The Meaning of Genesis 21:20 Explained

Genesis 21:20

KJV: And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

YLT: and God is with the youth, and he groweth, and dwelleth in the wilderness, and is an archer;

Darby: And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

ASV: And God was with the lad, and he grew. And he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And God  was with the lad;  and he grew,  and dwelt  in the wilderness,  and became an archer. 

What does Genesis 21:20 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 21:20 mean?

So was God with the boy and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness and became a great archer
וַיְהִ֧י אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־ הַנַּ֖עַר וַיִּגְדָּ֑ל וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיְהִ֖י רֹבֶ֥ה קַשָּֽׁת

וַיְהִ֧י  So  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֱלֹהִ֛ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַנַּ֖עַר  the  boy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וַיִּגְדָּ֑ל  and  he  grew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙  and  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
וַיְהִ֖י  and  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
רֹבֶ֥ה  a  great 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
קַשָּֽׁת  archer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קַשָּׁת  
Sense: bowman, archer.