The Meaning of Genesis 16:9 Explained

Genesis 16:9

KJV: And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

YLT: And the messenger of Jehovah saith to her, 'Turn back unto thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hands;'

Darby: And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

ASV: And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the angel  of the LORD  said  unto her, Return  to thy mistress,  and submit  thyself under her hands. 

What does Genesis 16:9 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 16:9 mean?

And said to her the Angel of Yahweh Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה שׁ֖וּבִי אֶל־ גְּבִרְתֵּ֑ךְ וְהִתְעַנִּ֖י תַּ֥חַת יָדֶֽיהָ

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהּ֙  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
מַלְאַ֣ךְ  the  Angel 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שׁ֖וּבִי  Return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
גְּבִרְתֵּ֑ךְ  your  mistress 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: גְּבֶרֶת  
Sense: lady, queen.
וְהִתְעַנִּ֖י  and  submit  yourself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
תַּ֥חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
יָדֶֽיהָ  her  hand 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.