Genesis 16:16
New International Version
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

New Living Translation
Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

English Standard Version
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Berean Standard Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

King James Bible
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

New King James Version
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

New American Standard Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

NASB 1995
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

NASB 1977
And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Amplified Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

Christian Standard Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

American Standard Version
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

English Revised Version
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

Good News Translation
Abram was eighty-six years old at the time.

International Standard Version
Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for Abram.

Majority Standard Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

NET Bible
(Now Abram was 86 years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.)

New Heart English Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abram was eighty six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

World English Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Abram [is] a son of eighty-six years in Hagar’s bearing Ishmael to Abram.

Young's Literal Translation
and Abram is a son of eighty and six years in Hagar's bearing Ishmael to Abram.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Abram the son of eighty years and six years, in Hagar's bearing Ishmael to Abram.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Abram was fourscore and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for him.

New American Bible
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

New Revised Standard Version
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Abram was ninety and nine years old and LORD JEHOVAH was revealed unto Abram and said to him, “I AM El Shaddai God; be pleasing before me and be without defect.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abram was eighty-six years old, when Agar bore Ismael to Abram.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Birth of Ishmael
15And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Cross References
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.

Genesis 12:4
So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

Genesis 21:5
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Genesis 25:7
Abraham lived a total of 175 years.

Genesis 25:17
Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

Genesis 5:32
After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 11:26
When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Genesis 35:28
And Isaac lived 180 years.

Genesis 47:9
“My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”

Exodus 7:7
Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Romans 4:19
Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.

Hebrews 11:11-12
By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised. / And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Galatians 4:22-23
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. / His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.

Romans 9:7-9
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” / So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. / For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Jump to Previous
Abram Bare Bearing Birth Bore Eighty Eighty-Six Fourscore Hagar Ishmael Ish'mael Six
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Abram Bare Bearing Birth Bore Eighty Eighty-Six Fourscore Hagar Ishmael Ish'mael Six
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.














Abram was eighty-six years old
Abram's age at this point in the narrative highlights the long period he and Sarai had waited for the fulfillment of God's promise of offspring. This delay tests their faith and patience, a recurring theme in Abram's life. The age also underscores the miraculous nature of God's promise, as Abram is well beyond the typical age for fathering children. This sets the stage for the later miraculous birth of Isaac when Abram is even older.

when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.
Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant, was given to Abram by Sarai in an attempt to fulfill God's promise through human means. This act reflects the cultural practices of the time, where a childless wife might provide her maidservant to her husband to bear children on her behalf. Ishmael's birth is significant as it introduces the line from which many Arab nations trace their ancestry. Theologically, Ishmael's birth represents human efforts to achieve divine promises, contrasting with the later birth of Isaac, which is solely the result of God's intervention. Ishmael's life and descendants are also part of God's plan, as seen in later scriptures where God promises to make Ishmael a great nation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Abram
Later known as Abraham, he is a central figure in Genesis, chosen by God to be the father of many nations. At this point in the account, he is 86 years old and has just become a father to Ishmael through Hagar.

2. Hagar
An Egyptian maidservant of Sarai (later Sarah), she becomes the mother of Abram's first son, Ishmael, after Sarai gives her to Abram as a wife due to her own barrenness.

3. Ishmael
The first son of Abram, born to Hagar. His birth is significant as it sets the stage for future events and tensions within Abram's family and the broader account of the descendants of Abraham.

4. Sarai
Abram's wife, who, due to her barrenness, gives Hagar to Abram in hopes of obtaining children through her. This decision leads to complex family dynamics and future conflict.

5. Canaan
The land where Abram and his family are residing, which God has promised to Abram's descendants.
Teaching Points
God's Timing vs. Human Impatience
Abram and Sarai's decision to have a child through Hagar reflects human impatience and a lack of trust in God's timing. Believers are encouraged to wait on God's promises and trust His perfect timing.

Consequences of Human Decisions
The birth of Ishmael introduces long-term consequences and family strife. This teaches that our decisions, especially those made outside of God's will, can have lasting impacts.

God's Faithfulness
Despite the human error, God remains faithful to His promises. He blesses Ishmael and later fulfills His promise to Abram through Isaac, demonstrating His unwavering faithfulness.

Identity and God's Plan
Ishmael's birth reminds us that every person has a place in God's plan. While Ishmael was not the child of promise, God still had a purpose for him, showing that everyone is significant in God's eyes.Verse 16. - And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Abram
וְאַבְרָ֕ם (wə·’aḇ·rām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87: Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abraham

was eighty-six
שְׁמֹנִ֥ים (šə·mō·nîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 8084: Eighty, eightieth

years
שָׁנִ֑ים (šā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8141: A year

old
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

when Hagar
הָגָ֥ר (hā·ḡār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1904: Hagar

bore
בְּלֶֽדֶת־ (bə·le·ḏeṯ-)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

Ishmael
יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל (yiš·mā·‘êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3458: Ishmael -- 'God hears', the name of several Israelites

to him.
לְאַבְרָֽם׃ (lə·’aḇ·rām)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87: Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abraham


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OT Law: Genesis 16:16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 16:15
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