Genesis 21 · Verse 14

Genesis 21:14

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer–sheba.
Genesis 21:14, King James Version

Genesis 21:14 in other translations

BSBEarly in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
WEBAbraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a container of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
ASVAnd Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
YLTAnd Abraham riseth early in the morning, and taketh bread, and a bottle of water, and giveth unto Hagar (placing it on her shoulder), also the lad, and sendeth her out; and she goeth on, and goeth astray in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba;
DARBYAnd Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a flask of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder — and the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
BBEAnd early in the morning Abraham got up, and gave Hagar some bread and a water-skin, and put the boy on her back, and sent her away: and she went, wandering in the waste land of Beer-sheba.
WebsterAnd Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar (putting it on her shoulder) and the child, and sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

What does Genesis 21:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ge 21:14-21. Expulsion of Ishmael.

14. Abraham rose up early, &c.--early, that the wanderers might reach an asylum before noon. Bread includes all sorts of victuals--bottle, a leathern vessel, formed of the entire skin of a lamb or kid sewed up, with the legs for handles, usually carried over the shoulder. Ishmael was a lad of seventeen years, and it is quite customary for Arab chiefs to send out their sons at such an age to do for themselves: often with nothing but a few days' provisions in a bag. wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba--in the southern border of Palestine, but out of the common direction, a wide extending desert, where they lost their way.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 Took bread, and a bottle - By the word bread we are to understand the food or provisions which were necessary for her and Ishmael, till they should come to the place of their destination; which, no doubt, Abraham particularly pointed out. The bottle, which was made of skin, ordinarily a goat's skin, contained water sufficient to last them till they should come to the next well; which, it is likely, Abraham particularly specified also. This well, it appears, Hagar missed, and therefore wandered about in the wilderness seeking more water, till all she had brought with her was expended. We may therefore safely presume that she and her son were sufficiently provided for their journey, had they not missed their way. Travelers in those countries take only, to the present day, provisions sufficient to carry them to the next village or encampment; and water to supply them till they shall meet with the next well. What adds to the appearance of cruelty in this case is, that our translation seems to represent Ishmael as being a young child; and that Hagar was obliged to carry him, the bread, and the bottle of water on her back or shoulder at the same time. But that Ishmael could not be carried on his mother's shoulder will be sufficiently evident when his age is considered; Ishmael was born when Abraham was eighty-six years of age, Gen 16:16; Isaac was born when he was one hundred years of age, Gen 21:5; hence Ishmael was fourteen years old at the birth of Isaac. Add to this the age of Isaac when he was weaned, which, from Gen 21:8, (See note Gen 21:8) was probably three, and we shall find that Ishmael was at the time of his leaving Abraham not less than seventeen years old; an age which, in those primitive times, a young man was able to gain his livelihood, either by his bow in the wilderness, or by keeping flocks as Jacob did.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 21:14-21
If Hagar and Ishmael had behaved well in Abraham's family, they might have continued there; but they were justly punished. By abusing privileges, we forfeit them. Those who know not when they are well off, will be made to know the worth of mercies by the want of them. They were brought to distress in the wilderness. It is not said that the provisions were spent, or that Abraham sent them away without money. But the water was spent; and having lost their way, in that hot climate Ishmael was soon overcome with fatigue and thirst. God's readiness to help us when we are in trouble, must not slacken, but quicken our endeavours to help ourselves. The promise concerning her son is repeated, as a reason why Hagar should bestir herself to help him. It should engage our care and pains about children and young people, to consider that we know not what great use God has designed them for, and may make of them. The angel directs her to a present supply. Many who have reason to be comforted, go mourning from day to day, because they do not see the reason they have for comfort. There is a well of water near them in the covenant of grace, but they are not aware of it, till the same God that opened their eyes to see their wound, opens them to see their remedy. Paran was a wild place, fit for a wild man; such as Ishmael. Those who are born after the flesh, take up with the wilderness of this world, while the children of the promise aim at the heavenly Canaan, and cannot be at rest till they are there. Yet God was with the lad; his outward welfare was owing to this.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 21:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣םvai.yash.Kemand he rose earlyH7925
אַבְרָהָ֣ם\׀'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
בַּבֹּ֡קֶרba.Bo.kerin the morningH1242
וַיִּֽקַּֽח\־vai.yi.kach-and he tookH3947
לֶחֶם֩le.ChemfoodH3899
וְחֵ֨מַתve.Che.matand a skin ofH2573
מַ֜יִםMa.yimwaterH4325
וַיִּתֵּ֣ןvai.yi.Tenand he gave [them]H5414
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָ֠גָרHa.gorHagarH1904
שָׂ֧םsamplacingH7760
עַל\־'al-onH5921
שִׁכְמָ֛הּshikh.Mahshoulder herH7926
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַיֶּ֖לֶדhai.Ye.ledthe boyH3206
וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָvay.sha.le.Che.haand he sent away herH7971
וַתֵּ֣לֶךְva.Te.lekhand she wentH1980
וַתֵּ֔תַעva.Te.ta'and she wanderedH8582
בְּמִדְבַּ֖רbe.mid.Barin [the] wilderness ofH4057
בְּאֵ֥רbe.'ErBeerH884
שָֽׁבַע\׃Sha.va'ShebaH884

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 21:14

  • Psalms 119:60

    I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

  • Genesis 21:31

    Wherefore he called that place Beer–sheba; because there they sware both of them.

  • Proverbs 27:14

    He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

  • 1 Kings 19:3

    And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer–sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

  • Genesis 25:6

    But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

  • Genesis 26:31

    And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

  • John 8:35

    And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:10

    Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

  • Psalms 107:4

    They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

  • Genesis 16:7

    And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

  • Genesis 22:3

    And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

  • Genesis 37:15

    And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 2112. B.C. 1892. rose up.
19:27; 22:3; 24:54; 26:31; Ps 119:60; Pr 27:14; Ec 9:10
took.
25:6; 36:6,7
child.Or, youth, (see ver. 12, 20,) as Ishmael was now 16 or 17 years of age.
sent.
Joh 8:35
wandered.
16:7; 37:15; Ps 107:4; Isa 16:8; Ga 4:23-25
Beer-sheba.So called when Moses wrote; but not before Abraham's covenant with Abimelech, ver. 31. Such instances of the figure prolepsis are not infrequent in the Pentateuch.
33; 22:19; 26:33; 46:1; 1Ki 19:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 21:13

    And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

  • Genesis 21:14

    And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer–sheba.

  • Genesis 21:15

    And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

Read all of Genesis 21

Genesis 21:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Abraham se levantó muy de mañana, y tomó pan, y un odre de agua, y diólo á Agar, poniéndolo sobre su hombro, y entrególe el muchacho, y despidióla. Y ella partió, y andaba errante por el desierto de Beer-seba.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Abraham se leva de bon matin, et il prit du pain et une outre d’eau, et les donna à Agar, les mettant sur son épaule, et il lui donna l’enfant, et la renvoya. Et elle s’en alla, et erra dans le désert de Beër-Shéba.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Abraham stand des Morgens früh auf, und er nahm Brot und einen Schlauch Wasser und gab es der Hagar, indem er es auf ihre Schulter legte; und er gab ihr den Knaben und entließ sie. Und sie ging hin und irrte umher in der Wüste von Beerseba.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Surrexit itaque Abraham mane, et tollens panem et utrem aquæ, imposuit scapulæ ejus, tradiditque puerum, et dimisit eam. Quæ cum abiisset, errabat in solitudine Bersabee.