Genesis 21:20
in Genesis 21And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
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This verse in Genesis 21
Commentary
4 notes on this verseBecame an archer - And by his skill in this art, under the continual superintendence of the Divine Providence, (for God was with the lad), he was undoubtedly enabled to procure a sufficient supply for his own wants and those of his parent.
This site's exposition
God was with the boy
on Genesis 21:20-21
God was with the boy, and the words are said of the son who was sent away. Genesis says the same of Isaac at 26:28 and of Joseph at 39:2. He settled in the wilderness and grew into a great archer. His mother got him a wife from the land of Egypt.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), a wild place, fittest for a wild man; and such a one he was, ch. xvi. Those that are born after the flesh take up with the wilderness of this world, while the children of the promise aim at the heavenly Canaan, and cannot be at rest till they are there.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And God was with the lad,....
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֧י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֛ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| הַנַּ֖עַר | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וַיִּגְדָּ֑ל | vaiyigdal | and he grew up | H1431 → | 117 times |
| וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ | vaiyeshev | and he dwelt | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| וַיְהִ֖י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| רֹבֶ֥ה | roveh | a shooter | H7235 → | 227 times |
| קַשָּֽׁת׃ | kashat | a bowman | H7199 → |
וַיְהִ֧יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
אֱלֹהִ֛יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
הַנַּ֖עַרthe lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
וַיִּגְדָּ֑לand he grew up
vaiyigdalH1431 →117 times
וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙and he dwelt
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔רin the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 times
וַיְהִ֖יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
רֹבֶ֥הa shooter
rovehH7235 →227 times
קַשָּֽׁת׃a bowman
kashatH7199 →
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
Genesis 28:15Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what…
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 1:5
No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Genesis 26:24
and that night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your…
- Isaiah 41:10
Through
Genesis 39:21the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
it leads to
- Exodus 3:21
And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.
- Acts 7:9–10
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
- Exodus 3:21
Through
Genesis 16:12He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
it leads to
- Genesis 25:18
Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
- Genesis 25:18
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
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.