The Meaning of Genesis 21:14 Explained

Genesis 21:14

KJV: 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 Beersheba.

YLT: And 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;

Darby: And 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.

ASV: 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 gave her the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 Beersheba. 

What does Genesis 21:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 21:8-21 - Hagar And Ishmael Cast Out
Poor Hagar! She thought that she had given Abraham his heir, but now she found herself and her boy outcasts on the desert waste. The water was soon spent, she little dreamed that a fountain was so near. Cry to God, He will open fountains in the middle of your deserts. Beneath their sad lot a divine purpose was running. God said, "Let it not be grievous in thy sight." This is the teaching of Scripture: that our lives are being ordered and our steps prepared. All we need to be anxious about is the finding of the path. Let us ask God to open our eyes to see the fountains beside us, and the way before us. And after all, was not the wilderness a better training-ground for the lad than the comparative luxury of Abraham's tent? "He became an archer." Isaac would have been the better for a touch of the desert-life. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, gives the inner significance of this incident in Galatians 5:1. See also John 8:36. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 21

1  Isaac is born, and circumcised
6  Sarah's joy
8  Isaac is weaned
9  Hagar and Ishmael sent away
15  Hagar in distress
17  The angel relieves and comforts her
23  Abimelech's covenant with Abraham at Beersheba

What do the individual words in Genesis 21:14 mean?

So rose early Abraham in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and he gave [it] to Hagar putting [it] on her shoulder and the boy and sent her away And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀ בַּבֹּ֡קֶר וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ לֶחֶם֩ וְחֵ֨מַת מַ֜יִם וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־ הָ֠גָר שָׂ֧ם עַל־ שִׁכְמָ֛הּ וְאֶת־ הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ וַתֵּ֔תַע בְּמִדְבַּ֖ר בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע

וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם  So  rose  early 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַם  
Sense: to rise or start early.
אַבְרָהָ֣ם ׀  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
בַּבֹּ֡קֶר  in  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־  and  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לֶחֶם֩  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
וְחֵ֨מַת  and  a  skin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֵמֶת  
Sense: bottle, waterskin.
מַ֜יִם  of  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן  and  he  gave  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
הָ֠גָר  Hagar 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: הָגָר  
Sense: Sarah’s Egyptian slave girl, Abraham’s concubine, Ishmael’s mother.
שָׂ֧ם  putting  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
שִׁכְמָ֛הּ  her  shoulder 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם  
Sense: shoulder, back.
הַיֶּ֖לֶד  the  boy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ  and  sent  her  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ  And  she  departed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַתֵּ֔תַע  and  wandered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: תָּעָה  
Sense: to err, wander, go astray, stagger.
בְּמִדְבַּ֖ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
שָֽׁבַע  Beersheba 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּאֵר 
Sense: a city at the south edge of Israel.