Genesis 21:16

Genesis 21:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.

Context of Genesis 21:16

14Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. 15When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. 17God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

Genesis 21:16 word by word

וַתֵּלֶךְ֩ וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב לָ֜הּ מִנֶּ֗גֶד הַרְחֵק֙ כִּמְטַחֲוֵ֣י קֶ֔שֶׁת כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֔ה אַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַתִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹלָ֖הּ וַתֵּֽבְךְּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And she wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and sat her downיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• over againstנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• a good way offרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
• as it were a bowshotקֶ֫שֶׁתqesheth · bowH7198
• as it were a bowshotטָחָהţâchâh · to shootH2909
• for she saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Let me not seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• of the childיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
• and lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: loudH5375
• her voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• and weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058

Cross-references for Genesis 21:16

• Genesis 44:34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”
• 1 Kings 3:26The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
• Esther 8:6For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”
• Isaiah 49:15“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
• Zechariah 12:10“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
• Luke 15:20So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
• Genesis 27:38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.
• Genesis 29:11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
• Judges 2:4When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,
• Ruth 1:9May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud
• 1 Samuel 24:16When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud.
• 1 Samuel 30:4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.

Commentaries on Genesis 21:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-34Verses 1-34 - The Birth of Isaac 7. מלל mı̂lēl “speak,” an ancient and therefore solemn and poetical word. 14. חמת chêmet “bottle,” akin to חמה chāmâh “surround, enclose,” and הוּם chûm “black. באר שׁבע beêr -sheba‛ Beer-sheba, “well of seven.” 22. פיכל pı̂ykol Pikhol, “mouth or spokesman of all.” 23. נין nı̂yn “offspring, kin;” related: “sprout, flourish.” נכד neked “progeny,” perhaps “acquaintance,” cognate with נגד ngd “be before” (the eyes) and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 If Hagar and Ishmael had behaved well in Abraham's family, they might have continued there; but they were justly punished. By abusing privileges, we forfeit them. Those who know not when they are well off, will be made to know the worth of mercies by the want of them. They were brought to distress in the wilderness. It is not said that the provisions were spent, or that Abraham sent them away without money. But the water was spent; and having…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16a bowshot away: This means the distance an arrow can travel when someone shoots a bow. The phrase connects with Ishmael’s future work as an archer (21:20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-2114. Abraham rose up early, &c.--early, that the wanderers might reach an asylum before noon. Bread includes all sorts of victuals--bottle, a leathern vessel, formed of the entire skin of a lamb or kid sewed up, with the legs for handles, usually carried over the shoulder. Ishmael was a lad of seventeen years, and it is quite customary for Arab chiefs to send out their sons at such an age to do for themselves: often with nothing but a few days' provisions…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 21:16

• Beer-Sheba
• Bow
• Despondency
• Ishmael
• Parents
• Polygamy
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Call
• Cast
• Everlasting
• Falsely
• Grievous
• Ishmael
• Lift
• Mean
• Visit
• Atonement, Day of

Commentaries on Genesis 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings