Was It Appropriate for Sarai to Offer Her Maidservant Hagar as a Secondary Wife to Abram?

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Understanding the Cultural Practice of Concubinage

Genesis 16:2 states, “And Sarai said to Abram, ‘Look, please, Jehovah has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.’ And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.” This passage raises a significant question regarding the appropriateness of Sarai’s decision to offer her maidservant, Hagar, as a secondary wife (concubine) to Abram. Did this action align with God’s design for marriage, or was it simply a culturally accepted but flawed human solution to infertility?

In the ancient Near East, it was common for a barren wife to offer her maidservant to her husband in order to produce an heir. Legal documents from Mesopotamia, such as the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 B.C.E.), confirm that this practice was widespread. However, the fact that a practice was legally or culturally accepted does not necessarily mean it was divinely approved. The biblical record indicates that Jehovah’s original design for marriage was monogamous—one man and one woman joined in a lifelong union. Genesis 2:24 states, “That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he will stick to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

The Problem of Human Intervention in God’s Plans

Sarai’s decision to offer Hagar was rooted in desperation. She believed that Jehovah had prevented her from conceiving and sought a way to fulfill His promise of descendants through human means. This decision was based on cultural customs rather than divine guidance. In fact, nowhere in Genesis 16 is it recorded that Abram sought Jehovah’s direction before acting on Sarai’s suggestion. This mirrors other biblical accounts where human efforts to “help” God fulfill His promises led to unnecessary complications.

A similar example is found in Genesis 27, where Rebekah and Jacob conspired to secure Isaac’s blessing through deception. Though Jacob was indeed the chosen heir, their lack of faith in Jehovah’s timing led to conflict and years of separation between Jacob and Esau. Likewise, Sarai’s decision resulted in discord within the household. Once Hagar conceived, tensions arose between her and Sarai, leading to Hagar’s mistreatment and eventual expulsion (Genesis 16:4-6; 21:9-14).

The Biblical Perspective on Polygamy and Concubinage

While the Bible records the existence of polygamy and concubinage, it does not endorse them as part of God’s ideal plan for marriage. The first recorded instance of polygamy appears in the line of Cain, with Lamech taking two wives (Genesis 4:19). This suggests that polygamy was a human innovation, not part of Jehovah’s original design. Even when polygamy was practiced by patriarchs such as Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon, the biblical accounts reveal that it led to conflict, jealousy, and family strife (Genesis 29:30-35; 1 Samuel 1:6-7; 1 Kings 11:3-4).

By contrast, Jehovah’s intended pattern for marriage remained consistent. When Jesus was questioned about divorce, He reaffirmed the principle from Genesis 2:24, stating, “Did you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-5). The emphasis on “two” becoming “one flesh” leaves no room for multiple wives. Furthermore, Paul’s writings reinforce the monogamous standard, particularly for those in Christian leadership (1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).

The Consequences of Sarai’s Decision

The decision to bring Hagar into the marital relationship had long-lasting consequences. After Hagar conceived, she looked down on Sarai, which led to tension between them. Sarai, despite having initiated the arrangement, blamed Abram and treated Hagar harshly, causing her to flee into the wilderness (Genesis 16:4-6). Jehovah intervened, instructing Hagar to return and submit to Sarai while promising that her son, Ishmael, would also become a great nation (Genesis 16:9-10).

Later, when Isaac was born, further conflict arose. Ishmael mocked Isaac, leading to Sarai’s insistence that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away (Genesis 21:9-10). This division foreshadowed the historical conflict between the descendants of Isaac (Israel) and Ishmael (many Arab nations).

Conclusion

Sarai’s decision to offer Hagar as a concubine was culturally acceptable but not aligned with Jehovah’s original intent for marriage. While Abram’s actions were not directly condemned, they demonstrate the consequences of attempting to fulfill God’s promises through human intervention rather than faith. The Bible consistently affirms monogamy as God’s design, and every instance of polygamy or concubinage recorded in Scripture led to problems. The account of Sarai, Abram, and Hagar serves as a powerful reminder that trusting in Jehovah’s timing and methods leads to far better outcomes than relying on human schemes.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).