Genesis 21:12-14
New English Translation
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset[a] about the boy or your slave wife. Do[b] all that Sarah is telling[c] you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted.[d] 13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation,[e] for he is your descendant too.”
14 Early in the morning Abraham took[f] some food[g] and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child,[h] and sent her away. So she went wandering[i] aimlessly through the wilderness[j] of Beer Sheba.
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- Genesis 21:12 tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”
- Genesis 21:12 tn Heb “listen to her voice.” The idiomatic expression means “obey; comply.” Here her advice, though harsh, is necessary and conforms to the will of God. Later (see Gen 25), when Abraham has other sons, he sends them all away as well.
- Genesis 21:12 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.
- Genesis 21:12 tn Or perhaps “will be named”; Heb “for in Isaac offspring will be called to you.” The exact meaning of the statement is not clear, but it does indicate that God’s covenantal promises to Abraham will be realized through Isaac, not Ishmael.
- Genesis 21:13 tc The translation follows the Smr, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate here in adding “great” (cf. 21:18); MT reads simply “a nation.”
- Genesis 21:14 tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”
- Genesis 21:14 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
- Genesis 21:14 tn Heb “He put upon her shoulder, and the boy [or perhaps, “and with the boy”], and he sent her away.” It is unclear how “and the boy” relates syntactically to what precedes. Perhaps the words should be rearranged and the text read, “and he put [them] on her shoulder and he gave to Hagar the boy.”
- Genesis 21:14 tn Heb “she went and wandered.”
- Genesis 21:14 tn Or “desert,” although for English readers this usually connotes a sandy desert like the Sahara rather than the arid wasteland of this region with its sparse vegetation.
Genesis 21:12-14
New International Version
12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[a] will be reckoned.(A) 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation(B) also, because he is your offspring.”
14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.(C) 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.(D)
Footnotes
- Genesis 21:12 Or seed
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