The Meaning of Genesis 16:12 Explained

Genesis 16:12

KJV: 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.

YLT: and he is a wild-ass man, his hand against every one, and every one's hand against him -- and before the face of all his brethren he dwelleth.'

Darby: And he will be a wild-ass of a man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell before the face of all his brethren.

ASV: And he shall be as a wild ass among men; his hand'shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his brethren.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 16:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 16:1-16 - Abram's Son Ishmael
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 mistakes and sins of God's children, but she was abundantly recompensed. Abram did her a great wrong. Human policy will often suggest a course which seems right in our own eyes, but the end is death. How remarkable is the advice given to Hagar by the angel: return and submit! Does not the child of God often seek to evade the cross! "Let me but get away from this intolerable trouble," we cry. But God meets us. "No stranger He to all our wanderings wild!" We have to take up the cross, and sit down again on the hard stool. Some day we shall be permitted to go out, but not till we have learned our lesson perfectly. In the meanwhile, we are assured that our life shall be prolific in great results. In an outburst of awe and joy, the slave-girl learned that God sees and hears. Note 2 Chronicles 16:9; 1 Peter 3:12.
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 16

1  Sarai, being barren, gives Hagar to Abram
4  Hagar, being afflicted for despising her mistress, runs away
7  An angel commands her to return and submit herself,
10  promises her a numerous posterity,
12  and shows their character and condition
13  Hagar names the place, and returns to Sarai
15  Ishmael is born
16  The age of Abram

What do the individual words in Genesis 16:12 mean?

And He shall be a wild man His hand [shall be] against every man and the hand of every man against him and over against the presence of of all his brothers he shall dwell
וְה֤וּא יִהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָד֣וֹ בַכֹּ֔ל וְיַ֥ד כֹּ֖ל בּ֑וֹ וְעַל־ פְּנֵ֥י כָל־ אֶחָ֖יו יִשְׁכֹּֽן

וְה֤וּא  And  He 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יִהְיֶה֙  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
פֶּ֣רֶא  a  wild 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּרֶא 
Sense: wild ass.
אָדָ֔ם  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יָד֣וֹ  His  hand  [shall  be] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
בַכֹּ֔ל  against  every  man 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
וְיַ֥ד  and  the  hand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
כֹּ֖ל  of  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בּ֑וֹ  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וְעַל־  and  over  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּנֵ֥י  the  presence  of 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
כָל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֶחָ֖יו  his  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
יִשְׁכֹּֽן  he  shall  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַן  
Sense: to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 16:12?

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