Why was it acceptable in Abraham and Sarah's culture for Sarai to give Hagar to Abram as a wife?
According to the laws of Hammurabi, if a wife could not physically bear a child, it was considered perfectly moral and upright in that culture to have a child through a servant or slave girl. Sarai's action followed the accepted morality of her day, though God had not commanded it.
Les explains that Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in Canaan, and gave her to Abram as a wife so she could have a child by him. He teaches that this must be understood in light of the customs of the day: according to the laws of Hammurabi, if a wife could not have a child physically, it was perfectly moral and upright in their culture to have a child by a servant or slave girl. They were not going contrary to the morality of their day, but God had not told them to do it this way. They acted in the energy of the flesh, and then Hagar conceived and despised Sarai, bringing conflict. Abram told Sarai the maid was in her hand, and Sarai kicked Hagar out.
And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
More Questions
did Hagar and Sarai live in the same tent when Hagar came back to Abram
When Hagar came back and dwelt with Abram, she and Sarai were not in the same tent, because each wife had her own tent pitched behind the main one.