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John Calvin's Bible Commentary

Genesis 16:7

7.And the angel of the Lord found her. We are here taught with what clemency the Lord acts towards his own people, although they have deserved severe punishment. As he had previously mitigated the punishment of Abram and Sarai, so now he casts a paternal look upon Hagar, so that his favor is extended to the whole family. He does not indeed altogether spare them, lest he should cherish their vices; but he corrects them with gentle remedies. It is indeed probable, that Hagar, in going to the desert of Sur, meditated a return to her own country. Yet mention seems to be made of the desert and the wilderness, to show that she, being miserably afflicted, wandered from the presence of men, till the angel met her. Although Moses does not describe the form of the vision, yet I do not doubt, that it was clothed in a human body; in which, nevertheless, manifest tokens of celestial glory were conspicuous.

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See also Genesis 16:7 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 16:7. _THE ANGEL OF THE LORD_] That Jesus Christ, in a body suited to the dignity of his nature, frequently appeared to the patriarchs, has been already intimated. That the person mentio...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - The Birth of Ishmael 1. הנר _hāgār_, Hagar, “flight.” Hejrah, the flight of Muhammed. 7. מלאך _mal'ak_ “messenger, angel.” A deputy commissioned to discharge a certain duty for the principal whom...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 16 ABRAHAM AND HAGAR _ 1. Sarai's suggestion (Genesis 16:1)_ 2. Abram's action (Genesis 16:4) 3. Sarai and Hagar (Genesis 16:5) 4. Hagar in the wilderness ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Sarah has no children, so she hits on a plan of which we have other examples (Genesis 30:3; Genesis 30:9). She hands over Hagar to Abraham, that the maid may compensate for the deficiency of her mistr...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    ANGEL OF THE LORD. First occurance.. messenger. 2nd Person, as being _sent_. _Elohim_. as being commissioned _by oath._ THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. SHUR. wall. The nearest way to her native...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Hagar and the Angel at the Well 7. _the angel of the Lord_ The Angel, i.e. messenger, of Jehovah is the personification of Jehovah. Observe that in Genesis 16:10 He identifies Himself with Jehovah, ex...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, &C.— Hagar was treated so harshly by her mistress, that she resolved to fly from her, and seek a retreat in her own country: as she journeyed towards which, she found in the...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART TWENTY-NINE THE STORY OF ABRAHAM: THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN (Genesis 16:1-16) 1. _The Biblical Account._ 1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, who...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER BY A FOUNTAIN OF WATER IN THE WILDERNESS, BY THE FOUNTAIN IN THE WAY TO SHUR._ And the angel ... found her by a fountain. This well (see the note at Genesis 16:14...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE CIRCUMSTANCES CONNECTED WITH THE BIRTH OF ISHMAEL 1, 2. Abraham was now eighty-five years old, Sarah was seventy-five, and the promise of an heir seemed no nearer fulfilment. Despairing of offspr...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE ANGEL OF THE LORD] see on Exodus 3:2. Shur] The word means 'wall' and was probably applied to the chain of fortresses on the NE. frontier of Egypt. The Desert of Shur was the wilderness bordering...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 16 SARAI AND HER MAID HAGAR V1 Sarai, who was Abram’s wife, had no children. She had an Egyptian maid, whose name was Hagar. V2 Sarai said to Abr...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    An *angel is a servant of God who brings messages from heaven. But in this verse ‘the *Lord’s *angel’ means God himself. He did not send a servant but he came himself. We know that because of the word...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. — Heb., _of Jehovah._ (See Excursus at end of Book.) IN THE WAY TO SHUR. — Hagar evidently fled by the usual route leading from Hebron past Beer-sheba to Egypt. The wilderness w...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַֽ יִּמְצָאָ֞הּ מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה עַל ־עֵ֥ין...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    BIRTH OF ISHMAEL Genesis 16:1 IN this unpretending chapter we have laid bare to us the origin of one of the most striking facts in the history of religion: namely, that from the one person of Abram h...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    ABRAM'S SON ISHMAEL Genesis 16:1 Poor Hagar! What contrasts met in her life! Bought in an Egyptian slave-mart, but destined to be the mother of a great people! She is not the last to suffer from the...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The previous story makes it evident that the principle of faith is the true philosophy of life. It builds on God and is satisfied with Him. It thus becomes the source of all righteousness. Faith, ther...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    PLANNING FOR GOD Like so many after her, Sarai ran out of patience. She thought of a plan to achieve the end God had in mind. In the land of the Chaldees, a woman who could not bear children could gi...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And the (d) angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (d) Which was Christ, as appears in (Genesis 16:13; Genesis 18:17)....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _In the desert; omitted in Hebrew being a repetition of in the wilderness. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. I pause here to remark, that this is the first account we meet with in the Bible of th...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We have had hitherto God's account of that which He had made; then the trial and utter ruin of the creature, with the revelation of divine mercy in Christ the Lord. We have had in fine the judgment of...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Abram seeking, at Sarah's instigation, to anticipate the will of God and the accomplishment of the promise in its time, we have the covenant of the law in Hagar, the source of distress and disquietude...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD FOUND HER,.... 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...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. Ver. 7. _In the way to Shur._] Which lay between Canaan and Egypt. So she was fleeing...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Here is the first mention we have in Scripture of an angel's appearance; who arrested her in her flight. It should seem she was making toward her own country, for she was in the way to Shur, which lay...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Sarai, being barren, giueth Hagar to Abram. 4 Hagar being afflicted for despising her mistresse, runneth away. 7 An Angel sendeth her backe to submit her selfe, 11 and telleth her of her child....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Return of Hagar and the Birth of Ishmael...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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 providence of the Lord was watching over this erring child. The great Angel of the...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    FIFTH SECTION _Abram’s Concession to Sarai’s Impatience. Abram and Hagar. Hagar’s Flight. The Angel of the Lord. Hagar’s Return, and Ishmael’s Birth_ GENESIS 16:1-16 1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife [in the...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    HUMAN EFFORT TO ACCOMPLISH GOD'S PROMISE Though Abram was a man of faith, Sarai his wife had not borne children, and she weakened his faith by making a mere fleshly suggestion that he should use Sarai...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    7-16 Hagar was out of her place, and out of the way of her duty, and going further astray, when the Angel found her. It is a great mercy to be stopped in a sinful way, either by conscience or by prov...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    The Son of God, who oft appeared in man's shape, before he took man's nature, is called an _Angel_ or _Messenger, _ because he was the _Angel of the covenant,_ ZECHARIAH 3:1, and was sent upon divers...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    Here we find unbelief casting its dark shadow across the spirit of Abraham, and again turning him aside, for a season, from the path of simple, happy confidence in God. "And Sarai said unto Abram, Beh...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 16:7 Angel H4397 LORD H3068 found H4672 (H8799) spring H5869 water H4325 wilderness H4057 spring H5869 way...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And the angel of Yahweh found her by a spring of water in the desert regions, by the spring on the way to Shur.' There is no suggestion that she is in difficulties, (unlike the next time when she tri...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    ANGEL (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Birth of Ishmael. CHARACTERS: Sarah, Abram, Hagar, Angel, Ishmael. CONCLUSION: The moment the believer takes his eyes away from God's promises he is ready for mean devices of unbelief whic...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 16:1. God had promised Abraham a son, but had not said that he should be born of Sarah. Hence his wife having no hope in herself, almost compelled him to receive Hagar to his bed, not consider...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou?_ PROVIDENCE AND THE OUTCAST I. PROVIDENCE FINDS THE OUTCAST AND MISERABLE. 1. There are occasions in human life when the providence of God specially manife...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 16:1 Sarai seeks to resolve the problem of her barrenness by having her maidservant, Hagar, bear a child on her behalf. ⇐...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 16:5 Sarai initially directs her anger at Abram, and he allows her to deal HARSHLY with Hagar. The human solution to Sarai’s childlessness creates new problems....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 16:7 THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. The Hebrew word for “angel” may also be translated “messenger.” There is something mysterious about this figure. In...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 16:6. Dealt hardly.] _Heb._ Afflicted her. The word is too strong to indicate merely the employment of sharp and reproachful expressions; acts of oppression are intended. GEN...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 16:7 AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. _Maleach Jehovah_, elsewhere styled _Maleach Elohim _(Genesis 21:17; Genesis 31:11); supposed but wrongly to be

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    found. Proverbs 15:3 the fountain. Genesis 25:18 Exodus 15:22 1 Samuel 15:7 Shur....

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Here is the first mention we have in scripture of an angel's appearance, who arrested her in her flight. It should seem she was making towards her own country, for she was in the way to Shur, which la...

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