Genesis 16:8
ESV
And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai."
NIV
And he said, "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I’m running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.
NASB
He said, 'Hagar, Sarai’s slave woman, from where have you come, and where are you going?' And she said, 'I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.'
CSB
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."
NLT
The angel said to her, 'Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?' 'I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,' she replied.
KJV
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
NKJV
And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
What does Genesis 16:8 mean?
Hagar, an Egyptian servant girl pregnant with Abram's first child (Genesis 16:4), is on the run from the mistreatment of Sarai, Abram's first wife (Genesis 16:6). Sarai and Abram have attempted to speed up God's promises by seeking a child through Hagar. Unfortunately, Hagar's new status as Abram's wife and her immediate pregnancy create friction. Specifically, Hagar has become contemptuous towards Sarai, resulting in no small measure of revenge. Sarai begins to "deal harshly" with Hagar.In running away, Hagar is most likely heading back to her homeland in Egypt (Genesis 12:15–16; 16:1). Along the way, the "angel of the Lord" finds her at a spring beside the road. He immediately identifies that he knows her, addressing her as Hagar, the servant of Sarai. He asks where she has come from and where she is going, things he likely already knows, as well.
Hagar answers honestly. She is fleeing from Sarai. The "angel of Yahweh," which seems to be the Lord Himself (Genesis 16:10, 13), will have some surprising instructions and prophecies for Hagar in the following verses.
