Genesis 16:1

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ¹  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ²  but she had an Egyptian servant ³  named Hagar. ⁴ 

Genesis 20:17

20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.

Genesis 30:2-3

30:2 Jacob became furious ⁵  with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” ⁶  30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ⁷  her so that she can bear ⁸  children ⁹  for me ¹⁰  and I can have a family through her.” ¹¹ 

Genesis 31:16

31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”

Genesis 33:1

Jacob Meets Esau

33:1 Jacob looked up ¹²  and saw that Esau was coming ¹³  along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.

Genesis 45:10

45:10 You will live ¹⁴  in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me – you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have.

Genesis 47:12

47:12 Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children.

Genesis 48:6

48:6 Any children that you father ¹⁵  after them will be yours; they will be listed ¹⁶  under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. ¹⁷ 

Genesis 48:11

48:11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected ¹⁸  to see you ¹⁹  again, but now God has allowed me to see your children ²⁰  too.”

Genesis 50:21

50:21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly ²¹  to them.

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¹ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

² sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.

³ tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.

⁴ sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)

⁵ tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”

⁶ tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”

⁷ tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

⁸ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

⁹ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁰ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

¹¹ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

¹² tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”

¹³ tn Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

¹⁴ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.

¹⁵ tn Or “you fathered.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “called” or “named.”

¹⁷ sn Listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. This means that any subsequent children of Joseph will be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

¹⁸ tn On the meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּלַל (palal) here, see E. A. Speiser, “The Stem pll in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6. Speiser argues that this verb means “to estimate” as in Exod 21:22.

¹⁹ tn Heb “your face.”

²⁰ tn Heb “offspring.”

²¹ tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”