Genesis 16:16 kjv

And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Genesis 16:16 nkjv

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Genesis 16:16 niv

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Genesis 16:16 esv

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Genesis 16:16 nlt

Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

Genesis 16 verses

Genesis 16 16 Meaning

Genesis 16:16 simply records a factual historical event: the age of Abram when Hagar gave birth to his son Ishmael. This verse marks the completion of the human-devised plan to produce an heir for Abram and Sarai, detailing the exact point in time this child, who was not the son of promise, came into the world. It sets the stage for the continuation of God's covenant with Abram and the eventual birth of Isaac.

Genesis 16 16 Context

Genesis chapter 16 unfolds in response to God's earlier promises to Abram (Gen 12, 15) that he would have a multitude of descendants, specifically an heir from his own body. However, Sarai remained barren. Following the cultural practices of the time, Sarai proposed that Abram take her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, to bear a child on her behalf, who would then legally be considered Sarai's child. This act represents human impatience and a lack of full faith in God's specific promise, leading Abram to resort to an "out-of-covenant" solution. The chapter then details Hagar's conception, her prideful treatment of Sarai, Sarai's harsh retaliation, Hagar's flight, and God's intervention to comfort Hagar and provide a prophecy about her son, Ishmael. The specific naming of "Ishmael" ("God hears") by the angel highlights God's compassion and awareness of human suffering, even when those circumstances arise from human choices that diverge from His direct will. Verse 16 serves as the factual conclusion to this birth narrative, placing it precisely in Abram's timeline, ten years after he arrived in Canaan (Gen 12:4 notes Abram was 75 upon departure, and it's been ten years per Gen 16:3). This birth occurs long before God reiterates His covenant and specifically promises a son through Sarah.

Genesis 16 16 Word analysis

• Abram (אברם - ʾAvram): The name meaning "exalted father." At this point, his name has not yet been changed to Abraham (אברהם - ʾAvraham), meaning "father of a multitude" (Gen 17:5). The earlier name emphasizes his personal status, while the later one underscores the divine promise of a vast lineage through Isaac. The name "Abram" here subtly highlights that the birth of Ishmael, while giving him a son, does not yet fulfill the complete scope of God's later, greater promise attached to "Abraham."
• was eighty-six years old: The precision of age emphasizes the considerable delay (11 years) since Abram first received the promise of offspring at age 75 (Gen 12:4). It underscores the duration of Sarai's barrenness and the human desire for a solution, contrasted with God's ultimate timing which would bring Isaac's birth fourteen years later when Abram was 100. This highlights the time Abram and Sarai chose to act outside of God's perfect plan.
• when Hagar (הגר - Hagar): An Egyptian bondservant. Her identity as an outsider and a servant is significant, marking Ishmael as born not of the direct, unadulterated line of promise, but through an arrangement involving foreign origin, highlighting human pragmatism over divine instruction. Her name itself may mean "flight" or "emigration," perhaps foreshadowing her earlier flight and future expulsion.
• bore (ילד - yalad): The common Hebrew verb for giving birth, directly stating the biological act. It confirms Ishmael's paternity by Abram.
• Ishmael (ישׁמעאל - Yishmaʿel): The name means "God hears" or "God has heard." This name was given by the angel of the Lord to Hagar (Gen 16:11), signifying God's direct acknowledgment and compassion for Hagar's distress and situation. It's a testimony to God's universal care, even for those not directly within the primary line of covenant promise.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael": This phrase precisely dates Ishmael's birth within Abram's life, showing that he was still actively involved in fathering. The combination of Abram's age and Hagar's role emphasizes the attempt to create an heir through human means, filling a void perceived due to God's seemingly delayed promise. It sets a chronological marker before the actual covenant son, Isaac, is conceived and born, allowing for a clear distinction in timing and means.
• "Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram": This emphasizes the direct lineage to Abram, acknowledging Ishmael as Abram's biological son, yet distinctly through Hagar. This paternity, while real, is sharply contrasted by later divine clarification regarding the "son of the promise" (Isaac) who would be born of Sarah. It highlights a duality in fatherhood: biological paternity and covenantal fatherhood.

Genesis 16 16 Bonus section

The 11-year gap between Abram's call (Gen 12:4, age 75) and Ishmael's birth (Gen 16:16, age 86) is crucial. It underscores the period of faith, yet also impatience, that led to the human solution. The precision of "eighty-six years old" further emphasizes this temporal aspect. Ishmael's birth, while celebrated, created an alternative lineage that was blessed by God but not designated for the covenant inheritance. This dynamic between Ishmael and Isaac’s lines continues to have profound historical and theological implications, highlighting God’s ability to work His purposes through flawed human actions without endorsing them, and demonstrating His widespread grace beyond the covenant lineage itself. The very existence of Ishmael’s line alongside Isaac’s forms a part of God's wider, mysterious plan.

Genesis 16 16 Commentary

Genesis 16:16 provides a succinct record of Ishmael's birth, chronologically marking an important stage in Abram's life and the covenant narrative. It acts as a factual close to the incident of human intervention in the divine promise. The verse’s primary significance lies in its placement, preceding the direct promise of Isaac through Sarah. Abram's age (86) at Ishmael's birth emphasizes the significant waiting period for God's original promise (first received at age 75), which then spurred Sarai's pragmatic, but faithless, solution. The name Ishmael, meaning "God hears," while given by God’s messenger in response to Hagar’s distress, becomes a paradox as this birth was not according to God’s direct, sovereign timing for the covenant heir. This son of human planning would ultimately lead to much strife for the family, culminating in Ishmael's later departure and becoming the progenitor of a distinct nation, always in conflict with Isaac's descendants (Gen 16:12). This verse serves as a sober reminder that taking matters into our own hands, however well-intentioned or culturally appropriate at the time, can lead to unforeseen and lasting consequences, yet God, in His sovereignty, still maintains His plan and compassion even amidst human error.For example, this verse practically illustrates the difference between seeking an immediate, human-logic solution versus patient waiting for God's supernatural fulfillment of His promise. It teaches that God is gracious to all who cry out to Him (Hagar's case), yet His covenantal plans move forward uniquely through His chosen means and timing.