Genesis 16

Hagar conceives and Sarai is slighted. Note the use of המס violence (JB insult, KJV wrong) in Sarai's speech. Like all married couples, there is a touch of friction in this relationship. The Sarah-Hagar axis is equally complex and not such good news for a weaker person in an unequal and abusive relationship. I find myself wondering if this Abraham-Hagar axis is reflecting the issues with Leviticus 19 which we have recently read.

Now this Yishmaeil (however you want to spell it), who is he but the presence of the world (Egypt) in (ב) all of us, and against (על) the presence of all of us, his kin. But ultimately, salvation is for the world, us wild asses, not just for the child of the promise, (who of course has his part in bringing the message of the messenger of Yahweh to the whole world).

Why is it that prepositions are so hard to read? Against is a possible (but not the most common) rendering of ב but in is a rare gloss for על. So my reading of this passage should be perplexing even as Hagar expresses the enigma of seeing the one who sees her.

Who knew that Sarai's Egyptian handmaid, rejected for her fertility, was also a post modern philosopher?

The woman gives birth to a child for (ל) the father. This phrasing is quite common. It is not a modern reading of birth. Does the use of the preposition ל (of, for, to). Tell us something of the hopes of the ancient male and female?

Genesis 16		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וְשָׂרַי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת אַבְרָ֔ם לֹ֥א יָלְדָ֖ה ל֑וֹ וְלָ֛הּ שִׁפְחָ֥ה מִצְרִ֖ית וּשְׁמָ֥הּ הָגָֽר	1		And Sarai, the wife of Abram, did not give birth for him, and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, and her name was Hagar.	3d	4B	11 10
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֜י אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם הִנֵּה־נָ֞א עֲצָרַ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ מִלֶּ֔דֶת בֹּא־נָא֙ אֶל־שִׁפְחָתִ֔י אוּלַ֥י אִבָּנֶ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נָּה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָ֖ם לְק֥וֹל שָׂרָֽי	2		And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now Yahweh has contained me from giving birth, go in please to my handmaid. Perhaps I will be built up from her. And Abram heard the voice of Sarai.	3e	4C	33 9
וַתִּקַּ֞ח שָׂרַ֣י אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָ֗ם אֶת־הָגָ֤ר הַמִּצְרִית֙ שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ מִקֵּץ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר שָׁנִ֔ים לְשֶׁ֥בֶת אַבְרָ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְאַבְרָ֥ם אִישָׁ֖הּ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה	3		And Sarai, the wife of Abram, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of the tenth year Abram had settled in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram, her man, for his wife.	3d	4C	35 14
וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־הָגָ֖ר וַתַּ֑הַר וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה וַתֵּקַ֥ל גְּבִרְתָּ֖הּ בְּעֵינֶֽיהָ	4		And he came to Hagar and she became pregnant, and she saw that she was pregnant, and her mistress was slighted in her eyes.	3e	4B	9 17
וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֣י אֶל־אַבְרָם֮ חֲמָסִ֣י עָלֶיךָ֒ אָנֹכִ֗י נָתַ֤תִּי שִׁפְחָתִי֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה וָאֵקַ֖ל בְּעֵינֶ֑יהָ יִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יְהוָ֖ה בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽיׄךָ	5		And Sarai said to Abram, My violence be on you. I myself gave my handmaid into your bosom, and she saw that she was pregnant and I am slighted in her eyes. Let Yahweh judge between me and you.	3e	4C	41 9
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל־שָׂרַ֗י הִנֵּ֤ה שִׁפְחָתֵךְ֙ בְּיָדֵ֔ךְ עֲשִׂי־לָ֖הּ הַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינָ֑יִךְ וַתְּעַנֶּ֣הָ שָׂרַ֔י וַתִּבְרַ֖ח מִפָּנֶֽיהָ	6		And Abram said to Sarai, Behold your handmaid is in your hand. Do to her what is good in your eyes. And Sarai afflicted her and she ran from her presence.	3e	4C	25 13
וַֽיִּמְצָאָ֞הּ מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה עַל־עֵ֥ין הַמַּ֖יִם בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר עַל־הָעַ֖יִן בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ שֽׁוּר	7		And the messenger of Yahweh found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the journey to Shur [barrier].	3c	4A	15 7
וַיֹּאמַ֗ר הָגָ֞ר שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרַ֛י אֵֽי־מִזֶּ֥ה בָ֖את וְאָ֣נָה תֵלֵ֑כִי וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִפְּנֵי֙ שָׂרַ֣י גְּבִרְתִּ֔י אָנֹכִ֖י בֹּרַֽחַת	8		And he said, Hagar, handmaid of Sarai, where have you come from and where do you go? And she said, From the presence of Sarai my mistress I have run.	3d	4B	18 16
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה שׁ֖וּבִי אֶל־גְּבִרְתֵּ֑ךְ וְהִתְעַנִּ֖י תַּ֥חַת יָדֶֽיהָ	9		And the messenger of Yahweh said to her, Return to your mistress, and let yourself be afflicted under her hands.	3e	4C	14 9
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה הַרְבָּ֥ה אַרְבֶּ֖ה אֶת־זַרְעֵ֑ךְ וְלֹ֥א יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב	10		And the messenger of Yahweh said to her, Thoroughly I will increase your seed, and it will not be counted for abundance.	3e	4C	15 7
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן וְקָרָ֤את שְׁמוֹ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־עָנְיֵֽךְ	11		And the messenger of Yahweh said to her, Behold, you are pregnant, and will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Yishmaeil, for Yahweh has paid heed to your affliction.	3e	4C	17 16
וְה֤וּא יִהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָד֣וֹ בַכֹּ֔ל וְיַ֥ד כֹּ֖ל בּ֑וֹ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו יִשְׁכֹּֽן	12		And he, he will be a wild ass of a human, his hand in all, and the hand of all in him, and against the presence of all his kin he will dwell.	3e	4C	16 9
וַתִּקְרָ֤א שֵׁם־יְהוָה֙ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יהָ אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה הֲגַ֥ם הֲלֹ֛ם רָאִ֖יתִי אַחֲרֵ֥י רֹאִֽי	13		And she called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, You are the One-Seeing-Me, for she said, Even here, have I seen after the one who sees me?	3d	4C	17 15
עַל־כֵּן֙ קָרָ֣א לַבְּאֵ֔ר בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י הִנֵּ֥ה בֵין־קָדֵ֖שׁ וּבֵ֥ין בָּֽרֶד	14		Therefore the well is called the well of Life Seeing Me. Here it is between Qadesh [holiness] and Bered [hail].	3e	4B	12 9
וַתֵּ֧לֶד הָגָ֛ר לְאַבְרָ֖ם בֵּ֑ן וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְרָ֧ם שֶׁם־בְּנ֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָ֥ה הָגָ֖ר יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל	15		And Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram, and Abram called the name of his son that Hagar gave birth to, Yishmaeil.	3c	4A	9 18
וְאַבְרָ֕ם בֶּן־שְׁמֹנִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים בְּלֶֽדֶת־הָגָ֥ר אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל לְאַבְרָֽם	16		And Abram was a child of eighty six years, when Hagar gave birth to Yishmaeil for Abram.	3e	4B	13 13