Bible Commentaries

Hagar is the person mostly concerned in the story of this chapter, an obscure Egyptian woman, whose name and story we never should have heard of if Providence had not brought her into the family of Abram. Probably she was one of those maid-servants whom the king of Egypt, among other gifts, bestowed upon Abram, Ge 14:16. Concerning her, we have four things in this chapter:—I. Her marriage to Abram her master, Ge 16:1-3. II. Her misbehaviour towards Sarai her mistress, Ge 16:4-6. III. Her discourse with an angel that met her in her flight, Ge 16:7-14. IV. Her delivery of a son, Ge 16:15,16.

Sarai, having no child, gives Hagar her maid to Abram for wife, Genesis 16:1-3. She conceives and despises her mistress, Genesis 16:4. Sarai is offended and upbraids Abram, Genesis 16:5. Abram vindicates himself; and Hagar, being hardly used by her mistress, runs away, Genesis 16:6. She is met by an angel, and counselled to return to her mistress, Genesis 16:7-9. God promises greatly to multiply her seed, Genesis 16:10. Gives the name of Ishmael to the child that should be born of her, Genesis 16:11. Shows his disposition and character, Genesis 16:12. Hagar calls the name of the Lord who spoke to her, Thou God seest me, Genesis 16:13. She calls the name of the well at which the angel met her, Beer-laharoi, Genesis 16:14. Ishmael is born in the 86th year of Abram's age, Genesis 16:15, Genesis 16:16.

Genesis gen 16:0 INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 16 This chapter gives an account of Abram's marrying his maid, at the instance of his wife Sarai, Gen 16:1, who, upon conceiving, despised her mistress; of which complaint is made to Abram, who leaving his maid to his wife, to deal with her as she pleased, dealt harshly by her, and therefore fled from her, Gen 16:4; when she was met by an angel, who advised her to return and submit herself to her mistress, and told her her seed would be greatly multiplied, gave a name to the child she went with, and described his temper and disposition, Gen 16:7; and then we have the name of God that spoke to her, and of the place where the discourse passed between them, Gen 16:13; and the chapter is concluded with the birth of Ishmael, and the age of Abram at his birth, Gen 16:15.

EXCURSUS F: ON THE ANGEL, [HEB., “MESSENGER OF JEHOVAH”] (Genesis 16).

It is in chapter 16 that we first meet with this term, and as in several places there is an apparent identification of Jehovah’s messenger with Jehovah Himself, and even with Elohim, it becomes necessary to say a few words upon the much debated question, whether it was a created angel that was the means of communication between Jehovah and His ancient people; or whether it was an anticipation of the Incarnation of Christ, and even a manifestation in human form of the Second Person of the Divine Trinity.

God in His absolute and perfect nature is, as we are clearly taught, beyond the reach of human sense, and even of human reason. “No man hath seen God” John 1:18; John 6:46), “for He is the King invisible, Who dwells in the unapproachable light” (1Timothy 1:17; 1Timothy 6:16); but we are taught with equal clearness that it was the office of Christ to reveal Him to us (John 12:45; John 14:9); and that Christ is not merely “the effulgence of His glory, but the very image and impress of His substance” (Hebrews 1:3). In his own nature, then, incomprehensible and exalted far above the reach of our mental powers, God is nevertheless made intelligible to man, and brought near to our hearts and minds in Christ, so that we can conceive of Him as a Person, and as such love and worship Him. Yet was this Incarnation of God the Son the most sublime and awful mystery ever displayed upon earth; and to suppose that it was a mystery often repeated, so far from being a help to our faith, would be the reverse. We may well believe that God prepared men’s minds for so Divine a fact as “the emptying Himself of His glory, that He might be made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7); but that He became Man except at Bethlehem should have for its proof nothing less than the express warrant of Holy Writ.

In three cases there is an apparent identification of the angel with God. Thus of Hagar it is said, “She called the name of Jehovah that speaketh to her El Roï” (a God of seeing); and as a reason for the name she adds, “Do not I see after my seeing?” (Genesis 16:13). Similarly, after Jacob had wrestled with ”a man” until the breaking of the day, he “called the name of the place Peni-el (the face of God): for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30). Finally, after “the angel of Jehovah” had gone up in the flame from off the altar, Manoah said, “We shall surely die, because we have seen Elohim (Judges 13:22).

In these and any similar cases the utmost that we can venture to affirm is that they had seen God representatively by the angel; by whom also “Jehovah spake to Hagar.” Upon this latter point there is a valuable note of Bar-I Hebrseus in his Scholia on Acts 7:30, “He that was visible was an angel: He that spake was God.” Nor is there any difficulty in the fact that in Genesis 16:10 the angel says to Hagar, “I will multiply thy seed.” For it is the rule in Holy Scripture to ascribe to the agent the deeds which he executes by God’s commission. Thus Ezekiel speaks of himself destroying Jerusalem (Ezekiel 43:3), the sense being that rightly put in our margin—that “he prophesied that the city should be destroyed.” Sent by Jehovah to execute His will, angel and prophet alike are described as themselves the doers of the task assigned to them. This rule should be remembered in the exposition of Genesis 19, where the two angels speak of themselves as destroying Sodom.

In the case, however, of the “three men who stood by” Abraham at Mamre, there is a very close identification of one of the angels with Jehovah. In the first verse we read that “Jehovah appeared unto Abraham.” This might well be by the mission of the angels, but after a sudden change to the singular number in Genesis 16:10, the speaker is both henceforward called Jehovah, and speaks as not only himself tho doer and judge, but as if it rested with him to save or destroy at his own will. There is also a marked distinction between him and the two angels who visit Lot, and who describe themselves as sent by Jehovah (Genesis 19:13), though even here, in Genesis 19:17-22, there is an approximation to a higher personification. In the case of the angel who visits Gideon there is again an apparent identification between him and Jehovah (Judges 6:14; Judges 6:16-23); nevertheless, Gideon still calls him an angel of Jehovah in Genesis 19:22, and he is called an angel of Elohim in Genesis 19:20.

In this case, and in that of the angel who appeared to Manoah, they refuse to partake of food, whereas the three angels who appeared to Abraham at Mamre ate of the food prepared for them. They are also called men, and behave in a very human manner, whereas the angels who appeared to Gideon and Manoah both display supernatural powers, and “do wondrously.” Nevertheless, nowhere else is there so close an identifi-cation between the angel and Jehovah as in this appearance at Mamre, and in the history of the intercession for Sodom both the angel and Abraham speak as if Jehovah was there present in person.

In the case of the revelation to Abraham after the sacrifice of Isaac, the “angel of Jehovah” calls to him from heaven, and we have no account of any appearance in human form.

If, however, we turn to other passages of Holy Scripture the explanation seems plain. In the passage of God’s ancient people through the wilderness, an angel was especially entrusted with their guidance and protection. He is called “the angel of Èlohim,” and his symbol was the pillar of fire and of the cloud (Exodus 14:19). Once, however, he appears in human form to Joshua, and claims the office of captain of Jehovah’s host (Joshua 5:13-15). In the full description of him in Exodus 23:20-25, we read in Exodus 23:21 “my Name is in him.” Now this angel is called in Isaiah 63:9 “the angel of God’s presence,” literally, of His Face; and in this there is an evident allusion to Exodus 33:14-15, where Moses says, “If Thy Face go not, carry us not up hence;” and Jehovah says, “My Face shall go, that I may give thee rest.”

It seems, therefore, that under the Old Covenant, while generally it was created angels who were the medium of communication between God and man, yet that there was one kind of manifestation of Deity so high as that God’s Name was in him, and God’s Face shown by him. As all revelation was by God the Son (John 1:18) we may fearlessly connect this angel with our blessed Lord, called “the angel of the covenant” in Malachi 3:1; but it would be rash and presumptuous to attempt to define the exact nature of these appearances. The union of matter and spirit in any way is beyond our powers of understanding; how much more when that Spirit is God! But this we may reverently say, that these personal manifestations were an anticipation in the Old Testament of that which is the cardinal doctrine in the New—that God has taken upon Him human nature, and appeared in fashion as a man. The saints of old knew of their Redeemer at first only as “the woman’s seed:” they learned next to unite the thought of Him with the name Jehovah; and, finally, they knew that Jehovah was also God. So was the broad foundation laid for the prophetic teaching that He was Emmanuel, in one person God and Man; and for the feeling so necessary for all true personal piety that God vouchsafes His presence on earth. He who now walks in the midst of the golden candlesticks (Revelation 1:13) from ¡time to time manifested His Face visibly to the saints of the Church of old. And not only was the father of the faithful thus visited, but even a runaway handmaid was neither disregarded, nor deemed unworthy of heavenly care. We might lose ourselves in profitless speculations as to the manner of events so mysterious, but the practical lesson is plain, that though “the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain God, yet He deigns to dwell upon earth” (1Kings 8:27), and that His presence now vouchsafed by the spiritual indwelling of the Holy Ghost, is as efficacious for guidance, help, and comfort as were these visible manifestations in early times, when there was not as yet that full knowledge of God and of His ways, which has been given us in His Holy Word.

Ch. 16. The Birth of Ishmael

The narrative in this chapter contains Israelite traditions respecting the birth, name, and dwelling-place of Ishmael.

(a)  It explains how the Israelites acknowledged the Ishmaelites to be an older branch of their own stock, dwelling on their southern borders.

(b)  It illustrates how they regarded them as inferior in dignity of descent, and as degraded by an Egyptian connexion.

Genesis 16:1 a, 3, 15, 16 are from P, while Genesis 16:9-11 have been attributed to an editorial insertion. The remainder is from J.

Ge 16:1-16.

BESTOWMENT OF HAGAR.

1. Now, Sarai . . . had a handmaid--a female slave--one of those obtained in Egypt.

A Mizrite handmaid. - Hagar was probably obtained, ten years before, during their sojourn in Egypt. "The Lord hath restrained me." It was natural to the ancient mind to recognize the power and will of God in all things. "I shall be builded by her," אבנה 'ı̂bāneh, built as the foundation of a house, by the addition of sons or daughters (בנים bānı̂ym or בנית bānôt). She thought she had or wished to have a share in the promise, if not by herself personally, yet through her maid. The faith of Sarah had not yet come fully to the birth. Abram yields to the suggestion of his wife, and complies with the custom of the country. Ten years had elapsed since they had entered the land they were to inherit. Impatience at the long delay leads to an invention of their own for obtaining an heir. The contempt of her maid was unjustifiable. But it was the natural consequence of Sarai's own improper and imprudent step, in giving her to her husband as a concubine. Unwilling, however, to see in herself the occasion of her maid's insolence, she transfers the blame to her husband, who empowers or reminds her of her power still to deal with her as it pleased her. Hagar, unable to bear the yoke of humiliation, flees from her mistress.

She had a handmaid, an Egyptian - As Hagar was an Egyptian, St. Chrysostom's conjecture is very probable. that she was one of those female slaves which Pharaoh gave to Abram when he sojourned in Egypt; see Genesis 12:16. Her name הגר hagar signifies a stranger or sojourner, and it is likely she got this name in the family of Abram, as the word is pure Hebrew.