Genesis 16:7-14

7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to ¹Shur.

8 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. ”

9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her. ”

10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, ²“I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude. ”

11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, ^{[a] 3}because the Lord has listened to your affliction.

12 He shall be ⁴a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell ⁵over against all his kinsmen. ”

13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing, ” ^[b] for she said, ⁶“Truly here I have seen him who looks after me. ” ^[c]

14 Therefore the well was called ⁷Beer-lahai-roi; ^[d] it lies between ⁸Kadesh and Bered.

Genesis 16:7-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 16

This chapter gives an account of Abram's marrying his maid, at the instance of his wife Sarai, Ge 16:1-3, who, upon conceiving, despised her mistress; of which complaint is made to Abram, who leaving his maid to his wife, to deal with her as she pleased, dealt harshly by her, and therefore fled from her, Ge 16:4-6; when she was met by an angel, who advised her to return and submit herself to her mistress, and told her her seed would be greatly multiplied, gave a name to the child she went with, and described his temper and disposition, Ge 16:7-12; and then we have the name of God that spoke to her, and of the place where the discourse passed between them, Ge 16:13,14; and the chapter is concluded with the birth of Ishmael, and the age of Abram at his birth, Ge 16:15,16.

Cross References

• 1. 16:7 ch. 25:18; Ex. 15:22
• 2. 16:10 ch. 17:20; 21:18; See ch. 25:12-18
• 3. 16:11 [ch. 29:32]
• 4. 16:12 Job 39:5-8; [ch. 21:20]
• 5. 16:12 ch. 25:18
• 6. 16:13 [ch. 32:30; Ex. 19:21; 33:20; Judg. 13:22]
• 7. 16:14 ch. 24:62; 25:11
• 8. 16:14 ch. 14:7; 20:1; Num. 13:26

Footnotes

• [a] 16:11 'Ishmael' means 'God hears'
• [b] 16:13 Or 'You are a God who sees me'
• [c] 16:13 Hebrew 'Have I really seen him here who sees me?' or 'Would I have looked here for the one who sees me?'
• [d] 16:14 'Beer-lahai-roi' means 'the well of the Living One who sees me'