Genesis 16:2
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.”
A short, plain-language explanation of Genesis 16:2 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
“So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)“And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.”
King James Version · Public Domain“And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.”
American Standard Version · Public Domain“and Sarai saith unto Abram, `Lo, I pray thee, Jehovah hath restrained me from bearing, go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; perhaps I am built up from her;' and Abram hearkeneth to the voice of Sarai.”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainOther passages that echo Genesis 16:2 — 16 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Genesis 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”
- Genesis 3:12And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
- Genesis 3:17And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
- Genesis 11:30But Sarai was barren; she had no children.
- Genesis 17:16And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”
- Genesis 18:10Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
- Genesis 20:18for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.
- Genesis 25:21Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
- Genesis 30:2Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”
- Genesis 30:3Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”
- Genesis 30:6Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan.
- Genesis 30:9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
- Genesis 30:22Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,
- Exodus 21:4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
- Ruth 4:11“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.
- Psalms 127:3Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).