And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
11. thou shalt call his name Ishmael ] That is, God heareth. The name is to be given by the mother. Cf. note on Gen 4:1; Gen 4:25. The name “Ishmael” may mean either “God hears,” or “may God hear.” See also Gen 21:17. The reason for the name is explained by the words, “because the Lord hath heard ( shma‘) thy affliction.”
heard thy affliction ] See note on Gen 16:6. The expression means that Jehovah has either heard of the persecution Hagar has received, or, more probably, has heard the prayer uttered by her in her affliction ( Gen 16:6). Cf. Exo 2:24; Exo 4:31.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 11. And shalt call his name Ishmael] Yishmael, from shama, he heard, and El, God; for, says the Angel, THE LORD HATH HEARD thy affliction. Thus the name of the child must ever keep the mother in remembrance of God’s merciful interposition in her behalf, and remind the child and the man that he was an object of God’s gracious and providential goodness. Afflictions and distresses have a voice in the ears of God, even when prayer is restrained; but how much more powerfully do they speak when endured in meekness of spirit, with confidence in and supplication to the Lord!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Hath heard thy cry in thy affliction.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. IshmaelLike other Hebrewnames, this had a signification, and it is made up of two words”Godhears.” The reason is explained.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the angel of the Lord said unto her,…. Continued his discourse with her, informing her she should have a son, and what his name should be, and what his character, and the place of his habitation:
behold, thou [art] with child; this she knew, and it is said, not for her information, as to this respect, but to lead on to something else he had to acquaint her with, she did not know. Jarchi indeed would have the sense to be, “thou shall conceive” or “be with child”, as was said to Manoah’s wife, Jud 13:5; for it is a fancy of his, that Hagar had miscarried, and he, supposes the angel to promise her, that if she would return, or when she should return, she should conceive again; but this is said and supposed without any foundation:
and shalt bear a son; this was what she hoped for, but was not certain of; but the angel assures her of it, that the child she went with was a son, which none could foretell but God, that is omniscient:
and shall call his name Ishmael; the Jews s observe, there were six persons who had their names given them before they were born, and Ishmael is one of them; the six were Isaac, Ge 17:19; Ishmael, here; Moses, Ex 2:10; Solomon, 2Sa 12:24; Josiah, 1Ki 13:2; and the Messiah, Isa 7:14: the reason of his name follows,
because the Lord hath heard thy affliction: heard of it, had took notice of it, and observed, and fully understood the nature and cause of it; he had heard her groans and sighs under it, and her prayer and cries for deliverance from it; and so the Targum of Onkelos,
“for the Lord hath received thy prayer,”
which she had put up in her affliction, both when in the service of her mistress, and since her flight from her.
s Pirke Eliezer, c. 32. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 2. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11. And shalt bear a son. The angel explains what he had briefly said respecting her seed; namely, that it should not be capable of being numbered on account of its multitude; and he commences with Ishmael, who was to be its head and origin. Although we shall afterwards see that he was a reprobate, yet an honorable name is granted to him, to mark the temporal benefit of which Ishmael became a partakers as being a son of Abram. For I thus explain the passage, God intended that a monument of the paternal kindness, with which he embraced the whole house of Abram, should endure to posterity. For although the covenant of eternal life did not belong to Ishmael; yet, that he might not be entirely without favor, God constituted him the father of a great and famous people. And thus we see that, with respect to this present life, the goodness of God extended itself to the seed of Abram according to the flesh. But if God intended the name of Ishmael (which signifies God will hear) to be a perpetual memorial of his temporal benefits; he will by no means bear with our ingratitude, if we do not celebrate his celestial and everlasting mercies, even unto death.
The Lord has heard thy affliction. We do not read that Hagar, in her difficulties, had recourse to prayer; and we are rather left to conjecture, from the words of Moses, that when she was stupefied by her sufferings, the angel came of his own accord. It is therefore to be observed, that there are two ways in which God looks down upon men, for the purpose of helping them; either when they, as suppliants, implore his aid; or when he, even unasked, succours them in their afflictions. He is indeed especially said to hearken to them who, by prayers, invoke him as their Deliverer. Yet, sometimes, when men lie mute, and because of their stupor, do not direct their wishes to him, he is said to listen to their miseries. That this latter mode of hearing was fulfilled towards Hagar, is probable, because God freely met her wandering through the desert. Moreover, because God frequently deprives unbelievers of his help, until they are worn away with slow disease, or else suffers them to be suddenly destroyed; let none of us give indulgence to our own sloth; but being admonished by the sense of our evils, let us seek him without delay. In the meantime, however, it is of no small avail to the confirmation of our faith, that our prayers will never be despised by the Lord, seeing that he anticipates even the slothful and the stupid, with his help; and if he is present to those who seek him not, much more will he be propitious to the pious desires of his own people.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Ishmael.That is, God heareth. Like Samuel, Ishmael received his name from the events of his mothers life, and not from anything in his own. There was, however, no rule in this matter, and the naming of children in the Book of Genesis is very diversified.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Ishmael The name means God will hear, and would ever remind Hagar how Jehovah heard her affliction . Compare 1Sa 1:20, note . “Misery sighs; the sighs ascend to God; hence misery itself, if not sent as a curse, is a voiceless prayer to God . But this is true especially of the misery of Hagar, who had learned to pray in the house of Abram . ” Lange .
‘And the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Behold you are with child and will bear a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. And he will be like a wild ass among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he will dwell in the presence of all his brethren”.’
The covenant is split into three parts, each introduced by the phrase ‘the angel of Yahweh said to her’. This is deliberate. Three is the number of completeness and the covenant is thus recognised as being totally complete in itself.
The promise of a son is what she longed for and its fulfilment would seal the covenant. The name Ishmael means ‘God hears’. It will ever be a reminder to her that God knows her situation and has provided for her. She is under His protection and He will hear her cry.
“He will be a wild ass of a man.” See Job 39:5-8. God of course knows that Ishmael cannot inherit leadership of the tribe for He knows that Isaac will be born. Thus this is a prophecy before the event. Like his mother, Ishmael will be strongminded and unwilling to submit willingly to others. The idea is that he will not be satisfied with his position in the tribe but will roam the desert places, free from all restraint and control, answerable to no one except God, and able there to do whatever he wishes. Yet he must have contact with others and they will view him as ‘not one of us’. The inevitable result will at times be conflict. To others he will appear lawless. But his brethren will always be aware that he is there. Even when not seen he will be ‘in their presence’, never to be overlooked, a typical Bedouin, sweeping in and out of their lives. He will be like his mother, a free spirit, unwilling to be dominated and very resolute.
It should be noted that this promise assumes that there will be a second leaving of the tribe. The so-called ‘doublet’ of Gen 21:9-21 is in fact therefore simply a fulfilment of this prophecy.
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
The name Ishmael signifies, God will hear. Psa_10:17; Psa_31:22 .
Gen 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Ver. 11. Thou art with child. ] Lyra rendereth it (but not well), Thou shalt conceive. Burgensis saith, Lyra hic delirat ; and Matthias Doring (his Hyperaspistes, but an illiterate dunce) a saith as good as nothing in his defence; indignus sane qui nominetur , saith Steuchus of him, ob universam U. T. Scripturam foedissima barbarie conspurcatam :he is not fit to be once named for the sorry notes he hath set upon the whole Old Testament.
a Steuch. ad Gen. xxxvii.
angel (See Scofield “Heb 1:4”)
Ishmael i.e. God shall hear.
shalt: Gen 17:19, Gen 29:32-35, Isa 7:14, Mat 1:21-23, Luk 1:13, Luk 1:31, Luk 1:63
Ishmael: i.e. God shall hear
because: Gen 41:51, Gen 41:52, 1Sa 1:20
hath: Gen 29:32, Gen 29:33, Exo 2:23, Exo 2:24, Exo 3:7, Job 38:41, Psa 22:24
Reciprocal: Gen 3:20 – Adam Gen 16:15 – Hagar Gen 21:17 – heard Gen 31:42 – hath seen Gen 37:25 – Ishmeelites Exo 2:10 – Because Jdg 8:24 – because 1Ch 1:28 – Ishmael
Gen 16:11. Ishmael That is, God will hear; and the reason is, because the Lord hath heard He hath, and therefore he will. The experience we have had of Gods seasonable kindness in distress should encourage us to hope for the like help in the like exigencies. Even there where there is little cry of devotion, the God of pity hears the cry of affliction: tears speak as well as prayers.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments