And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.
This verse records that Abram became a father to Ishmael when he was 86 years old, through his servant Hagar.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Genesis, Abram and his wife Sarai had received God's promise of descendants, but due to Sarai's barrenness, they resorted to cultural practices of the ancient Near East by having Abram father a child with Hagar, Sarai's Egyptian maidservant. This act reflected the societal norms of that era, where surrogacy through servants was sometimes used to secure family lines. As a result, Ishmael was born when Abram was 86 years old, highlighting the ongoing tension between human efforts and divine promises.
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