Bereshis 21:18

18 Arise, lift up the na’ar, and hold him in thine yad; for I will make him a goy gadol.

Bereshis 21:18 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 21:18

Arise, lift up the lad
She had set herself down at some distance, and now she is bid to rise up and go to the place where she had left her son, and raise aim up from the ground, on which he lay along:

and hold him in thine hand:
or take hold on him with thine hand, and hold him up with it, he being so weak that he could not sit up without being supported:

for I will make him a great nation:
which is a renewal of a promise before made both to her and to Abraham, ( Genesis 16:10 ) ( 17:20 ) ( 21:13 ) ; and by this Hagar is assured that he would recover and live, and become a man and the father of children, who in time would become a great nation; (See Gill on Genesis 16:10), (See Gill on Genesis 17:20), (See Gill on Genesis 21:13), this shows that the Angel of God here speaking is God himself, or a divine Person, since none but he could make him a great nation.

Bereshis 21:18 In-Context

16 And she went off, and sat down about a bowshot away: for she thought, Let me not see the mot hayeled. And she sat there nearby, and lifted up her voice, and wept.

17 And Elohim heard the voice of the na’ar; and the Malach Elohim called to Hagar out of Shomayim, and said unto her, Mah lach, Hagar? fear not; for Elohim hath heard the voice of the na’ar where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the na’ar, and hold him in thine yad; for I will make him a goy gadol.

19 And Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a be’er of mayim; and she went, and filled the skin with mayim, and gave the na’ar drink.

20 And Elohim was with the na’ar; and he grew, and dwelt in the midbar, and became a roveh keshet (an archer).