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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Genesis 16:12

He will be a wild man. — Heb., he will be a wild-ass man. The wild ass of the Arabian deserts is a very noble creature, and is one of the animals selected in the Book of Job as especially exemplifying the greatness of God (Job 39:5). Its characteristics are great speed, love of solitude, and an untamable fondness of liberty. It is thus the very type of the Bedaween Arabs, whose delight is to rove at will over the desert, and who despise the ease and luxury of a settled life.

His hand will be against every man..·. — The Bedaween can be bound by no treaties, submit to no law, and count plunder as legitimate gain. Nevertheless —

He shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. — That is, he shall maintain his independence, and his descendants shall continue to exist as a free race in the presence of the other Abrahamic nations. Many commentators, however, consider that the more exact rendering is, he shall dwell to the east of all his brethren. This is certainly the meaning of the word in Genesis 25:6, but does not suit equally well there in Genesis 25:18.

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See also Genesis 16:12 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 16:12. _HE WILL BE A WILD MAN_] פרא אדם _pere adam_. As the root of this word does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, it is probably found in the Arabic [Arabic] _farra_, to _run away_, to...

  • 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

    AGAINST. True to-day and for over 3,000 years. Compare Genesis 21:20; Isaiah 21:13.Jeremiah 3:2.Ezra 8:31.

  • 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...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    as _a wild-ass among men_ Lit. "a wild-ass of a man." This description of Ishmael vividly portrays the characteristics of his descendants. The wild ass, for which see Job 39:5-8; Hosea 8:9, is the typ...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HE WILL BE A WILD MAN— In the original it is, _a wild ass man;_ and the learned Bochart translates it, _tam ferus quam onager,_ as wild as a wild ass. But what is the nature of the animal to which Ish...

  • 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 HE WILL BE A WILD MAN; HIS HAND WILL BE AGAINST EVERY MAN, AND EVERY MAN'S HAND AGAINST HIM; AND HE SHALL DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL HIS BRETHREN._ A wild man - literally, a wild ass man, expr...

  • 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

    A WILD MAN] RV '_as_ a wild-ass among men.' The wild ass is of an untameable nature, ever roving: cp. Job 39:5. Such was Ishmael, and such are his Arab descendants. HE SHALL DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF A...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    God had promised that Abram’s *descendants by his wife Sarai would live in *Canaan. (See Genesis 12:7.) And God had also promised that Abram’s *descendants by Hagar’s son Ishmael would be a great nati...

  • 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...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ ה֤וּא יִהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָדֹ֣ו בַ

  • 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 he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and (f) he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. (f) That is, the Ishmaelites will be a s...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Wild. Hebrew: like a wild ass, not to be tamed or subdued. The Saracens or Arabs, have almost all along maintained their independence. --- Over against, ready to fight, without any dread of any one....

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. The Hebrew reads, "a wild-ass man." Unrenewed n...

  • 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 Calvin's Bible Commentary

    12._And he will be a wild man_. The angel declares what kind of person Ishmael will be. The simple meaning is, (in my judgment,) that he will be a warlike man, and so formidable to his enemies, that n...

  • 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 HE WILL BE A WILD MAN,.... Living in a wilderness, delighting in hunting and killing wild beasts, and robbing and plundering all that pass by; and such an one Ishmael was, see Genesis 21:20; and...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. Ver. 12. _And he will be a wild man._] Heb.,...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Gen. 16:10-12. "I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude - And shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild m...

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

    _He will be a wild man A wild ass_ of a man; so the word is: rude, and bold, and fearing no man; untamed, untractable, living at large, and impatient of service and restraint. _His hand will be agains...

  • 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 he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. Because the fruit of her body was the seed of Ab...

  • 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

    HE WILL BE A WILD MAN; Heb. _A wild-ass man, _ i.e. a man like a wild ass, fierce and untamed, and unsettled in his habitation; or as that creature is, JOB 39:5,8 JER 2:24 HOSEA 8:9, living in deserts...

  • 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 16:12 wild H6501 man H120 hand H3027 hand H3027 dwell H7931 (H8799) presence H6440 brethren H251 be a

  • 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

    _He will be a wild man_ THE NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE ARABS FORETOLD I. THESE WORDS CONTAIN NOT A MERE CONTINGENT PROMISE, BUT A SPECIFIC PREDICTION OF FUTURE EVENTS. A bare announcement of what wou...

  • 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 16:11 ISHMAEL means “God hears.” God has observed Hagar’s suffering. The angel promises Hagar that her son will not need to serve others. However, he will live a life of hostil...

  • 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

    be a. Genesis 21:20 Job 11:12 Job 39:5 wild. his hand. Genesis 27:40 he shall. Ge

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    He will be a wild man — A wild ass of a man, so the word is: rude, and bold and fearing no man; untamed, untractable, living at large, and impatient of service and restraint. His hand will be against...

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