Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 16:9

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

9. And the angel of the Lord said ] Notice the triple repetition of these sayings of the Angel in Gen 16:9-11, containing in Gen 16:9 the injunction to return and submit, in Gen 16:10 the promise of a multitude of descendants, and in Gen 16:11-12 the name and character of her future son. Gen 16:9-10 both begin with the same words as Gen 16:11, and probably are editorial additions from different versions of the story.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

And the angel of the Lord said unto her,…. The same angel; though Jarchi thinks that one angel after another was sent, and that at every speech there was a fresh angel; and because this phrase is repeated again and again, some of the Rabbins have fancied there were four angels r, and others five, but without any reason:

return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands; go back to her, humble thyself before her, acknowledge thy fault, enter into her service again, and be subject to her; do her work and business, bear her corrections and chastisements; and “suffer thyself to be afflicted” s, by her, as the word may be rendered; take all patiently from her, which will be much more to thy profit and advantage than to pursue the course thou art in: and the more to encourage her to take his advice, he promises the following things, Ge 16:10.

r Bereshit Rabba, ut supra. (sect. 45. fol. 41. 1.) s “te patere affligi”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “quid si, patere te affligi?” Drusius.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(9) Submit thyself.Heb., humble thyself. It is the verb translated dealt hardly in Gen. 16:6. The angel therefore commands her to take the position which Sarai was forcing upon her; and by so doing proves to us that there had been no personal maltreatment. Commentators have taken this notion, not from the Hebrew, but from the English Version.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

9. Return submit The only way to attain the true freedom and independence . The word rendered submit thyself is the Hithpael form of the verb rendered dealt hardly in Gen 16:6. , rendered affliction in Gen 16:11, is from the same root. The sense is: Go back, and allow thyself to be afflicted under the hands of thy mistress. Her reward for such self-humiliation is announced in the next three verses.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit yourself to her hands.” ’

That is the human side. She must acknowledge her status and do what is right accordingly. But in return her future is guaranteed.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Gen 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

Ver. 9. Return to thy mistress. ] When now she had smarted, she is in case to be counselled. There is great skill in the choice of a fit time for admonition. It is not to give a man a purge in a fever-fit.

Submit thyself. ] Heb., Afflict thyself, or suffer thyself to be afflicted or humbled under her hands. The like counsel is given us all by St James, “Be afflicted, and weep, and mourn,” &c, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, and he will lift you up” Jam 4:9-10

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

angel (See Scofield “Heb 1:4”).

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

submit: Ecc 10:4, Eph 5:21, Eph 6:5, Eph 6:6, Tit 2:9, 1Pe 2:18-25, 1Pe 5:5, 1Pe 5:6

Reciprocal: Gen 16:13 – called Gen 21:17 – the angel Gen 22:11 – angel 1Ti 6:1 – count Tit 2:5 – keepers Heb 13:17 – submit

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, {e} Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

(e) God rejects no estate of people in their misery, but sends them comfort.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes