Read Genesis 16:1-16 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Gen 16:1-16 {s} Abram’s faith in the promise tested (Ishmael)
Gen 16:1-16 chiastic structure
Original Hebrew
And Sarai said to Abram: “Behold now, YHVH has restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray you, to my handmaid; it may be that I shall obtain children through her.” And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. Gen 16:2
obtain children
The Hebrew is Strong’s H1129, banah, a primitive root, “to build, to erect,” (as a house or temple). The ancient pictographs are the bet + nun + hey:
bet = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
nun = the seed, thus continue, heir, son
hey = the man with upraised arms, thus look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath
The story the ancient pictographs are painting: during the era of the patriarchs, the women of the family made a new tent panel every year that would be attached to the existing structure, replacing an older, worn tent panel. Thus over the course of several years the entire tent was renewed. This action of building the tent is described as the the house (bet) continues (nun) to breathe (to live, hey). In the same way that the physical structure of the house continues by the addition of new tent panels, the biological household or family is renewed by the addition of sons.
This Hebrew word is likewise the root of ben, “son,” and bat, “daughter,” as well as many others.
For further study off site:
Sarah’s Treatment of Hagar – Jewish Bible Quarterly
Theophanies in the Old Testament – Answers in Genesis
John Gill’s Commentary on Genesis 16
The Bible on Ishmael / Islam
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