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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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.

Context of Genesis 21:16

14So Abraham got up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away. She went and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15When the water from the skin was finished, she abandoned the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat herself down opposite, about a bowshot away, for she had said, “I can’t bear to see the child dying!” So she sat down opposite and lifted up her voice and wept. 17Then God heard the boy’s voice and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and He said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, because God has heard the boy’s voice where he is. 18Get up! Lift the boy up, and hold on to him with your hand, for I will make him 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 44:34For how can I go up to my father and the boy is not with me? Else I must see the evil that would come upon my father!”
• 1 Kings 3:26Then the woman whose son was the living one spoke up to the king—for her heart grew tender for her son—and said, “My lord, please! Give her the living child! Only don’t kill him!” But the other said, “It will be neither mine nor yours! Cut it in two!”
• Esther 8:6For how can I endure seeing the disaster that will fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my relatives?”
• Isaiah 49:15“Can a woman forget her nursing baby or lack compassion for a child of her womb? Even if these forget, I will not forget you.
• Zechariah 12:10“Then I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, when they will look toward Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son and grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for a firstborn.
• Luke 15:20“And he got up and went to his own father. But while he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
• Genesis 27:38Esau said to his father, “Do you just have one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
• Genesis 29:11Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
• Judges 2:4Now when the angel of Adonai spoke these words to all Bnei-Yisrael, the people lifted up their voice and wept.
• Ruth 1:9May Adonai grant that you find rest, each of you in the house of her own husband.” Then she kissed them and they wept loudly.
• 1 Samuel 24:16Now when David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son, David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept aloud.
• 1 Samuel 30:4Then David and the troops with him lifted up their voice and wept until they there was no more strength in them 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