Genesis 16:5

Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Sarai speaks to Abram immediately after Hagar conceives and begins to despise her mistress. She confronts him regarding the harm she attributes to his compliance with her initial plan.

The words — חֲמָסִי (cha.ma.Si) means “my injustice,” and עָלֶיךָ ('a.lei./Kha) means “on you,” structuring her charge that the blame for her suffering rests directly on him.

The thread — The formula “May the LORD judge between you and me” appears in Genesis 31:53, Exodus 5:21, and 1 Samuel 24:12 as a recognized appeal for divine arbitration when human authority fails.

Why it lands — The verse records the collapse of a human solution and forces the reader to confront how self-directed plans generate relational fracture. It requires the reader to recognize that unresolved conflict demands divine judgment rather than human retaliation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַתֹּ֨אמֶרva./To.merand/ she said שָׂרַ֣יsa.RaiSarai אֶל־'el-to אַבְרָם֮'av.RamAbram חֲמָסִ֣יcha.ma.S/iinjustice/ my עָלֶיךָ֒'a.lei./Kha[is] on/ you אָנֹכִ֗י'a.no.KhiI נָתַ֤תִּיna.Ta.tiI put שִׁפְחָתִי֙shif.cha.T/imaidservant/ my בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָbe./chei.Ke./chain/ bosom/ your וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙va./Te.re'and/ she has seen כִּ֣יkithat הָרָ֔תָהha.Ra.tahshe had conceived וָאֵקַ֖לva./'e.Kaland/ I have become insignificant בְּעֵינֶ֑יהָbe./'ei.Nei./hain/ view/ her יִשְׁפֹּ֥טyish.Potmay he judge יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahweh בֵּינִ֥יbei./Nibetween/ me וּבֵינֶֽיׄךָ׃u./vei.Nei./khaand/ between/ you

King James Version

And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.

Cross-references

Genesis 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
Exodus 5:21 “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”
1 Samuel 24:12 May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD take vengeance on you, but my hand will never be against you.
2 Chronicles 24:22 Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.”
Psalms 7:8 The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity.
Psalms 35:23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!”
Psalms 43:1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.

People named

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