| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the prefixed waw in vesarai {וְשָׂרַי֙ | wə-śā-ray}, linking this scene to the previous narrative and fronting Sarai as topical focus. The construct phrase eshet Avram {אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם | ʾē-šeṯ ʾaḇ-rām} ‘wife of Abram’ specifies her status within his household. The negation lo yaldah lo {לֹא יָלְדָה לוֹ | lōʾ yāl-dəh lō}, a negative perfect with the particle lo preceding the verb, describes Sarai’s ongoing state of barrenness and places Abram as the indirect object. The phrase velah shifchah mitsrit {וְלָהּ שִׁפְחָה מִצְרִית | wə-lāh šip̄-ḥāh miṣ-rît} is a verbless existential construction indicating possession (‘and to her was an Egyptian servant’), emphasizing her lack of offspring contrasted with her acquisition of Hagar. Finally, ushemah Hagar {וּשְׁמָהּ הָגָר | ū-šə-māh hā-gār}, another nominal clause, presents the servant’s name as Hagar in a position of emphasis, setting her role in the unfolding narrative. |