Genesis 16:12-14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
12 He shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone’s hand against him;
Alongside[a] all his kindred
shall he encamp.”(A)
13 To the Lord who spoke to her she gave a name, saying, “You are God who sees me”;[b] she meant, “Have I really seen God and remained alive after he saw me?”(B) 14 That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi.[c] It is between Kadesh and Bered.
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- 16:12 Alongside: lit., “against the face of”; the same phrase is used of the lands of Ishmael’s descendants in 25:18. It can be translated “in opposition to” (Dt 21:16; Jb 1:11; 6:28; 21:31), but here more likely means that Ishmael’s settlement was near but not in the promised land.
- 16:13 God who sees me: Hebrew el-ro’i is multivalent, meaning either “God of seeing,” i.e., extends his protection to me, or “God sees,” which can imply seeing human suffering (29:32; Ex 2:25; Is 57:18; 58:3). It is probable that Hagar means to express both of these aspects. Remained alive: for the ancient notion that a person died on seeing God, see Gn 32:31; Ex 20:19; Dt 4:33; Jgs 13:22.
- 16:14 Beer-lahai-roi: possible translations of the name of the well include: “spring of the living one who sees me”; “the well of the living sight”; or “the one who sees me lives.” See note on v. 13.
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