The Meaning of Genesis 16:5 Explained

Genesis 16:5

KJV: And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

YLT: And Sarai saith unto Abram, 'My violence is for thee; I -- I have given mine handmaid into thy bosom, and she seeth that she hath conceived, and I am lightly esteemed in her eyes; Jehovah doth judge between me and thee.'

Darby: And Sarai said to Abram, My wrong be on thee! I have given my maidservant into thy bosom; and now she sees that she has conceived, I am lightly esteemed in her eyes. Jehovah judge between me and thee!

ASV: And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into they bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: Jehovah judge between me and thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Sarai  said  unto Abram,  My wrong  [be] upon thee: I have given  my maid  into thy bosom;  and when she saw  that she had conceived,  I was despised  in her eyes:  the LORD  judge  between me and thee. 

What does Genesis 16:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 16:1-16 - Abram's Son Ishmael
Poor Hagar! What contrasts met in her life! Bought in an Egyptian slave-mart, but destined to be the mother of a great people! She is not the last to suffer from the mistakes and sins of God's children, but she was abundantly recompensed. Abram did her a great wrong. Human policy will often suggest a course which seems right in our own eyes, but the end is death. How remarkable is the advice given to Hagar by the angel: return and submit! Does not the child of God often seek to evade the cross! "Let me but get away from this intolerable trouble," we cry. But God meets us. "No stranger He to all our wanderings wild!" We have to take up the cross, and sit down again on the hard stool. Some day we shall be permitted to go out, but not till we have learned our lesson perfectly. In the meanwhile, we are assured that our life shall be prolific in great results. In an outburst of awe and joy, the slave-girl learned that God sees and hears. Note 2 Chronicles 16:9; 1 Peter 3:12.
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 16

1  Sarai, being barren, gives Hagar to Abram
4  Hagar, being afflicted for despising her mistress, runs away
7  An angel commands her to return and submit herself,
10  promises her a numerous posterity,
12  and shows their character and condition
13  Hagar names the place, and returns to Sarai
15  Ishmael is born
16  The age of Abram

What do the individual words in Genesis 16:5 mean?

And said Sarai to Abram My wrong [be] upon you I gave my maidservant into your embrace and when she saw that she had conceived then I became despised in her eyes Judge Yahweh between me and you
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֣י אֶל־ אַבְרָם֮ חֲמָסִ֣י עָלֶיךָ֒ אָנֹכִ֗י נָתַ֤תִּי שִׁפְחָתִי֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה וָאֵקַ֖ל בְּעֵינֶ֑יהָ יִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יְהוָ֖ה בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽיׄךָ‪‬

וַתֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שָׂרַ֣י  Sarai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׂרַי  
Sense: original name of Sarah the wife of Abram or Abraham.
אַבְרָם֮  Abram 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָם  
Sense: original name of Abraham.
חֲמָסִ֣י  My  wrong  [be] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: חָמָס  
Sense: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice.
עָלֶיךָ֒  upon  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
נָתַ֤תִּי  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
שִׁפְחָתִי֙  my  maidservant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.
בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ  into  your  embrace 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֹוק 
Sense: bosom, hollow, bottom, midst.
וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙  and  when  she  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הָרָ֔תָה  she  had  conceived 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: הֹור 
Sense: to conceive, become pregnant, bear, be with child, be conceived, progenitor.
וָאֵקַ֖ל  then  I  became  despised 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
בְּעֵינֶ֑יהָ  in  her  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, third person feminine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יִשְׁפֹּ֥ט  Judge 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בֵּינִ֥י  between  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
וּבֵינֶֽיׄךָ‪‬  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.