Genèse 16

¹ Abram’s wife Sarai had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.

² Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

³ So Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years.

⁴ He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her.

⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”

⁶ Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your hands; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

Note · Genèse 16.1–6

Un arrangement dont une autre paie le prix

Agar entre dans le projet familial sans que son accord soit rapporté. Après sa grossesse, la tension entre les femmes conduit à son humiliation et à sa fuite. Abram laisse Saraï exercer son pouvoir. Le récit met en lumière une situation de dépendance ; il ne propose pas une procédure de procréation ou de vie conjugale à suivre.

⁷ The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.

⁸ He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.”

⁹ The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.”

¹⁰ The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.”

Note · Genèse 16.7–10

Une rencontre dans la fuite

Le messager de Dieu nomme Agar et l’interroge sur sa route. L’ordre de retour appartient à cet épisode précis et s’accompagne d’une promesse. Il ne constitue pas une consigne universelle imposant aux personnes victimes de violences de rejoindre leur agresseur ou de rester sans protection.

¹¹ The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction.

¹² This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.”

¹³ So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?”

¹⁴ That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi. It is between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael.

¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Note · Genèse 16.11–16

Un enfant entendu et une mère qui nomme

Le nom d’Ismaël est lié à l’écoute divine de la détresse d’Agar. Sa parole sur Dieu fait entrer son expérience dans le récit. Les annonces sur la vie de son fils ne justifient aucune essentialisation des peuples que des traditions ultérieures lui rattachent : aucun groupe humain ne reçoit ici une nature violente immuable.