Knowing The Word in Genesis 16:7-16, The Angel of the Lord Intervenes

7 The angel of the Lord [God intervenes] found her by a spring of water [a well where men often encounter women in the OT] in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur [in the Sinai Peninsula on the way back to her native Egypt]. [“The angel of the Lord is mentioned 58 times in the OT and “the angel of God” 11 times. They appear singly or in groups and are taken to be men at first and then realized to be God.] 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai [he knows her name and who she is], where have you come from and where are you going?” [This is the first time God has asked someone their whereabouts since he asked Cain where Able was.] She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her [and expect to suffer].” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring [her reward for suffering] so that they cannot be numbered for multitude [the same promise given to Abram].” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her,

“Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael [meaning “God has heard”], because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man [representing a free, individualistic lifestyle untamed by social convention], his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” [He will live as a Bedouin on the fringe of more permanent settlements, defiant against those caught up in a conventional life.]

13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” [The scene comes to a climax with Hagar’s understanding of being in the presence of God who cares for her.] 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi [“well of the living who sees me”]; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. [Note Sarai’s absence. The child was intended to be hers but is not.]