Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not been able to have any children. She had a servant, an Egyptian woman named Hagar.
This verse introduces the painful reality that Sarai was unable to have children, and mentions her Egyptian servant Hagar who will become central to the story.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Genesis, Abram and Sarai were living in Canaan as part of God's covenant with Abram, who was promised to become a great nation through his descendants. However, Sarai was barren, which was a significant source of shame and anxiety in ancient Near Eastern cultures where family lineage and heirs were essential for security and legacy. This led Sarai to have an Egyptian handmaid named Hagar, a common practice in that society where childless women sometimes used servants as surrogates to bear children for their husbands.
Explore Similar Verses
Ask the AI Assistant
Have a question about this chapter or verse? Ask below for a clear explanation.