Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/425

 '''14-16. Mother and child in the desert.—The sufferings and despair of the helpless outcasts are depicted with fine feeling and insight.—14.' a skin of water] (v.i), the usual Eastern water-bag, answering to the of the ǧirby of the modern Bedouin (Doughty, Ar. Des. i. 227, ii. 585).—and the boy he placed on her shoulder (v.i.'')] cf. $15. 16$.—the wilderness of Beersheba (see on $31$)] implying that Abraham dwelt near, but not necessarily at, Beersheba.—15. she cast the boy (whom, therefore, she must have been carrying) under one of the bushes] for protection from the sun (1 Ki. 19$4f.$). To save P's chronology, De. and Str. make cast = 'eilends niederlegen'—with what advantage does not quite appear.—16. a bowshot off] out of sight of her child, but within hearing of his cry.—The last cl. should be read with G; and the boy lifted up his voice and wept (v.$17$): the change of subject being due to the false impression that Ishmael was now a grown lad. Hagar's dry-eyed despair is a more effective picture than that given by MT.

17-19. The Divine succour comes in two forms: a voice from heaven (17$f.$), and an opening of Hagar's eyes ($19$).—17. God heard] (twice) preparing for an explanation of .—While God Himself hears, the medium of His revelation is the Angel of God (as 28$12$ 31$11$ 32$2$, Ex. 14$19$), who by a refinement peculiar to E (22$11$) speaks from heaven. This goes beyond the primary conception of the Angel: see on 16$7$.—18. Hagar is encouraged by a disclosure of the future greatness of her son.—19. opened her eyes] cf. 3$5. 7$.

14. ] Only here ($15. 19$) = Ar. ḥamīt ([root] ḥamita, 'rancid'?). On the forms, , or , , see G-K. § 95 l.—] The transposition was suggested by Ols., and is by far the best remedy for an awkward constr. In MT it would be necessary to take as second obj. to, and as a parenthetic circumst. cl. (so Di. De. Str.). It is an effort to evade the absurdity of a youth of 17 being carried on his mother's back.—15. ] 'desert shrubs'; see on 2$5$.—16. ] G-K. § 113 h.—] lit. 'as (far as) bowmen do'; G ,S, hardly imply a different text. On (ptc. Pal. [root] ,—only here), see G-K. § 75 kk.—] G [] .—17. ] MSS and [E] .—19. ] G + ,—attractive! (cf. 26$19$).