Genesis 21:14–19
Hagar and her son, sent away into the wilderness, are heard by God
Study it word by word14Abraham rose early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and also the child, and sent her away. She went and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15When the water in the skin was used up, she threw the child under one of the bushes.
16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Let me not see the death of the child.” And she sat opposite him, lifted up her voice, and wept.
17Elohim heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of Elohim called to Hagar from the heavens and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for Elohim has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
18Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”
19Then Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water and gave a drink to the boy.
In its context
12But Elohim said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your eyes on account of the boy and on account of your slave woman. All that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice, for through Isaac offspring will be named for you.
13And also the son of the slave woman I will make him a nation, for he is your offspring.”
…
20Elohim was with the boy, and he grew up and lived in the wilderness and became an archer.
21He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.
Its words in the original
- יַּשְׁכֵּםyashkem· rise early
Rise early, get up early in the morning.
- אַבְרָהָםavraham· Abraham
Abraham, the name God gave to Abram; it sounds like "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5). The father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised the land and blessing for all the families of the earth.
- בֹּקֶרboker· morning
Morning, dawn.
- יִּקַּחyikach· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- לֶחֶםlechem· bread, food
Bread; in a wide sense, food.
- חֵמַתchemat· skin bottle
Skin bottle: a leather bag for carrying water.
- מַיִםmayim· water
Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").
- יִּתֵּןyiten· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- הָגָרhagar· Hagar
Hagar, the Egyptian slave of Sarai, mother of Ishmael.
- שָׂםsam· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint, establish; make something into something.
- שִׁכְמָshichma· shoulder
Shoulder; the upper part of the back, where burdens are carried.
- יֶּלֶדyeled· child, boy
Child, boy, young man; offspring.
- יְשַׁלְּחֶyeshalche· send, stretch out
Send; stretch out (the hand); let go, send away, set free.
- תֵּלֶךְtelech· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.
- תֵּתַעteta· wander, go astray
Wander, go astray, be lost; in the causative form, make wander, lead astray.
- מִדְבַּרmidbar· wilderness
Wilderness: in the Bible it is not only sand; it is dry, untilled land, where flocks can be led but people cannot live by sowing.
- בְּאֵרbeer· Beersheba
Beersheba, a place with wells in the south of Canaan, the southern limit of the land ("from Dan to Beersheba"). The name sounds like "well of the oath" and "well of the seven" (Genesis 21:28-31).
- יִּכְלוּyichlu· finish, consume
Finish, complete something; come to an end. Also put an end to something, consume it, destroy it.
- תַּשְׁלֵךְtashlech· throw
Throw, cast, cast away.
- אַחַדachad· one
One; only, the same. Also "first" in a series.
- שִּׂיחִםsichim· bush, shrub
Bush, wild plant.
- תֵּשֶׁבteshev· sit, dwell
Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.
- נֶּגֶדneged· in front of, counterpart
In front of, opposite, before. The full phrase "as in front of him" means someone who corresponds to him, a counterpart.
- הַרְחֵקharchek· be far
Be far, go far away; in the causative form, remove far away.
- מְטַחֲוֵיmetachave· shoot a bow
Draw a bow. "A bowshot away": the distance an arrow reaches.
- קֶשֶׁתkeshet· bow
Bow: the weapon for shooting arrows; also the rainbow, which God sets in the clouds as a sign of his covenant.
- אָמְרָהamra· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- אֶרְאֶהere· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- מוֹתmot· death
Death; also the realm of the dead, or a deadly plague.
- תִּשָּׂאtisa· lift, carry, bear
Lift up, carry, bear. "Bear sin" is to suffer its consequences; said of God, "taking away" sin is forgiving it. "Lift up the eyes" is to look.
- קֹלָkola· voice, sound
Voice or sound: what is heard, from a person, an animal or a thing (thunder, steps).
- תֵּבְךְּtevk· weep
Weep, cry; mourn for someone.
- יִּשְׁמַעyishma· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- נַּעַרnaar· young man, servant
Boy, young man; also a servant or attendant.
- יִּקְרָאyikra· call, proclaim
Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.
- מַלְאַךְmalach· messenger, angel
Messenger: someone sent with a task. It can be a human being or one sent by God, that is, an angel. "The angel of YHWH" is a messenger who speaks in God's name, and in several passages the text treats him as God himself (Genesis 16:13; Exodus 3:2-6).
- שָּׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- תִּירְאִיtiri· fear
Fear. It can be fright before a danger or deep reverence before God ("fear YHWH"). In some forms, be fearsome, awesome.
- קוּמִיkumi· rise, stand, establish
Rise, stand up; also stand firm, establish or fulfill something. "Rise against" is to attack.
- הַחֲזִיקִיhachaziki· be strong, seize
Be strong; take hold of firmly, seize. In other forms, strengthen, encourage, repair; said of the heart, become stubborn.
- יָדֵyade· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- גוֹיgoy· nation
Nation, a people with its land. In the plural, "the nations": all the peoples of the world, and especially those who are not Israel.
- גָּדוֹלgadol· great
Great in size, number, age or importance; also "the elder" of two; "high priest" is "great priest".
- יִּפְקַחyifkach· open (the eyes)
Open (the eyes or the ears); from there, become aware.
- עֵינֶיene· eye
Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.
- בְּאֵרbeer· well
Well; also a pit.
- תְּמַלֵּאtemale· fill, be full
Fill or be full; also fulfill or complete (a time, a word given).
- תַּשְׁקְtashk· give drink, water
Give drink to; water (land or animals).