Genesis 16:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What of Sarah, then? She remarked, according to the scripture, “Thou art guilty of my offence; I gave my handmaid into thy bosom; and she, when she saw that she had conceived, began to despise me: the Lord let him be judge between me and thee.” Observe the remarkable patience demonstrated by this righteous man and the honor he displayed towards Sarah when he sought her forgiveness in response to such an unreasonable charge. Indeed, she who had willingly given her handmaid to her husband and encouraged him to be intimate with her now claims, “Of my offense thou art guilty.” But was it his desire to join with a servant? Was he compelled to act by his own lack of restraint? It was by your persuasion, dear wife, and your suggestion that he acted.

Thus, to revisit my earlier point, when Hagar conceived Ishmael, Sarah experienced great distress, unable to bear the fact that her daughter-in-law could take pride in her own childbearing, thereby casting shame upon her.

Sarah had the opportunity to temper Hagar's pride; however, recognizing her own past as a servant and her previous intimacy with Abram, she refrained from rebuking the maidservant, fearing that it would bring shame upon Abram. Instead, she expressed to him, "My fault lies with you; I did not exchange you for a monarch, yet you have chosen to treat me as a servant. Hagar should be grateful that my plea was granted, as she became pregnant because I offered her to you so that I might find solace in her. Yet she repays my kindness with malice, and among all the servant girls, she inflicts a painful insult upon me."

Sarah, who initially entrusted her maid to her husband, later reproaches him, declaring, “You are responsible for my wrongdoing! I entrusted my maid to you, and once she realized she was pregnant, she looked down on me. May the Lord judge between you and me” (Gen. 16. 5). The Scriptures reveal the depth of grief and the serious complaints that women experience. When a husband is inattentive and irresponsible, lacking the ability to control himself, he may initiate grounds for divorce.

Hagar, upon becoming pregnant by Abraham, grew proud toward her mistress. This is often the nature of a servant, whose heart becomes hardened and lofty in times of delight and abundance, as reflected in Scripture: "The earth is agitated by three things, but it cannot withstand a fourth; when a servant rules, when a fool is well-fed (in other words, when a simple person gains wealth); when a servant surpasses her mistress, a wicked wife turns into a reputable husband" (Proverbs 30:21-23). This was the disposition of Hagar; however, the authority of her mistress prevailed, guiding the servant to recognize her position in servitude and cautioning her against pride.

I feel wronged; the responsibility lies with you. In a literal sense from the Hebrew, my wrongdoing rests upon you. Similar phrases can be found in Scripture (Gen. 27:13, Judg. 19:20, Jer. 2:35). When an offense occurs toward a wife within the household, it falls upon her spouse, as her natural protector and steward of the family, to bear the accountability. The Lord shall render judgment upon us both. The deeper meaning of these words can be understood as follows: God will hold us accountable, and if I have caused my servant to feel indignation, He will adjudicate me; however, if you have emboldened her through excessive leniency, the consequences will be upon you (1 Sam. 24:16).

The expression "because of you" (cf. Rom. 2:29) can be understood in two ways: either as "from you" or "since." When interpreted as "from you," it implies that someone who, in pursuit of virtue and perfect wisdom, chooses to dwell in preliminary knowledge, ultimately sins against virtue by not applying that knowledge promptly. The interpretation of "since" carries a similar implication. The distinction we've previously noted is that one who rushes to be born solely from initial knowledge and regards this as the ultimate goal indeed dishonors virtue. Consider also the phrase "before her" (Genesis 16:4), as it highlights that virtue was not merely offended; it was in the presence of her. When an individual relies on preparatory knowledge to the point of lacking the need for perfect wisdom, he undermines virtue within himself.