And she went her way, and sat over against him a great way off, as far as a bow can carry, for she said: I will not see the boy die: and sitting over against, she lifted up her voice and wept.
וַתֵּלֶךְ֩ וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב לָ֜הּ מִנֶּ֗גֶד הַרְחֵק֙ כִּמְטַחֲוֵ֣י קֶ֔שֶׁת כִּ֣י אֽ͏ָמְרָ֔ה אַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַתִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹלָ֖הּ וַתֵּֽבְךְּ׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Her heart was shattered with grief and affection for her son, leading her to "sit down afar off," as it is recorded, "at a distance of one shot from the bow." For she declared, "I do not wish to witness the demise of the young man." Thus, she positioned herself there, raised her voice in anguish, and wept.
Abraham faced great distress at Hagar's departure but ultimately let her go at God's command. Similarly, the sacred apostles and evangelists felt deep sorrow over Israel's separation, yet it wasn’t a choice they made freely but one borne out of divine purpose and their love for Christ. The Apostle Paul expresses this sentiment when he states, ‘Great is my sorrow and continual anguish to my heart: I wish I myself were separated from Christ for my brethren who are my kinsmen according to the flesh, that is, the Israelites’ (Romans 9:2-4).
When the mother of the Jews was sent away, she roamed for a protracted time, facing the threat of utter ruin. Yet had the Jews turned to God earnestly in their distress, they would have assuredly received forgiveness. For God would have enlightened their minds, allowing them to behold the fountain of living water (Gen. 21:19 (LXX)), which refers to Christ (cf. Jn. 4:10; 14; Jn. 7:38); and as they partake of Him, they would find life through Him and, in accordance with the prophet’s words, be purified and made clean (Is. 1:16).
The remaining passages cannot lead anyone into confusion. The key takeaway is that in the Hebrew account, after stating, ‘I will not see my young man die,’ there is a passage describing how Hagar sat across from her young man, lifted her voice, and wept, prompting God to hear the young man's plea. This illustrates that while the mother lamented in sorrow, anticipating her son's demise, God was attentive to the young man’s voice. He had assured Abraham, saying: ‘But I will also make the son of your handmaid into a great nation’ (Genesis 17:20). Furthermore, the mother was not grieving her own fate, but rather the impending loss of her son. As a result, God preserved the life of the one for whom the mourning took place.
Ultimately, it states, ‘Arise, and lift up the young man, and take him by the hand’ (Gen. 21:18). This demonstrates that the one whom the mother guides by the hand is not a burden to her, but rather a cherished companion. The act of her taking him by the hand signifies profound affection.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS