King James Version

Genesis 16:2

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.

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Hebrew

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וַתֹּ֨אמֶרvatomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…שָׂרַ֜יsaraySaraiשָׂרַיnoun, proper name — “Sarai”H8297Sarai, the wife of AbrahamSarai.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אַבְרָ֗םavramAbramאַבְרָםnoun, proper name — “Abram”H87Abram, the original name of AbrahamAbram.הִנֵּהhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.נָ֞אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.עֲצָרַ֤נִיatsaraniclose upעָצָרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “close up”, a completed actionH6113to inclose; by analogy, to hold back; also to maintain, rule, assemble[idiom] be able, close up, detain, fast, keep (self close, still), prevail, recover, refrain, [idiom] reign, restrain, retain, shut (up), slack, stay, stop, withhold (self).יְהוָה֙yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).מִלֶּ֔דֶתmiledetfrom bearיָלַדpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “from bear”, the to-form of the verbH3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineagebear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (wom…בֹּאboto comeבּוֹאverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to come”, a commandH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…נָא֙naI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).שִׁפְחָתִ֔יshifchatimaidשִׁפְחָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “maid”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8198a female slave (as a member of the household)(bond-, hand-) maid(-en, -servant), wench, bondwoman, womanservant.אוּלַ֥יulayif so beאוּלַיadverb — “if so be”H194if not; hence perhapsif so be, may be, peradventure, unless.אִבָּנֶ֖הibanehbuildבָּנָהverb, niphal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “build”, an unfinished actionH1129to build (literally and figuratively)(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.מִמֶּ֑נָּהmimenahfromמִןpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.וַיִּשְׁמַ֥עvayishmaand hearשָׁמַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and hear”, the next action in the storyH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…אַבְרָ֖םavramAbramאַבְרָםnoun, proper name — “Abram”H87Abram, the original name of AbrahamAbram.לְק֥וֹלleqolto soundקוֹלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “to sound”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6963a voice or sound[phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell.שָׂרָֽיsaraySaraiשָׂרַיnoun, proper name — “Sarai”H8297Sarai, the wife of AbrahamSarai.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Sarai said unto Abram: 'Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall be builded up through her.' And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

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.

World English Bible

Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Darby Translation

And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has shut me up, that I do not bear. Go in, I pray thee, to my maidservant: it may be that I shall be built up by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

Douay-Rheims

She said to her husband: Behold, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: go in unto my handmaid, it may be I may have children of her at least. And when he agreed to her request,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Sara said to Abram, Behold, the Lord has restrained me from bearing, go therefore in to my maid, that I may get children for myself through her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sara.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπε δὲ Σάρα πρὸς Ἅβραμ, ἰδοὺ συνέκλεισέ με Κύριος τοῦ μὴ τίκτειν· εἴσελθε οὖν πρὸς τὴν παιδίσκην μου, ἵνα τεκνοποιήσωμαι ἐξ αὐτῆς· ὑπήκουσελ δὲ Ἅβραμ τῆς φωνῆς Σάρας.