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Genesis 16:4

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized she was going to have a baby, she began to look down on her mistress Sarah with contempt.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse shows how Hagar's pregnancy made her feel superior to Sarah, creating tension and conflict in the household.

📚 Historical Context

In the book of Genesis, Abraham and his wife Sarah were promised a son by God, but Sarah was unable to conceive due to her barrenness. Desperate for an heir, Sarah gave her Egyptian maidservant Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate, following ancient Near Eastern customs where such arrangements were sometimes practiced. This led to Hagar's pregnancy and subsequent contempt for Sarah, revealing the relational strains that often resulted from these societal norms.

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