Gênesis 21
Jerome · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Gênesis 21:9
(Chapter 21, Verse 9) And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she bore to Abraham, playing. What follows, with his son Isaac, is not present in the Hebrew. Therefore, this is interpreted in two ways by the Hebrews: either that she made idols out of play, according to what is written elsewhere: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play (Exodus 32:6); or that she claimed the rights of the firstborn against Isaac, as if he were older, through play and jest. Indeed, Sara, upon hearing this, could not bear it; and this is confirmed by her own words, saying: Cast out this bondwoman and her son. For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 21:14
(Verse 14) And he took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. When Isaac was born, Ishmael was thirteen years old. And after he was weaned, he was expelled from the house with his mother. However, among the Hebrews, there are different opinions, with some claiming that the time for weaning is set at the fifth year, and others claiming the twelfth year. Therefore, to choose a shorter age, we have calculated that Ishmael was expelled with his mother after eighteen years, and it is no longer possible for him to have sat on his mother's lap as a young man. So it is true that the Hebrew language has the word 'infant' to refer to every child in relation to their parents. It is not surprising that a foreign language has its own peculiarities, since even today in Rome all children are called 'infants'. Therefore, Abraham placed bread and a skin of water on Hagar's shoulder and, having done this, he gave the child to his mother, that is, he handed him over to her, entrusted him to her care, and thus sent him out of the house. As for what follows: — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 21:15-16
(Verse 15, 16.) And she put the boy under a tree, and went and sat opposite him, as if shooting an arrow. She said, 'I will not see the death of my child.' And she sat opposite him. And immediately it happened: The boy cried out, and wept, and God heard the voice of the boy from the place where he was. And the Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and so on, let no one move. In Hebrew, after what is written, 'I will not see the death of my child,' it is read that Hagar herself sat opposite the boy, and raised her voice, and wept, and God heard the voice of the child. For when the mother was weeping and waiting miserably for the death of her son, God heard the boy, of whom He had promised to Abraham, saying: 'But I will also make your slave woman's son into a great nation' (Gen. XVII, 20). Otherwise, the mother herself mourned not her own death, but that of her son. Therefore, God spared her, for whom there had been weeping. Finally, it is said in what follows: 'Rise up and take the boy, and hold his hand' (Gen. XVII, 18). From this it is clear that the one who is held is not a burden to his mother, but a companion. And when someone is held by the hand of a parent, their concerned affection is shown. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 21:22
(Verse 22.) And Abimelech and Phicol, the commanders of his army, said to his servants, 'Except Abimelech and Phicol, the third name mentioned here is not found in the Hebrew text.' — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 21:30
(Verse 30) And he said, 'You shall take these seven ewes from me, that they may be a witness for me that I have dug this well.' Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because both of them swore an oath there. Where this is read, Beersheba, in Hebrew it is called Beersheba. But there are two reasons why it is so named: either because Abimelech received seven lambs from the hand of Abraham, for seven are called Sheba, or because they swore there, for an oath is also called Sheba in the same way. But if we read this name above this cause, we shall know that it has been said by prolepsis: just as Bethel and Galgala, which were certainly called by different names until the time they were so named. But it should be noted both from the preceding and the present place, that Isaac was not born at the oak of Mamre, or in Aulon of Mamre, as it is stated in Hebrew: but in Gerar, where the town of Beersheba is still located today. This province, not long ago, was called Salutaris, after the division of the garrisons of Palestine. The Scripture is a witness of this matter, which says: And Abraham lived in the land of the Philistines (Gen. XXI, 34). — Hebrew Questions on Genesis