Genesis

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:6a):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל־שָׂרַי

Transliteration:

wayyōʾmer ʾabrām ʾel-śāray

Translation (RSV):

But Abram said to Sarai

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏וַיֹּאמֶר (wayyōʾmer) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Qal imperfect of ‏‏אָמַר (ʾāmar) : but said.
‏אַבְרָם (ʾabrām) : Abram.
‏אֶל (ʾel) : to.
‏שָׂרַי (śāray) : Sarai.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:6b):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏הִנֵּה שִׁפְחָתֵךְ בְּיָדֵךְ

Transliteration:

hinnê šipḥātēk bᵉyādēk

Translation (REB):

Your slave-girl is in your hands

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏הִנֵּה (hinnê) : demonstrative particle : behold.
‏שִׁפְחָתֵךְ (šipḥātēk) : noun ‏‏שִׁפְחָה (šipḥâ) + pronominal 2 f.s. suffix : your slave-girl.
‏בְּיָדֵךְ (bᵉyādēk) : preposition ‏‏בְּ (bᵉ) + noun ‏‏יָד (yād) + pronominal 2 f.s. suffix : [is] in your hand.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:6c):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏עֲשִׂי־לָהּ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיִךְ

Transliteration:

ʿᵃśî-lâh haṭṭôb bᵉʿênāyik

Translation (ESV):

do to her as you please

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏עֲשִׂי (ʿᵃśî) : Qal imperative 2 f.s. of ‏‏עָשָׂה (ʿāśâ) : do.
‏לָהּ (lâh) : preposition ‏‏לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : to her.
‏הַטּוֹב (haṭṭôb) : definite article + ‏‏טוֹב (ṭôb) : the good.
‏בְּעֵינָיִךְ (bᵉʿênāyik) : preposition ‏‏בְּ (bᵉ) + dual of ‏‏עַיִן (ʿayin) + pronominal 2 f.s. suffix : in your eyes.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:6c):

‏‏‏וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי

Transliteration:

wattᵉʿannehā śāray

Translation (TNIV):

Then Sarai mistreated Hagar

Comment by Bruce K. Waltke in Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001):

mistreated [ʿānâ]. This is the same Hebrew verb as in 15:13 for the Egyptian mistreatment of the Israelites (cf. Ex. 1:12). Sarah's reaction is too severe. Victimized by barrenness and Hagar, Sarah now becomes the victimizer. Neither Sarah nor Hagar acquit themselves well here: the mistress is harsh and overbearing; the maidservant is unrepentant and insubordinate.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏שָׂרַי (śāray) : Sarai.
‏וַתְּעַנֶּהָ (wattᵉʿannehā) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Piel imperfect of ‏‏עָנָה (ʿānâ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : then mistreated her.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:6d):

‏‏‏‏וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ

Transliteration:

wattibraḥ mippānêhā

Translation (TNIV):

so she fled from her.

Comment by Bruce K. Waltke in Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001):

fled [ʿānâ]. Like Israel, Hagar flees her mistreatment (Ex. 14:5). The narrator's sympathies now are on the side of the oppressed maidservant. Nevertheless, Hagar's deliverance does not lie in returning to Egypt, her native land, but in submitting to the mother of Israel and not despising her.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏וַתִּבְרַח (wattibraḥ) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of ‏‏בָּרַח (bāraḥ) : so she fled.
‏מִפָּנֶיהָ (mippānêhā) : preposition ‏‏מִן (min) + plural of ‏מִפָּנֶיהָ (mippānêhā) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : from her.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:7a):

‏‏‏‏‏וַיִּמְצָאָהּ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה

Transliteration:

wayyimṣāʾâh malʾak YHWH

Translation (TNIV):

The angel of the LORD found Hagar

Comment by Bruce K. Waltke in Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001):

angel of the LORD. Like all angels, he is a heavenly being sent from the heavenly court to earth as God's personal agent. In the ancient Near East the royal messenger was treated as a surrogate of the king (...). So also the Lord's messenger is treated as God and yet as distinct from God, as God's angel (...). For instance, Manoah and his wife, like Hagar, think the man they have seen is God (...). This angel's name is beyond knowing (...), and he is associated with worship (...). Some equate him with the second person of the Trinity, yet the New Testament never makes this identification. If we may equate him with the angelos kyriou of the New Testament, he announces the birth of John the Baptist (...) and Jesus (...) and identifies himself as Gabriel (...).

found Hagar. Divine intervention is purposeful and deliberate, not a fortuitous accident (...).

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏מַלְאַךְ (malʾak) : construct of ‏‏מַלְאָךְ (malʾāk) : the messenger of.
‏יְהוָה (YHWH) : proper name : Yahweh/the LORD.
‏וַיִּמְצָאָהּ (wayyimṣāʾâh) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of ‏‏מָצָא (māṣāʾ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : found her.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:7b):

‏‏‏‏‏‏עַל־עֵין הַמַּיִם בַּמִּדְבָּר

Transliteration:

ʿal-ʿên hammayim bammidbār

Translation (ESV):

by a spring of water in the wilderness

Comment by Bruce K. Waltke in Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001):

spring. This sign of life in the desert is a symbol of hope, despite suffering.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏עַל (ʿal) : preposition : by.
‏עֵין (ʿên) : construct of ‏‏עַיִן (ʿayin) : the spring of.
‏הַמַּיִם (hammayim) : definite article + ‏‏מַיִם (mayim) : water.
‏בַּמִּדְבָּר (bammidbār) : preposition ‏‏בְּ (bᵉ) + definite article + ‏‏מִדְבָּר (midbār) : in the desert.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:7c):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏עַל־הָעַיִן בְּדֶרֶךְ שׁוּר

Transliteration:

ʿal-hāʿayin bᵉderek šûr

Translation (Wenham):

near the spring on the way to Shur.

Comment by Gordon J. Wenham in Genesis 16-50 (Nashville: Word/Thomas Nelson, 1994):

"The way to Shur" denotes the more southerly of the routes from Canaan to Egypt, from Beersheba via Kadesh-Barnea to the Bitter Lakes. "Shur" is also the name of the desert in northwestern Sinai, next to Egypt (Exod 15:22). It may mean "wall" and be named after the frontier fortification of Egypt, "the wall of the ruler," though this is disputed by Naaman, who thinks Shur is located between Gerar and Kadesh, possibly at Tell el-Farah (...).

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏עַל (ʿal) : preposition : by.
‏עֵין (ʿên) : construct of ‏‏עַיִן (ʿayin) : the spring.
‏בְּדֶרֶךְ (bᵉderek) : preposition ‏‏בְּ (bᵉ) + construct ‏‏דֶּרֶךְ (derek) : on the way to.
‏שׁוּר (šûr) : Shur.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:8a):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏וַיֹּאמַר הָגָר שִׁפְחַת שָׂרַי

Transliteration:

wayyōʾmar hāgār šipḥat śāray

Translation (Wenham):

He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid"

Comment by Gordon J. Wenham in Genesis 16-50 (Nashville: Word/Thomas Nelson, 1994):

For the first time Hagar is addressed by name and is called "Sarai's maid." This may have surprised Hagar. How could a stranger have known her identity? The reader, knowing the stranger is the angel of the LORD, is not surprised.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏וַיֹּאמַר (wayyōʾmar) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Qal imperfect of ‏‏אָמַר (ʾāmar) : he said.
‏הָגָר (hāgār) : Hagar.
‏שִׁפְחַת (šipḥat) : construct of ‏‏שִׁפְחָה (šipḥâ) : slave-girl of.
‏שָׂרַי (śāray) : Sarai.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:8b):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏אֵי־מִזֶּה בָאת

Transliteration:

ʾê-mizzeh bāʾt

Translation (Wenham):

where have you come from

Comment by Gordon J. Wenham in Genesis 16-50 (Nashville: Word/Thomas Nelson, 1994):

But the question that follows, "Where have you come from?" although sounding quite natural to Hagar, strikes the reader as rhetorical. It is as unnecessary as the LORD asking Adam "where are you?" (3:9) or Cain "where is Abel?" (4:9). This is in fact, the first time the LORD has asked someone their whereabouts since Gen 4, and it emphasizes the parallel between this story and those earlier ones.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏אֵי (ʾê) : interrogative : where?
‏מִזֶּה (mizzeh) : preposition ‏‏מִן (min) + adverb of place ‏‏זֶה (zeh) : from there.
‏בָאת (bāʾt) : Qal perfect 2 f.s. of ‏‏בּוֹא (bôʾ) : [have] you come.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:8c):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏וְאָנָה תֵלֵכִי

Transliteration:

wᵉʾānâ tēlēkî

Translation (Wenham):

and where are you going to?

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏וְאָנָה (wᵉʾānâ) : conjunction ‏‏וְ (wᵉ) + adverbial interrogative ‏אֵי (ʾê) + locative ‏ה : and where to?
‏תֵלֵכִי (tēlēkî) : Qal imperfect 2 f.s. of ‏‏הָלַךְ (hālak) : are you going.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:8d):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏וַתֹּאמֶר מִפְּנֵי שָׂרַי גְּבִרְתִּי אָנֹכִי בֹּרַחַת

Transliteration:

wattōʾmer mippᵉnê śāray gᵉbirtî ʾānōkî bōraḥat

Translation (Wenham):

She said, "I am running away from Sarai, my mistress."

Comment by Gordon J. Wenham in Genesis 16-50 (Nashville: Word/Thomas Nelson, 1994):

But whereas Adam and Cain prevaricated, Hagar is perfectly honest in her answer, "I am running away from my mistress." She admits she is a runaway slave, and her chosen verb "run away" implies she has very good reason to escape (verse 6).

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏וַתֹּאמֶר (wattōʾmer) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of ‏‏אָמַר (ʾāmar) : she said.
‏מִפְּנֵי (mippᵉnê) : preposition ‏‏מִן (min) + construct plural of ‏‏פָּנֶה (pāneh) : from the presence of.
‏שָׂרַי (śāray) : Sarai.
‏גְּבִרְתִּי (gᵉbirtî) : noun ‏‏גְּבִירָה (gᵉbárâ) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my mistress.
‏אָנֹכִי (ʾānōkî) : personal pronoun 1 c.s. : I [am].
‏בֹּרַחַת (bōraḥat) : Qal f.s. participle of ‏‏בָּרַח (bāraḥ) : running away.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:9a):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה

Transliteration:

wayyōʾmer lâh malʾak YHWH

Translation (Wenham):

The angel of the LORD said to her

Comment by Gordon J. Wenham in Genesis 16-50 (Nashville: Word/Thomas Nelson, 1994):

The threefold repetition of "The angel of the LORD said to her" has prompted the suspicion that one or more of verses 9-12 are redactional. But it is hard to know which. At any rate, in its present setting this introduction serves to underline the importance of the angelic words and helps to explain how Hagar came to recognize his identity.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏מַלְאַךְ (malʾak) : construct of ‏‏מַלְאָךְ (malʾāk) : the angel of.
‏יְהוָה (YHWH) : proper name : Yahweh/the LORD.
‏וַיֹּאמֶר (wayyōʾmer) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of ‏‏אָמַר (ʾāmar) : said.
‏לָהּ (lâh) : preposition ‏‏לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : to her.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:9b):

‏‏‏שׁוּבִי אֶל־גְּבִרְתֵּךְ וְהִתְעַנִּי תַּחַת יָדֶיהָ

Transliteration:

šûbî ʾel-gᵉbirtēk wᵉhitʿannî taḥat yādêhā

Translation (Wenham):

Return to your mistress and submit to her

Comment by Gordon J. Wenham in Genesis 16-50 (Nashville: Word/Thomas Nelson, 1994):

"Return to your mistress and submit." Note how the angel reaffirms that Sarai is still Hagar's mistress. This harsh and uncompromising command seems callous, the more so when it is realized that "submit" (hithpael of ‏ענה) comes from the same root as "humiliate" (verse 6) and "oppress" (15:13). Hagar is being told to submit not just to her mistress' authority but to suffering at her hand. The reason for this surprising injunction begins to emerge in the subsequent promises.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏שׁוּבִי (šûbî) : Qal imperative 2 f.s. of ‏‏שׁוּב (šûb) : return.
‏אֶל (ʾel) : to.
‏גְּבִרְתֵּךְ (gᵉbirtēk) : noun ‏‏גְּבִירָה (gᵉbîrâ) + pronominal 2 f.s. suffix : your mistress.
‏וְהִתְעַנִּי (wᵉhitʿannî) : conjunction ‏וְ (wᵉ) + Hithpael imperative 2 f.s. of ‏‏עָנָה (ʿānâ) : and submit.
‏תַּחַת (taḥat) : under.
‏יָדֶיהָ (yādêhā) : dual of ‏‏יָד (yād) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her hands.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Genesis 16:10a):

‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה

Transliteration:

wayyōʾmer lâh malʾak YHWH

Translation (Wenham):

The angel of the LORD said to her

Comment by Gordon J. Wenham in Genesis 16-50 (Nashville: Word/Thomas Nelson, 1994):

The threefold repetition of "The angel of the LORD said to her" has prompted the suspicion that one or more of verses 9-12 are redactional. But it is hard to know which. At any rate, in its present setting this introduction serves to underline the importance of the angelic words and helps to explain how Hagar came to recognize his identity.

Glossary (meanings in this context):

‏מַלְאַךְ (malʾak) : construct of ‏‏מַלְאָךְ (malʾāk) : the angel of.
‏יְהוָה (YHWH) : proper name : Yahweh/the LORD.
‏וַיֹּאמֶר (wayyōʾmer) : consecutive ‏‏ו (waw) + Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of ‏‏אָמַר (ʾāmar) : said.
‏לָהּ (lâh) : preposition ‏‏לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : to her.