an Egyptian - a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of Mitsrajim: - Egyptian, of
A Mizrite handmaid. - Hagar was probably obtained, ten years before, during their sojourn in
an Egyptian - As Hagar was an Egyptian, it is possible that she was one of those female slaves which Pharaoh gave to Abram when he sojourned in
Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children - She is before said to be barren, and he to be childless, Gen_11:30; God had promised him a seed, but as yet he had none, which was a trial of his faith; he had been married many years to Sarai his wife, she was his wife when they came out of Ur of the Chaldees, and how long before cannot be said; they stayed and dwelt some time at Haran, Jewish scholars say five years, and they had been now ten years in the land of Canaan, Gen_16:3; and were advanced in years, the one being seventy five, and the other eighty five, so that there was no great probability of having any children, wherefore the following step was taken:
and she had an handmaid - she likely had many, but this was a principal one, that might be over others, and was chiefly entrusted with the care and management of family affairs under her mistress; she might be the daughter of an Egyptian, born in Abram's house, as Eliezer was the son of a Syrian of Damascus, born there also; or she might be one of the maidservants Pharaoh, king of Egypt, gave to Abram, Gen_12:16;
whose name was Hagar - from her came the people called Hagarites, 1Ch_5:10 And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand. And they lived in their tents throughout all the east
Gen 16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Go in unto my maid - It must not be forgotten that female slaves constituted a part of the private patrimony or possessions of a wife, and that she had a right, according to the usages of those times, to dispose of them as she pleased, the husband having no authority in the case.
I may obtain children by her - The slave being the absolute property of the mistress, not only her person, but the fruits of her labor, with all her children, were her owner’s property also.
The children - The children which were born of the slave, were considered as the children of the mistress. It was on this ground that Sarai gave her slave to Abram; and we find, what must necessarily be the consequence in all cases of polygamy, that strifes and contentions took place.
it may be that I may obtain children by her - for whatsoever were born of her handmaid, and in her house, were her own, and so she should account them, and especially as they would be her husband's or "may be builded by her"; for women, by bearing children, build up an house, Rth_4:11 And all the people in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, for these two built the house of
it may be that I may obtain children by her - As the promise of a lineal heir Gen_15:4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him saying, This one shall not be your heir. But he that shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your heir did not seem likely to be fulfilled, even after the covenant had been made, Sarai resolved, ten years after their entrance into Canaan, to give her Egyptian maid Hagar to her husband, that if possible she might “be built up by her,” i.e., obtain children, who might found a house or family (Gen_30:3). The resolution seemed a judicious one, and according to the customs of the East, there would be nothing wrong in carrying it out. Hence Abraham consented without opposition, because, as Malachi (Mal_2:15) says, he sought the seed promised by God. But they were both of them soon to learn, that their thoughts were the thoughts of man and not of God, and that their wishes and actions were not in accordance with the divine promise. Sarai, the originator of the plan, was the first to experience its evil consequences. When the maid was with child by Abram, “her mistress became little in her eyes.” When Sarai complained to Abram of the contempt she received from her maid and called upon Jehovah to judge between her and her husband, Abram gave her full power to act as mistress towards her maid, without raising the slave who was made a concubine above her position. But as soon as Sarai made her feel her power, Hagar fled. Thus, instead of securing the fulfillment of their wishes, Sarai and Abram had reaped nothing but grief and vexation, and apparently had lost the maid through their self-concerted scheme. But the faithful covenant God turned the whole into a blessing.
the Lord hath restrained me from bearing - Or, "hath shut me up"; that is, her womb, as were the wombs of the house of Abimelech, Gen_20:18; so that she could not conceive and bear children; She refers to the will and power of God; for, as children are his gift, and an heritage from him, Psa_127:3 Lo, children are the inheritance of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward, so it is his will and pleasure sometimes to withhold this blessing from those who are very desirous of them:
The Lord hath restrained me - It was natural to the ancient mind to recognize the power and will of God in all things.
Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai - without consulting God about it, the proposal being agreeable to the flesh.
I shall be builded by her - She thought she had or wished to have a share in the promise, if not by herself personally, yet through her maid. The faith of Sarah had not yet come fully to the birth. Abram yields to the suggestion of his wife, and complies with the custom of the country. Ten years had elapsed since they had entered the land they were to inherit. Impatience at the long delay leads to an invention of their own for obtaining an heir. The contempt of her maid was unjustifiable. But it was the natural consequence of Sarai’s own improper and imprudent step, in giving her to her husband as a concubine. Unwilling, however, to see in herself the occasion of her maid’s insolence, she transfers the blame to her husband, who empowers or reminds her of her power still to deal with her as it pleased her. Hagar, unable to bear the yoke of humiliation, flees from her mistress.
Gen 16:3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in theHagar is a type of the law "which gendereth to bondage" (Gal_4:24); (Gal_4:25). Hagar is used by Paul in Galatians 4:21-31 as a type depiction of the bondage of law.
21 Tell me, those desiring to be under Law, do you not hear the Law?
22 For it is written: Abraham had two sons, the one out of the slave-woman, and one out of the free woman.
23 But, indeed, he out of the slave-woman has been born according to flesh, and he out of the free woman through the promise;
24 which things are being allegorized; for these are the two covenants, one indeed from Mount Sinai bringing forth to slavery, which is Hagar.
25 For Hagar is
26 But the
27 For it is written, "Rejoice, barren one not bearing; break forth and shout, you not travailing; for more are the children of the desolate than she having the husband."
28 But brothers, we, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 But then even as he born according to flesh persecuted him born according to the Spirit, so it is also now.
30 But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave-woman and her son; for in no way shall the son of the slave-woman inherit with the son of the free woman."
31 Then, brothers, we are not children of a slave-woman, but of the free woman.
And gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife -- "Wife" is here used to describe an inferior relation, in countries where polygamy prevails. In the case of these female slaves, who are the personal property of his lady, being purchased before her marriage or given as a special present to her, no one can become the husband's secondary wife without her mistress consent or permission. This usage seems to have prevailed in patriarchal times; and Hagar, Sarai's slave, of whom she had the entire right of disposing, was given by her mistress' spontaneous offer, to be the secondary wife of Abram, in the hope of obtaining the long-looked-for heir. It was a wrong step--indicating a want of simple reliance on God--and Sarai was the first to reap the bitter fruits of her device.
Gen 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
her mistress was despised in her eyes - she thought herself above her, and treated her as her inferior, with contempt, and reproached her for her barrenness, as Peninnah did Hannah, 1Sa_1:6 And her foe also provoked her grievously, in order to make her tremble, because the LORD had shut up her womb; and it was the more ungrateful, as it was at the motion of her mistress that she was given to Abram for wife.
We have here the ill consequences of Abram's marriage to Hagar: a deal of mischief it made presently. Hagar no sooner perceives herself with child, but she looks scornfully upon her mistress; upbraids her perhaps with her barrenness, and insults over her. Sarai falls upon Abram, and very unjustly charges him with the injury, suspecting that he countenanced Hagar's insolence: and as one not willing to hear what Abram had to say she rashly appeals to God. The Lord judge between me and thee, as if Abram had refused to right her.
Gen 16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
My wrong be upon thee - This appears to be intended as a reproof to Abram, containing an insinuation that it was his fault that she herself had not been a mother, and that now he carried himself more affectionately towards Hagar than he did to her, in consequence of which conduct the slave became petulant. To remove all suspicion of this kind, Abram delivers up Hagar into her hand, who was certainly under his protection while his concubine or secondary wife; but this right given to him by Sarai he restores, to prevent her jealousy and uneasiness.
And Sarai said to Abram - Being affronted with the behaviour of her maid to her, she applies to Abram for the redress of her grievance, judging it, perhaps, below her dignity to enter into an altercation with her maid:
I was despised in her eyes - Hagar began to think highly of herself, and looked with disdain upon her mistress, set lightly by her, made no account of her, showed her no respect, carried it haughtily to her, as if she was beneath her, and as if she had more authority in the house, and a better claim to the affection of Abram, and deserving of more honor and respect, as she was favored of God with conception, a blessing Sarai never enjoyed:
the Lord judge between me and thee - which was very rashly and hastily said, as if Abram was not inclined and was unwilling to do her justice, and therefore she appeals to God against him, as an unrighteous man, and desires that he would interpose, and by his providence show who was in the right and who in the wrong: or "the Lord will judge". The wrong was hers, not Abraham’s.
My wrong be upon thee - Bursts of temper, or blows, as the original may bear, took place till at length Hagar, perceiving the hopelessness of maintaining the unequal strife, resolved to escape from what had become to her in reality, as well as in name, a house of bondage.
Gen 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.Sarah dealt hardly with her - she afflicted her; the term implying stripes and hard usage, to bring down the body and humble the mind. If the slave was to blame in this business the mistress is not less liable to censure. She alone had brought her into those circumstances, in which it was natural for her to value herself beyond her mistress.
behold, thy maid is in thine hand - though Hagar was Abram's secondary wife he still considers her as Sarai's maid, and as subject to her, and allows her to exercise authority over her; for he still retained the same love and affection for Sarai, his first and lawful wife, and showed the same respect he ever did, and supported her in her honor and dignity:
do to her as it pleaseth thee - not giving her liberty to take away her life, nor even to use her cruelly, but to deal with her as a mistress might lawfully do with a servant, or however exercise that power which a first wife had over a second: Abram, in complaisance to Sarai, gave her too large a commission, and left it too much in her power to distress Hagar; and it might have been more correct to have heard both sides, and judged between them, and used his own authority, by reproving and correcting as he saw meet.
and when Sarai dealt hardly with her - or afflicted her, not only with words but with blows, as some think, and unmercifully beat her, and laid hard service upon her she was not able to go through, especially in her circumstances; though it may be she only chastised her in such a manner as a mistress may chastise her maid, since the angel seems to approve of what she did, Gen_16:9; which her proud spirit not being able to bear:
she fled from her face - which was set against her, and was full of wrath and fury: she deserted her service, quit Abram's house though with child by him.
Gen 16:7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
The Lord manifests himself to Hagar seemingly on account of her relationship to Abram, but in the more distant form of angelic visitation. She herself appears to be a believer in God. The spring of water is a place of refreshment on her journey. She is on the way to Shur, which was before Mizraim as thou goest rewards Asshur Gen_25:18 And they lived from Havilah to Shur, which is before
The angel of the Lord - Jesus Christ, in a body suited to the dignity of his nature, frequently appeared to the patriarchs. That the person mentioned here was greater than any created being is sufficiently evident from the following particulars: -
1. From his promising to perform what God alone could do, and foretelling what God alone could know in Genesis 16:10-12 And the Angel of the LORD said to her, I will multiply your seed exceedingly, so that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the Angel of the LORD said to her, Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction. And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. And he shall live in the presence of all his brothers. All this shows a prescience which is proper to God alone.
2. Hagar considers the person who spoke to her as God, calls him El, and addresses him in the way of worship, which, had he been a created angel, he would have refused. See how angels do not accept worship in Revelation. Rev_19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, See, do not do it! I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev_22:9 Then he said to me, Behold! See, do not do it! For I am your fellow-servant, and of your brothers the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this Book. Do worship to God.
3. Moses, who relates the transaction, calls this angel expressly Jehovah; for, says he, she called shem Yehovah, the Name of the Lord that spake to her, Gen_16:13 And she called the name of the LORD who had spoken to her, You are a God of vision! For she said, Even here have I looked after Him that sees me? Now this is a name never given to any created being.
4. This person, who is here called malach Yehovah, the Angel of the Lord, is the same who is called dellac hammalach haggoel, the redeeming Angel or the Angel the Redeemer, Gen_48:16 the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow like the fishes into a multitude in the midst of the earth; malach panaiv, the Angel of God’s presence, Isa_63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old; and malach habberith, the Angel of the Covenant, Mal_3:1 Behold, I will send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And the LORD, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says the LORD of hosts; and is the same person which the Septuagint term μεγαλης βουλης αγγελος, the Angel of the Great Counsel or Design, viz., of redeeming man, and filling the earth with righteousness Isa_9:6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
5. These things cannot be spoken of any human or created being, for the knowledge, works, etc., attributed to this person are such as belong to God; and as in all these cases there is a most evident personal appearance, Jesus Christ alone can be meant; for of God the Father it has been ever true that no man hath at any time seen his shape, nor has he ever limited himself to any definable personal appearance.
In the way to Shur - As this was the road from
And the angel of the Lord - This is the first time that mention is made of an angel in Scripture, but is not to be understood of a created angel, but of a divine Person, as appears from Gen_16:10, the uncreated angel, the Logos or Son of God, called the Angel of God's presence, and the Angel of the covenant, Isa_63:9 Mal_3:1; who often appeared in an human form before his incarnation, being sent by his divine Father on one account or another; and hence called an angel, a messenger, or one sent, as in the fullness of time he was sent in human nature to be the Redeemer of his people.
And the angel of the Lord - some of their Jewish scholars say he was Shem, the son of Noah but the context most clearly refutes this notion, and proves him to be the almighty and omniscient God; since he promises to do what none but the omnipotent Being could do, and declares such things as none but the omniscient God could know.
Angel - mal'ak “messenger, angel.” A deputy commissioned to discharge a certain duty for the principal whom he represents. As the most usual task is that of bearing messages, commands, or tidings, he is commonly called a “messenger”. The word is therefore a term of office, and does not further distinguish the office-bearer than as an intelligent being. Hence, a mal'ak may be a man deputed by a man
Gen_32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, to the
Job_1:14 And his sons went and feasted in the house of each one on his day. And they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them,
or by God
Hag_1:13 Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, spoke the message of the LORD to the people, saying, I am with you, says the LORD;
Mal_3:1 Behold, I will send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And the LORD, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says the LORD of hosts,
or a superhuman being delegated in this case only by God. The English term “angel” is now especially appropriated to the latter class of messengers.
1st. The nature of angels is spiritual Heb_1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation? This characteristic ranges over the whole chain of spiritual being from man up to God himself. The extreme links, however, are excluded: man, because he is a special class of intelligent creatures; and God, because he is supreme. Other classes of spiritual beings may be excluded - as the cherubim, the seraphim - because they have not the same office, though the word “angelic” is sometimes used by us as synonymous with heavenly or spiritual. They were all of course originally good; but some of them have fallen from holiness, and become evil spirits or devils
Mat_25:31 But when the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall sit on the throne of His glory,
Mat_25:41 Then He also shall say to those on the left hand , Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels;
Jud_1:6 And those angels not having kept their first place, but having deserted their dwelling-place, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of a great Day;
Rev_12:7 And there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels warring against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels warred.
The latter are circumscribed in their sphere of action, as if confined within the walls of their prison, in consequence of their fallen state and malignant disposition. Being spiritual, they are not only moral, but intelligent. They also excel in strength Psa_103:20 Bless the LORD, O angels of His, who excel in strength, who do His command, listening to the voice of His word. The holy angels have the full range of action for which their qualities are adapted. They can assume a real form, expressive of their present functions, and affecting the senses of sight, hearing, and touch, or the roots of those senses in the soul. They may even perform innocent functions of a human body, such as eating Genesis 19:1-3 And there came two angels to
2d. Their office is expressed by their name. In common with other intelligent creatures, they take part in the worship of God Rev_7:11 And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell before the throne on their faces and worshiped God; but their special office is to execute the commands of God in the natural world Psa_103:20 Bless the LORD, O angels of His, who excel in strength, who do His command, listening to the voice of His word, and especially to minister to the heirs of salvation Heb_1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation? Mat_18:10 Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones . For I say to you that in Heaven their angels always behold the face of My Father in Heaven; Luk_15:10 Likewise I say to you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents; Luk_16:22 And it happened that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich one also died and was buried.
3d. The angel of Jehovah. This phrase is especially employed to denote the Lord himself in that form in which he condescends to make himself manifest to man; for the Lord God says of this angel, “Beware of him, and obey his voice; provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in his inmost” Exo_23:20-21 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Be on guard before Him, and obey His voice. Do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions. For My name is in Him; that is, my nature is in his essence. Accordingly, he who is called the angel of the Lord in one place is otherwise denominated the Lord or God in the immediate context
Gen
Gen 22:11-12 And the Angel of Jehovah called to him from the heavens and said, Abraham! Abraham! And he said, Here am I. And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, nor do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me.
Gen 31:11-13 And the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob! And I said, Here I am. And He said, Lift up your eyes and see all the rams which leap upon the cattle, that they are striped, speckled, and mottled. For I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of
Gen 48:15-16 And he blessed Joseph and said, May God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who fed me all my life to this day, the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads. And let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow like the fishes into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
Exo 23:20-23 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Be on guard before Him, and obey His voice. Do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions. For My name is in Him. But if you shall indeed obey His voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and a foe to your foes. For My Angel shall go before you and bring you in to the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I will cut them off.
See also Exo_3:2-15;
It is remarkable, at the same time, that the Lord is spoken of in these cases as a distinct person from the angel of the Lord, who is also called the Lord. The phraseology intimates to us a certain inherent plurality within the essence of the one only God, of which we have had previous indications Gen
Hagar, Sarai’s maid - This mode of address is used to show her that she was known, and to remind her that she was the property of another.
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid - As a check to her pride. Though she was Abram's wife, yet he calls her Sarai's maid to humble her. As a rebuke to her flight. Sarai's maid ought to be in Sarai's tent, and not wandering in the wilderness.
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid - He calls her by her name, which might surprise her, and describes her by her character and condition, in order to check her pride, and put her in mind of her duty to her mistress; and to suggest to her, that she ought to have been not where she was, but in the house of her mistress, and doing her service:
whence camest thou? - this question the angel asked to put her upon considering from whence she came, what she had left behind, and what blessings she had deprived herself of; she had not only left her husband and her mistress, but the house of God; for such Abram's family was, where the worship of God was kept up, and where the Lord granted his presence, and indulged with communion with himself.
and whither wilt thou go? - he knew her intention and resolution was to go to Egypt, and he would have her think of the place whither she intended to go, as well as that she had left, as that her journey to it was dangerous, through a wilderness; that the country she was bound for was a wicked and an idolatrous one, where she would not have the free exercise of her religion she had embraced, nor any opportunity of attending the pure worship of God, and would be liable to be drawn into a sinful course of life, and into idolatrous worship:
and she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai - she acknowledges Sarai to be her mistress, and owns that, she had displeased her, and caused her face to be against her; and confesses the truth, that she had fled from her, not being able to bear her frowns and corrections, her spirit was too high to submit to them.
And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress - She acknowledges her fault in fleeing from her mistress; and yet, excuses it, that it was from the face, or displeasure, of her mistress.
return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands - go back to her, humble thyself before her, acknowledge thy fault, enter into her service again, and be subject to her; do her work and business, bear her corrections and chastisements; and "suffer thyself to be afflicted", by her, as the word may be rendered; take all patiently from her, which will be much more to thy profit and advantage than to pursue the course thou art in: and the more to encourage her to take his advice, he promises to multiply her seed.
Gen
I will multiply. - This language is proper only to the Lord Himself, because it claims a divine prerogative. The Lord is, therefore, in this angel. He promises to Hagar a numerous offspring. “Ishmael.” “El,” the Mighty, will hear; but “Jehovah,” the Lord (Yahweh), heard her humiliation. Yahweh, therefore, is the same God as El.
Gen 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.Ishmael - “the Mighty will hear.”
Ishmael--Like other Hebrew names, this had a signification, and it is made up of two words--"God hears."
And shalt call his name Ishmael - Thus the name of the child must ever keep the mother in remembrance of God’s merciful interposition in her behalf, and remind the child and the man that he was an object of God’s gracious and providential goodness. Afflictions and distresses have a voice in the ears of God, even when prayer is restrained; but how much more powerfully do they speak when endured in meekness of spirit, with confidence in and supplication to the Lord!
behold, thou art with child - this she knew, and it is said, not for her informationbut to lead on to something else he had to acquaint her with, that she did not know.
and shalt bear a son - this she was not certain of but the angel assures her of it, that the child she went with was a son, which none could foretell but God.
and shall call his name Ishmael - the Jews note that there were six persons who had their names given to them before they were born, and Ishmael is one of them; the six were
Isaac Gen_17:19 And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed. And you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Ishmael Gen
Moses Exo_2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses. And she said, Because I took him out of the water.
Solomon 2Sa_12:24 And David comforted his wife Bathsheba. And he went in to her and lay with her. And she bore a son. And he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him.
Josiah 1Ki_13:2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD and said, O, altar, altar, so says the LORD. Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and on you he shall offer the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.
the Messiah Isa_7:14 So, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.
He will be a wild man - pere adam. As the root of this word does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, it is probably found in the Arabic farra, to run away, to run wild; and hence the wild ass, from its fleetness and its untamable nature. What is said of the wild ass, Job_39:5-8 Who has sent out the wild ass free? Or who has loosed the bands of the wild ass, to whom I have assigned the wilderness for its home, and the salt land for its dwellings? He scorns the turmoil of the city; he does not hear the driver's shouts. He seeks out mountains for his pasture, and he searches after every green thing, affords the very best description that can be given of the Ishmaelites the descendants of Ishmael: Nothing can be more descriptive of the wandering, lawless, freebooting life of the descendents of Ishmael than this.
And he will be a wild man - The word rendered “wild” also denotes the “wild ass;” the description of which animal in Job_39:5-8.
And he will be a wild man - Living in a wilderness, delighting in hunting and killing wild beasts, and robbing and plundering all that pass by; and such an one Ishmael was, Gen_21:20-21 And God was with the boy, and he grew, and lived in the wilderness, and became an archer. And he lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt; and such the Saracens, his posterity, were, and such the wild Arabs are to this day, who descended from him; wild, fierce, untamed, not subject to a yoke, and impatient of it; such was Ishmael, and such are his posterity, who never could be subdued or brought into bondage, neither by the Assyrians, nor Medes and Persians, nor by the Greeks nor Romans, nor any other people;
his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him - signifying, that he would be of a quarrelsome temper and warlike disposition, continually engaged in fighting with his neighbors, and they with him in their own defence; and such his posterity always have been, and still are;
And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren - the sons of Abram by Keturah, the Midianites, and others; and the Edomites that sprung from Esau, the son of his brother Isaac; and the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob, another son of Isaac; and his kinsmen the Moabites and Ammonites, upon all which he and his posterity bordered.
dwell in the presence of all his brethren--dwell, that is, pitch tents; and the meaning is that they maintain their independence in spite of all attempts to extirpate or subdue them.
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God of my vision - (El-roi). Here we have the same divine name as in Ishmael.
And she called the name of the Lord - She invoked the name of Jehovah who spake unto her, thus: Thou God seest me!
Have I also here looked after him that seeth me - This last clause of the verse is very obscure and is rendered differently by all the versions. She found that the eye of a merciful God had been upon her in all her wanderings and afflictions; and her words seem to intimate that she had been seeking the Divine help and protection, The general sense taken out of it is this, That Hagar was now convinced that God himself had appeared unto her, and was surprised to find that, notwithstanding this, she was still permitted to live; for it is generally supposed that if God appeared to any, they must be consumed by his glories. This is frequently alluded to in the sacred writings.
thou God seest me - she perceived by experience his eye was upon her wherever she was, and saw all she did; saw all her transgressions, her contempt of her mistress, and her flight from her; saw her when she was at the fountain, and reproved and recalled her, and sent her back; saw all the workings of her heart, her repentance and sorrow for her sins; looked and smiled upon her, and gave her exceeding great and precious promises: he looked upon her, both with his eye of omniscience and providence, and with his eye of love, and grace, and mercy; yea, she was sensible that he was not only the God that saw her, but saw all things; was God omniscient, and therefore gives him this name under a thorough conviction and deep sense of his omniscience;
have I also here looked after him that seeth me? - this she said within herself, either as blaming herself, that she should not look after God in this desolate place until now, and call upon him, and praise his name, whose eye was upon her, and had a concern for her, and care over her; and yet so ungrateful she had been as to neglect him, and not seek after him as it became her: or as wondering that here, in this wilderness, she should be favored with the sight of God: or else as admiring that she should be alive after she had had such a vision of God, it being a notion that pretty much obtained, that none could see God and live. Exo_20:19 And they said to Moses, You speak with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us, lest we die; Exo_33:20 And He said, You cannot see My face. For there no man can see Me and live.
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Beer-lachai-roi - “well of vision to the living.” To see God and live was an issue contrary to expectation Exo_33:20. The well is between Kadesh and Bered. The site of the latter has not been ascertained. The site is not known.
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi - common in ancient times to name places from circumstances; and the name given to this well was a grateful recognition of God's gracious appearance in the hour of Hagar's distress.
Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi - It appears, from Gen_16:7, that Hagar had sat down by a fountain or well of water in the wilderness of Shur, at which the Angel of the Lord found her; and, to commemorate the wonderful discovery which God had made of himself, she called the name of the beer-lachai-roi, “A well to the Living One who seeth me.” Two things seem implied here:
1. A dedication of the well to Him who had appeared to her; and,
2. Faith in the promise: for he who is the Living One, existing in all generations, must have it ever in his power to accomplish promises which are to be fulfilled through the whole lapse of time.
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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 in his 86th year, according to the prediction of the angel.
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