Genesis 21:17
in Genesis 21Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
KJV
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
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This verse in Genesis 21
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
God heard the voice of the boy
on Genesis 21:17-19
God heard the boy, though it was the mother who wept. Ishmael's name means God hears, and the angel gave it to her at 16:11. This is the second time Hagar meets God in a wilderness, and the second time a well is attached to it. God opened her eyes and she saw the well that was already there.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
We read not of a word he said; but his sighs, and groans, and calamitous state, cried aloud in the ears of mercy. An angel was sent to comfort Hagar, and it was not the first time that she had met with God's comforts in a wilderness; she had thankfully acknowledged the former kind visit which God made his in such a case ( ch. xvi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And God heard the voice of the lad,....
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע | vaiyishma' | and he heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֱלֹהִים֮ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| ק֣וֹל | kol | [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| הַנַּעַר֒ | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וַיִּקְרָא֩ | vaiyikra' | and he called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| מַלְאַ֨ךְ | malakh | [the] angel of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֤ים׀ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָגָר֙ | hagar | Hagar | H1904 → | 12 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָ֖הּ | lah | to <the> her | ||
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לָּ֣ךְ | lakh | [is] to <the> you | ||
| הָגָ֑ר | hagar | O Hagar | H1904 → | 12 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י | tiri | you be afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שָׁמַ֧ע | shama' | he has heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֛ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | <to> | H413 → | 5510 times |
| ק֥וֹל | kol | [the] sound of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| הַנַּ֖עַר | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר | baasher | at where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הוּא־ | hu'- | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| שָֽׁם׃ | sham | [is] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣עand he heard
vaiyishma'H8085 →1159 times
אֱלֹהִים֮God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
ק֣וֹל[the] sound of
kolH6963 →506 times
הַנַּעַר֒the lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
וַיִּקְרָא֩and he called
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
מַלְאַ֨ךְ[the] angel of
malakhH4397 →213 times
אֱלֹהִ֤ים׀God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָגָר֙Hagar
hagarH1904 →12 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָ֖הּto <the> her
lah
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
לָּ֣ךְ[is] to <the> you
lakh
הָגָ֑רO Hagar
hagarH1904 →12 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּ֣ירְאִ֔יyou be afraid
tiriH3372 →315 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
שָׁמַ֧עhe has heard
shama'H8085 →1159 times
אֱלֹהִ֛יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶל־<to>
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
ק֥וֹל[the] sound of
kolH6963 →506 times
הַנַּ֖עַרthe lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
בַּאֲשֶׁ֥רat where
baasherH834 →5497 times
הוּא־he
hu'-H1931 →1879 times
שָֽׁם׃[is] there
shamH8033 →834 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 50:15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
it leads to
- Psalms 107:28
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Psalms 34:3–4
Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
- Psalms 107:19
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
- Zechariah 13:9
This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They…
- Psalms 107:28
Through
Psalms 91:15When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 33:3
Call to Me, and I will answer and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Isaiah 65:24
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
- Jeremiah 33:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.