said, "Did I also see [something] there after He saw me.?"

יד עַל-כֵּן קָרָא לַבְּאֵר בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי--הִנֵּה בֵין-קָדֵשׁ וּבֵין בָּרֶד

Al-ken kara labe'er Be'er Lachai Ro'i hineh veyn-Kadesh uvein Bared.

14. She therefore called the well, "The well to the Living One who sees me" (Be'er Lachai Ro'i). It is between Kadesh and Bered.

טו וַתֵּלֶד הָגָר לְאַבְרָם בֵּן וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָם שֶׁם-בְּנוֹ אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה הָגָר יִשְׁמָעֵאל

Vateled Hagar le-Avram ben vayikra Avram shem-beno asher-yaledah Hagar Yishma'el.

15. Hagar bore Avram's son. Avram gave his son who had been born to Hagar the name Yishma'el.

טז וְאַבְרָם בֶּן-שְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים בְּלֶדֶת-הָגָר אֶת-יִשְׁמָעֵאל לְאַבְרָם

Ve'Avram ben-shmonim shanah veshesh shanim beledet-Hagar et-Yishma'el le-Avram.

16. Avram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Avram's son Yishma'el.