Genesis 16:15

16:7-16 Hagar was out of her place, and out of the way of her duty, and going further astray, when the Angel found her. It is a great mercy to be stopped in a sinful way, either by conscience or by providence. Whence comest thou? Consider that thou art running from duty, and the privileges thou wast blest with in Abram's tent. It is good to live in a religious family, which those ought to consider who have this advantage. Whither wilt thou go? Thou art running into sin; if Hagar return to Egypt, she will return to idol gods, and into danger in the wilderness through which she must travel. Recollecting who we are, would often teach us our duty. Inquiring whence we came, would show us our sin and folly. Considering whither we shall go, discovers our danger and misery. And those who leave their space and duty, must hasten their return, how mortifying soever it be. The declaration of the Angel, I will, shows this Angel was the eternal Word and Son of God. Hagar could not but admire the Lord's mercy, and feel, Have I, who am so unworthy, been favoured with a gracious visit from the Lord? She was brought to a better temper, returned, and by her behaviour softened Sarai, and received more gentle treatment. Would that we were always suitably impressed with this thought, Thou God seest me!

And Hagar bare Abram a son,.... Being returned to his house, and received by him, and reconciled to Sarai, she brought forth a son to Abram, according to the prediction of the angel: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael; and this name Jarchi suggests he gave by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that dwelt in him: but it is highly reasonable to suppose, that Hagar upon her return reported to Abram the whole of the conversation she had with the angel; wherefore Abram believing what she said, in obedience to the order and command of the angel, gave him this name.

15 . Abram called … Ishmael ] See note on Genesis 16:11 . The father here gives the name as usually in P: see notes on Genesis 4:1 ; Genesis 4:17 ; Genesis 4:25 , Genesis 5:3 . 15, 16. The Birth of Ishmael. (P.) These verses are from P, and are inserted in place of J’s account of the birth of Ishmael.

CHAPTER 16 Ge 16:1-16. Bestowment of Hagar. 1. Now, Sarai … had a handmaid—a female slave—one of those obtained in Egypt.Sarai is barren, Genesis 16:1. She gives Hagar, her servant, to Abram to be his wife, Genesis 16:2,3. Hagar conceives and despises her mistress, Genesis 16:4. Sarai complains of it, Genesis 16:5. Abram leaves her to Sarai’s disposal, who deals hardly with her: Hagar runs from her, Genesis 16:6. The angel of the Lord meets her, commands her to return and submit, Genesis 16:7-9. Promising her a numerous seed, Genesis 16:10; names the child, Genesis 16:11; foretells his disposition, Genesis 16:12. God’s looking on her in her affliction comforts her, Genesis 16:13,14. Her son born, and named, Genesis 16:15. Abram’s age, Genesis 16:16. No text from Poole on this verse.

Verse 15. - And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name - a peculiarity of the Elohist to assign the naming of a child to the father (Knobel); but the present chapter is usually ascribed to the Jehovist, while the instances in which the name is given by the mother do not always occur in Jehovistic sections (cf. Genesis 30:6 , which Tuch imputes to the Elohist) - which Hagar bare, Ishmael - thus acknowledging the truth of Hagar's vision. Genesis 16:15

God of my vision - (El-roi). Here we have the same divine name as in Ishmael. "Have I even still seen" - continued to live and see the sun after having seen God? Beer-lahai-roi, the well of vision (of God) to the living. To see God and live was an issue contrary to expectation Exodus 33:20 . The well is between Kadesh and Bered. The site of the latter has not been ascertained. R. Jonathan gives חוּצא chelûtsā' the Ἔλουσα elousa of Ptolemy, now el-Khulasa, about twelve miles south of Beersheba. Rowland finds the well at Moyle or Muweilah, still further south in the same direction. The birth of Ishmael is in the sixteenth year after Abram's call, and the eleventh after his arrival in Kenaan. - The Sealing of the Covenant 1. שׁדי shaday, Shaddai, "Irresistible, able to destroy, and by inference to make, Almighty." שׁדד shādad "be strong, destroy." This name is found six times in Genesis, and thirty-one times in Job. 5. אברהם 'abrâhām, Abraham, from אברם 'abrām "high-father," and הם hām the radical part of המין hāmôn a "multitude," is obtained by a euphonic abbreviation אברהם 'abrâhām, "father of a multitude." The root רהם rhm is a variation of רום rvm; affording, however, a link of connection in sound and sense with the root המה hāmâh "hum, be tumultuous," from which comes המון hāmôn a "multitude." The confluence of the biliterals רם rm and הם hm yields the triliteral רהם rhm occurring in Arabic, though not elsewhere in our written Hebrew.

The law of formation here noticed is interesting and real, though רהם rhm may not have been an actual result of it. 11. נמלתם nemaltem formed from נמל nāmal, "circumcised." מוּל mûl "cut, circumcise." 15. שׂרה śārâh Sarah, "princess." 19. יצהק yı̂tschāq Jitschaq, "laughing." The present form of the covenant is not identical with the former. That referred chiefly to the land; this chiefly to the seed. That dwelt much on temporal things; this rises to spiritual things. That specifies only Abram; this mentions both Abram and Sarai. At the former period God formally entered into covenant with Abram ברית כרת kārat berı̂yt, Genesis 15:18); at present he takes the first step in the fufillment of the covenant ברית נתן nātan berı̂yt, seals it with a token and a perpetual ordinance, and gives Abram and Sarai new names in token of a new nature. There was an interval of fourteen years at least between the ratification of the covenant and the preparation for the fulfillment of its conditions, during which Abraham's faith had time to unfold.

[Bible] 16:5. And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly with me: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and she perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. The Lord judge between me and thee. 16:6. And Abram made answer, and said to her: Behold thy handmaid is in thy own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai afflicted her, she ran away. 16:7. And the angel of the Lord having found her, by a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert, 16:8. He said to her: Agar, handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? And she answered: I flee from the face of Sarai, my mistress. 16:9. And the angel of the Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand. 16:10. And again he said: I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude. 16:11. And again: Behold, said he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. 16:12. He shall be a wild man: his hand will be against all men, and all men's hands against him: and he shall pitch his tents over against all his brethren. 16:13. And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily, here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me. 16:14. Therefore she called that well, the well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cades and Barad. 16:15. And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael. 16:16. Abram was four score and six years old when Agar brought him forth Ismael. Genesis Chapter 17 The Covenant of circumcision. 17:1. And after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to him: and said unto him: I am the Almighty God: walk before me, and be perfect. 17:2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will multiply thee exceedingly. 17:3. Abram fell flat on his face.