†. Gen 16:13a . . And she called Yhvh who spoke to her: You Are El
roi
The author of Genesis was privy to the identity of the celestial being
speaking with Hagar but she wasn't, and that's why she gave him a name of
her own. But I can't be certain what it is because there seems no consensus
among translators how best say it in English; neither in Jewish bibles nor in
Christian bibles. In Hebrew; the words are: 'Ataah 'Eel R'iy
The JPS Tanakh translates it: You are El-roi
The Stone Tanach translates it: You are the God of Vision
The KJV translates it: Thou God seest me
The NIV Translates it: You are the God who sees me
A Catholic Bible (NAB) translates it the same as the Stone Tanach.
Hagar, familiar with many gods in the Egyptian world, was unsure of the
identity of this particular divine being speaking with her so she gave it a pet
name of her own. I like it because her god is a personal god, one that meant
something just to her-- rather than some scary alien way out in space who
doesn't care one whit about individuals. Hagar's god knew about the baby
and gave the little guy a name. That is a very personal thing to do and must
have very comforting to a girl at the end of her rope.
What took place between these two travelers is very precious. They met as
strangers, but before they parted, one named the other's baby and became
godfather to a runaway slave's child. The other gave her new god a pet
name to remember him by. Hagar's experience was very wonderful.
†. Gen 16:13b . . by which she meant: Have I not gone on seeing
after He saw me!
The rendering of 16:13b is more or less an educated guess because the
Hebrew in that verse is very difficult. She could have said: Have I here seen
him here who sees me? In other words: The god who knows me is in this
place? I can appreciate her surprise. You might expect to find God in a grand
Italian cathedral, but certainly not along a dusty road in the middle of the
hinterlands. And you might also expect a divine being to speak with a
President Barak Obama or a Pope Benedict, but certainly not to an
insignificant nobody who meant very little to anybody.
†. Gen 16:14 . .Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it is
between Kadesh and Bered.
Heretofore, this particular source of water had no specific name. Beer-lahai
roi is another Hebraic toughie. It could mean: The well of him who knows
me.
Kadesh is located nearby El Quseima Egypt about 15 miles south of the
border town of Nizzana. Just northeast of there is the wilderness of Shur; a
region adjoining the Mediterranean to the north and the Suez canal to the
west. Shur extends somewhat south along the eastern shore of the Gulf of
Suez.
But the well wasn't there. It was between Kadesh and Bered. The Onkelos
Targum renders Bered; Chaghra', which is the usual equivalent of Shur,
while the Jerusalem Targum renders it Chalutsah, which is also Shur (Ex
15:22). So precisely where Hagar's well was located is totally unknown so
far. It was just somewhere between Kadesh and Shur.
Note : I don't think those of us living in modern industrialized countries like
the US appreciate the importance of water in Hagar's part of the world.
Those of us in the Pacific Northwest and/or Hawaii sure don't. But without
water; people die, plants wither, birds fall out of the sky, and livestock
eventually drops dead.
Water, in the form of humidity, fog, and/or liquid is literally life itself in some
parts of the world; ergo: to have that celestial being meet with Hagar at a
source of water in the Mideast is very significant; and only one of many such
meetings people in the Bible experienced with God and/or His designated
messengers.
†. Gen 16:15 . . Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram gave the son
that Hagar bore him the name Ishmael.
Hagar must have told her master about the experience and darned if he
didn't believe her story and comply with God's choice of name for the boy.
Taking part in naming a boy was serious business in those days. In doing so,
Abram officially and publicly accepted Ishmael as his legal son. The boy was
supposed to be Sarai's son too, but there's no record she ever really
accepted the lad.
†. Gen 16:16 . . Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore
Ishmael to Abram.
That was about eleven years after Abram entered Canaan (Gen 12:4) and 14
years before Isaac's birth (Gen 21:5). Both of Ishmael's parents were
Gentiles. Hagar was an Egyptian and Abram was a Babylonian.
According to ancient Judaism, the angel who spoke with Hagar was God's
word-- The Memra' of sacred Jewish literature.
T. And she gave thanks before the Lord whose Word spake to her, and thus
said, Thou art He who livest and art eternal; who seest, but art not seen!
(Targum Jonathan)
T. And Hagar gave thanks, and prayed in the Name of the Word of the Lord,
who had been manifested to her, saying; "Blessed be You, Eloha, the Living
One of all Ages, who has looked upon my affliction." For she said; "Behold,
You are manifested also to me, even as You were manifested to Sara my
mistress." Wherefore she called the well: The Well at which the Living and
Eternal One was revealed. And, behold, it is situate between Rekam and
Chalutsa. (Jerusalem Targum)
So then, it's pretty well established in the Old Testament book of Genesis, in
the New Testament book of John, and in the Targums, that God's mysterious
Word is actually the Yhvh of the Old Testament.
†. John 1:1-3 . . In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him
all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Cont.
/
roi
The author of Genesis was privy to the identity of the celestial being
speaking with Hagar but she wasn't, and that's why she gave him a name of
her own. But I can't be certain what it is because there seems no consensus
among translators how best say it in English; neither in Jewish bibles nor in
Christian bibles. In Hebrew; the words are: 'Ataah 'Eel R'iy
The JPS Tanakh translates it: You are El-roi
The Stone Tanach translates it: You are the God of Vision
The KJV translates it: Thou God seest me
The NIV Translates it: You are the God who sees me
A Catholic Bible (NAB) translates it the same as the Stone Tanach.
Hagar, familiar with many gods in the Egyptian world, was unsure of the
identity of this particular divine being speaking with her so she gave it a pet
name of her own. I like it because her god is a personal god, one that meant
something just to her-- rather than some scary alien way out in space who
doesn't care one whit about individuals. Hagar's god knew about the baby
and gave the little guy a name. That is a very personal thing to do and must
have very comforting to a girl at the end of her rope.
What took place between these two travelers is very precious. They met as
strangers, but before they parted, one named the other's baby and became
godfather to a runaway slave's child. The other gave her new god a pet
name to remember him by. Hagar's experience was very wonderful.
†. Gen 16:13b . . by which she meant: Have I not gone on seeing
after He saw me!
The rendering of 16:13b is more or less an educated guess because the
Hebrew in that verse is very difficult. She could have said: Have I here seen
him here who sees me? In other words: The god who knows me is in this
place? I can appreciate her surprise. You might expect to find God in a grand
Italian cathedral, but certainly not along a dusty road in the middle of the
hinterlands. And you might also expect a divine being to speak with a
President Barak Obama or a Pope Benedict, but certainly not to an
insignificant nobody who meant very little to anybody.
†. Gen 16:14 . .Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it is
between Kadesh and Bered.
Heretofore, this particular source of water had no specific name. Beer-lahai
roi is another Hebraic toughie. It could mean: The well of him who knows
me.
Kadesh is located nearby El Quseima Egypt about 15 miles south of the
border town of Nizzana. Just northeast of there is the wilderness of Shur; a
region adjoining the Mediterranean to the north and the Suez canal to the
west. Shur extends somewhat south along the eastern shore of the Gulf of
Suez.
But the well wasn't there. It was between Kadesh and Bered. The Onkelos
Targum renders Bered; Chaghra', which is the usual equivalent of Shur,
while the Jerusalem Targum renders it Chalutsah, which is also Shur (Ex
15:22). So precisely where Hagar's well was located is totally unknown so
far. It was just somewhere between Kadesh and Shur.
Note : I don't think those of us living in modern industrialized countries like
the US appreciate the importance of water in Hagar's part of the world.
Those of us in the Pacific Northwest and/or Hawaii sure don't. But without
water; people die, plants wither, birds fall out of the sky, and livestock
eventually drops dead.
Water, in the form of humidity, fog, and/or liquid is literally life itself in some
parts of the world; ergo: to have that celestial being meet with Hagar at a
source of water in the Mideast is very significant; and only one of many such
meetings people in the Bible experienced with God and/or His designated
messengers.
†. Gen 16:15 . . Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram gave the son
that Hagar bore him the name Ishmael.
Hagar must have told her master about the experience and darned if he
didn't believe her story and comply with God's choice of name for the boy.
Taking part in naming a boy was serious business in those days. In doing so,
Abram officially and publicly accepted Ishmael as his legal son. The boy was
supposed to be Sarai's son too, but there's no record she ever really
accepted the lad.
†. Gen 16:16 . . Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore
Ishmael to Abram.
That was about eleven years after Abram entered Canaan (Gen 12:4) and 14
years before Isaac's birth (Gen 21:5). Both of Ishmael's parents were
Gentiles. Hagar was an Egyptian and Abram was a Babylonian.
According to ancient Judaism, the angel who spoke with Hagar was God's
word-- The Memra' of sacred Jewish literature.
T. And she gave thanks before the Lord whose Word spake to her, and thus
said, Thou art He who livest and art eternal; who seest, but art not seen!
(Targum Jonathan)
T. And Hagar gave thanks, and prayed in the Name of the Word of the Lord,
who had been manifested to her, saying; "Blessed be You, Eloha, the Living
One of all Ages, who has looked upon my affliction." For she said; "Behold,
You are manifested also to me, even as You were manifested to Sara my
mistress." Wherefore she called the well: The Well at which the Living and
Eternal One was revealed. And, behold, it is situate between Rekam and
Chalutsa. (Jerusalem Targum)
So then, it's pretty well established in the Old Testament book of Genesis, in
the New Testament book of John, and in the Targums, that God's mysterious
Word is actually the Yhvh of the Old Testament.
†. John 1:1-3 . . In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him
all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Cont.
/
