Gen 21:13-17

GEN 21

13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also—A great nation, as is promised (Gen 17:20); and such the Ishmaelites and Saracens have been, and the Turks now are, the descendants of Ishmael. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it, a people of thieves, or a thieving people; as were the Saracens, and who are thought to have that name from the Arabic word “sarac,” to thieve; though they would have it derived from Sarah: but it is not agreeable to the promise of God to Abraham, that when for his comfort he is told that his son Ishmael and his descendants should become a great nation, that they should be described as a company of thieves and robbers; and especially when the reason of the promise is given.

Because he is your offspring—Or your son; here the word “offspring” is again used of a single individual; see Gen 4:25; Gal 3:16.

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

Rashi

Bread and a skin of water—But not silver and gold, because he hated him for taking to degenerate ways (Shemot Rabbah 1:1).

Along with the child—Also putting the child on her shoulder, for Sarah had cast an evil eye upon him, so that a fever seized him and he could not walk (Bereshit Rabbah 53:13).

And she departed and wandered—She reverted to the idol worship of her father’s house (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 30).

23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

But the son of the slave—Ishmael, who was brought up and born of Hagar.

Was born according to the flesh—After the common order and course of nature, through the copulation of two persons, the one able to procreate, and the other fit for the conception of children; and was typical of the Jews, the natural descendants of Abraham, who, as such, and on that account, were not the children of God, nor heirs of the eternal inheritance.

While the son of the free woman was born through promise—By a previous promise made by God to Abraham, that he should have a son in his old age, when his body was now dead, and when Sarah his wife, who had always been barren, was now grown old, and past the time of bearing children; so that Isaac was born out of the common order and course of nature; his conception and birth were owing to the promise and power of God, and to his free grace and favour to Abraham. This son of promise was a type of the spiritual seed of Abraham, whether Jews or Gentiles, the children of the promise that are counted for the seed; who are born again of the will, power, and grace of God, and are heirs, according to the promise, both of grace and glory, when they that are of the law, and the works of it, are not. All which is further illustrated in the following verses.

24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.

25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. GAL 4:23-25

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes.

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

When the water in the skin was gone—It was all drank up by them, being thirsty, having wandered about some time in a wilderness, where they could not replenish their skin: the Jewish writers say that when Hagar came into the wilderness, she began to wander after the idols of the house of Pharaoh her father, and immediately the water ceased from the skin, or was drank up by Ishmael, being seized with a burning fever.

She put the child under one of the bushes—Not from off her shoulder, but out of her hand or bosom; being faint through thirst, he was not able to walk, and she, being weary in dragging him along in her hand, perhaps sat down and held him in her lap, and laid him in her bosom; but, imagining he was near his end, she laid him under one of the bushes in the wilderness, to screen him from the scorching sun, and there left him; the Greek version is, “under one of the fir trees,” and so says Josephus: some Jewish writers call them juniper trees; and some make this to be Ishmael’s own act, and say, that, being fatigued with thirst, he went and threw himself under the nettles of the wilderness, see Job 30:7.

16 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.

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off—Not being able to bear the sight of her child in his agonies, and, as she apprehended, ready to expire, she went from the place where she had laid him, and sat down under one of the shrubs or trees to shade herself, right over against that where her child was, though at some distance, which is next expressed.

About the distance of a bowshot—About as far off from him as an arrow can be shot, or is usually shot out of a bow; according to the Jews this was about half a mile, for they say two bowshots make a mile; here she sat waiting what would be the issue, whether life or death, which last she expected.

For she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child”—She could not bear to hear his dying groans, and see him in his dying agonies.

And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept—On account of her desolate and forlorn condition, being in a wilderness, where she could get no water, and her child, as she thought, dying with thirst: the Septuagint version is “and the child cried and wept”; and certain it is, from Gen 21:17, that the child did lift up its voice and cry, but that is not expressed in the text; it is quite clear in the original that it was Hagar and not her son that is said to weep, since the verb is feminine.

17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.”

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

And God heard the voice of the boy—By which it appears that he cried also; but whether it was in prayer to God, or through the distress and misery he was in, is not certain; and, be it which it will, his cries came up into the ears of the Lord, and he had compassion on him, and supplied his wants, and delivered him out of his miserable condition.

And the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven—Not a created angel, but the eternal one, the Son of God, the angel of the covenant, who appeared in the visible heavens, and called to Hagar from there with an articulate voice, and so loud that she could hear him.

And said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar?”—Or, what has happened to you? What is the matter with you? Why cry, why do you weep? This he said, not as being ignorant of her case, but in order to relieve and comfort her.

Fear not—Distrust not the power and providence of God in taking care of you and your son; do not be afraid of the death of the child.

For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is—Though in a wilderness, and under one of the shrubs in it: God is everywhere, and he can hear the cries of men be they where they will, or in ever so desolate a condition: by this Hagar would know that her son was alive, that he had been crying, and God had heard his cry; he that regards the prayer of the destitute (Psa 102:18), heard the cry of Ishmael under a shrub.

Rashi

The voice of the boy—From this we may infer that the prayer of a sick person is more effective than the prayer offered by others for him and that it is more readily accepted (Bereshit Rabbah 53:14).

Where he is—According to the actions he is now doing shall he be judged and not according to what he may do in future. Because the ministering angels laid information against him, saying, “Master of the universe, for him whose descendants will at one time kill your children with thirst will you provide a well?” He asked them, “What is he now, righteous or wicked?” They replied, “Righteous.” He said to them, “According to his present deeds will I judge him.” This is the meaning of “where he is” (Bereshit Rabbah 53:14). Where did he kill the Israelites with thirst? When Nebuchadnezzar carried them into exile—as it is said (Isa 21:13-14), “The oracle concerning Arabia, etc. To the thirsty bring water, etc.” When they were bringing them near the Arabians the Israelites said to their captors, “We beg of you bring us to the children of our uncle, Ishmael, who will show pity to us,” as it is said, “the caravans of the Dedanites”; read not דְדָנִים (Dedanites) but דְוֹדִים (uncles). These came to them bringing them salted meat and fish and water-skins inflated with air. The Israelites believed that these were full of water and when they placed them in their mouths, after having opened them, the air entered their bodies and they died (Eikhah Rabbah 2:4).

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” MAT 15:32

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

Then Jesus called his disciples to him—Who were at some little distance from him, to impart his mind to them, whom he had made, and used, as his familiar friends; and to try their faith, and raise their attention, and prepare them for the following miracle; as well as to teach them by his example, and accustom them to show mercy and compassion to persons in any kind of want and distress.

And said, “I have compassion on the crowd”—Which must be understood of him as man, whose heart yearned towards them, having been so long without any food for their bodies, or very little; as he had compassion on the sick, and diseased, and healed them, so on the sound and whole, and was willing to feed them. Christ, our high priest, is a merciful one, and is touched with the feeling of the weaknesses of men, of every sort, both of soul and body.

Because they have been now with me three days—Which time had been spent in healing their bodily disorders, and in preaching to them for the good of their souls; which shows the diligence and indefatigableness of Christ, as well as the attachment of the people to him; who were so struck with his miracles and ministry, that though they had been so long from their habitations and families, knew not how to leave him; nor did they talk, or show any signs of departing from him, and returning to their houses, and business of life.

And have nothing to eat—Not that they had been so long without eating anything, though very likely it was but little, and what they brought with them, and was now expended; nor could they provide themselves in a desert place, and many of them were a great way off from home.

And I am unwilling to send them away hungry—He might have done it, nor did the multitude ask any food of him; but he could not bear the thoughts of dismissing them in such a condition; having had but very little sustenance all this while, and so might be said to be in a manner hungry during this time, at least now.

Lest they faint by the way—To their own houses, not having strength and spirit enough to travel, and get home: and “some of them,” as Mark says, “have come from far away.”