Genesis 16:13 · Bible study
Genesis 16:13 Commentary: The God Who Sees
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study of Hagar's naming God 'El Roi', the God who sees, and her amazement at surviving a divine encounter in the wilderness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Hagar names Yahweh “El Roi”, God of seeing, after He sees her affliction and she sees Him and lives.
- Key words: H7200 ra’ah (see), H7210 ro’i (seeing, vision), H3068 Yahweh (LORD).
- Main debate: Does ro’i denote God’s active omniscience (He sees all) or His passive self‑disclosure (He allows Himself to be seen)?
- Theological theme: God sees the marginalized and reveals Himself to those who are overlooked by human society.
- Best use: Preaching on divine providence, worship born from affliction, and the God who meets us in wilderness moments.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!”
WEB World English Bible 2000
She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”
KJV King James Version 1769
And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And she called the name of Jehovah that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth: for she said, Have I even here looked after him that seeth me?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And she calleth the name of Jehovah who is speaking unto her, `Thou art , O God, my beholder;' for she said, `Even here have I looked behind my beholder?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And she called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, Thou art the God who reveals himself, for she said, Also here have I seen after he has revealed himself.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And she called the name of the Lord that spoke unto her: Thou the God who hast seen me. For she said: Verily, here have I seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Entonces llamó el nombre de Jehová que con ella hablaba: Tú eres el Dios de la vista; porque dijo: ¿ No he visto también aquí al que me ve?
Então chamou o nome do SENHOR que com ela falava: Tu és o Deus da vista; porque disse: Não vi também aqui ao que me vê?
Elle appela Atta-El-roï le nom de l’ Éternel qui lui avait parlé; car elle dit: Ai-je rien vu ici, après qu’ il m’ a vue?
Und sie hieß den Namen des HERRN, der mit ihr redete: Du Gott siehst mich. Denn sie sprach: Gewiß habe ich hier gesehen den, der mich hernach angesehen hat.
En zij noemde den Naam des HEEREN, Die tot haar sprak: Gij, God des aanziens! want zij zeide: Heb ik ook hier gezien naar Dien, Die mij aanziet?
Allora Agar chiamò il nome dell’Eterno che le avea parlato, Atta-El-Roi, perché disse: “Ho io, proprio qui, veduto andarsene colui che m’ha vista?”
I nazwała imię Pana, który mówił do niej: Tyś Bóg widzący mię; rzekła bowiem: Izalim tu nie widziała tyłu widzącego mię?
И нарекла [Агарь] Господа, Который говорил к ней, сим именем: Ты Бог видящий меня. Ибо сказала она: точно я видела здесь в след видящего меня.
夏甲就稱 那對她 說話 的耶和華為「 看顧人的 神」。因而 說：「在這裡 我也 看見 那看顧 我的嗎？」
And to the Lord who was talking with her she gave this name, You are a God who is seen; for she said, Have I not even here in the waste land had a vision of God and am still living?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 16:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Hagar names Yahweh based on her immediate experience: she has been seen by God and has been allowed to see Him and live. The Cambridge Bible notes that she designates the divine speaker “a God of Seeing” or “of Vision.” Gill emphasizes that she perceived His omniscient eye on her in her wanderings. Keil and Delitzsch stress the ancient belief that seeing God meant death, so Hagar’s astonishment at remaining alive is central. Calvin reads the naming as a confession that human affairs are under divine government, not chance. The core agreement is that Hagar recognizes God’s personal attention to her suffering and His gracious self-disclosure, which she responds to with worship and a new name for God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- God of omniscience: Onkelos and Gill read 'roi' as God who sees all, with parallels to God's seeing Hagar's affliction.
- God who allows vision: Keil, Delitzsch, and Ellicott emphasize the passive sense of roi: God permits Himself to be seen, consistent with Hagar's amazement at survival.
- God who reveals Himself: Adam Clarke and the Darby translation treat the word as 'reveals himself', focusing on the manifestation rather than the seeing.
What is clear: Hagar encountered God, responded with a name that includes the root for 'seeing', and marveled that she saw God and remained alive.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'El Roi' | Hagar names God with a phrase that highlights seeing, either God’s seeing of her or her seeing of God. | Some interpreters (Gill, Onkelos) take it as 'God who sees all things', emphasizing omniscience. Others (Keil, Delitzsch, Ellicott) read it as 'God who allows Himself to be seen', stressing theophany. A third view (Adam Clarke) renders 'God who reveals Himself'. |
| Identity of the angel | The angel of Yahweh speaks with divine authority, and Hagar treats the encounter as a meeting with God Himself. | Some Christian commentators (Gill, Cambridge) identify the angel as the pre‑incarnate Son of God. Others focus on the angel as a manifestation of Yahweh without specifying a Trinitarian identification. |
| Hagar's response to the encounter | She responds with worship and names both God and the well, indicating transformation and gratitude. | Some emphasize fear (Calvin notes she was 'subdued' and changed her mind); others highlight joy and wonder at surviving the divine sight. The precise emotion is not specified beyond the exclamation of amazement. |
| Obedience to return | The angel commands Hagar to return and submit to Sarai, and she does so (implied by the narrative flow). | Modern readers debate whether this command condones or merely tolerates the social structures of ancient slavery. The text does not endorse abuse but records God’s directive for Hagar’s specific situation, accompanied by a promise of protection and multiplication. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Hagar was an Egyptian slave in the household of Abram and Sarai. When Sarai remained childless, she gave Hagar to Abram as a surrogate, a practice attested in ancient Near Eastern law codes. After Hagar conceived, tension with Sarai led to Hagar’s harsh treatment and flight. She fled toward Shur, a desert region on the way to Egypt. There, at a spring, “Yahweh’s angel” found her (Genesis 16:7).
The angel’s words to Hagar, commanding her to return and promising multiplied offspring, mark the first time in Genesis that God appears to a non‑Israelite woman. The well where this encounter took place was later called Beer‑lahai‑roi, “the well of the Living One who sees me” (v. 14). This naming links the place to Hagar’s experience of being seen and of seeing God and staying alive.
In the ancient world, a divine visitation was often thought to bring death. Jacob at Peniel (Genesis 32:30) and Manoah in Judges 13:22 echo this fear. Hagar’s words, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” reflect that dread turned to wonder. The name she gives God, El Roi, likely means either “God of seeing” (active, referring to God’s omniscience) or “God of vision” (passive, referring to God showing Himself). Both readings underscore the same reality: Hagar met God in a barren place and everything changed.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of verse 13 contains a difficult clause: “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?” The Cambridge Bible notes that the LXX and Vulgate read differently, with the LXX rendering “I have seen after the one who appeared to me” and the Vulgate “I have seen the hinder parts of him that seeth me.” Wellhausen and Ball propose emendations for clarity, but the Masoretic text is retained by most modern translations. The consulted sources note no significant variants affecting the core meaning, though the phrasing is obscure.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, the Targumim (Onkelos, Jonathan) interpret the verse as Hagar’s prayer or confession, with Onkelos rendering “Thou art the God who sees all things.” The well Beer‑lahai‑roi became a memorial of divine providence. Early Christian writers saw the angel who spoke to Hagar as a Christophany, pointing to Christ’s care for the lowly. Calvin, in the Reformation, stressed the acknowledgment of God’s governance in human affairs. Methodist commentator Adam Clarke highlighted Hagar’s surprise at surviving a theophany, linking it to the general biblical theme that sinful humans cannot see God and live. In modern readings, Hagar’s story resonates as a model of God’s solidarity with the oppressed, especially women and migrants. The verse is often cited in hymns and devotional literature as a reminder that God sees the forgotten.
Preaching This Verse
Three‑point outline
- We are seen. Hagar, alone and desperate, discovers that God’s eye is on her. He sees not only her location but her affliction. This is not surveillance; it is care.
- God reveals Himself to the overlooked. The angel does not appear to Abram or Sarai but to an Egyptian slave in the wilderness. God’s presence crosses social boundaries.
- Encounter leads to worship and a new name for God. Hagar names Yahweh “El Roi.” Her theology is born from experience, not speculation.
Five‑point outline
- The setting: a runaway servant at a desert well (vv. 6‑7).
- The approach: the angel speaks, calls her by name, and commands and promises (vv. 8‑12).
- The response: Hagar names the Lord and expresses amazement (v. 13).
- The memorial: the well receives a name that remembers the encounter (v. 14).
- The pattern: God sees, speaks, and sustains those who feel invisible.
Illustration hooks
- A single mother working night shifts, wondering if anyone notices her exhaustion or her children’s needs. She reads that God saw Hagar in the desert.
- A person who has made a mess of a relationship and runs away, only to meet God in an unexpected moment of clarity.
- The experience of being in a crowded room yet feeling invisible, contrasted with the reality that God sees each person fully.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does God really see me when I feel abandoned or ashamed?”
- “Why did Hagar have to go back to Sarai? Was God asking her to stay in an abusive situation?” (Note: the angel commands return and submission, but the text does not condone abuse; it records God’s guidance for Hagar’s specific situation. The context includes a promise of future multiplication and protection.)
- “What does it mean to give God a name based on personal experience?”
Leading a Discussion
Hagar’s story is raw: a pregnant slave flees harsh treatment, meets God by a spring, and returns transformed. This passage raises questions about suffering, divine attention, and worship born from crisis. Use the questions below to explore the text together.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Hagar’s situation from Genesis 16:1‑6? How might she have felt before the angel appeared?
- Read verses 7‑12. What does the angel’s message reveal about God’s character and His plans for Hagar?
- Why does Hagar say, “You are a God who sees”? What does this name teach us about God’s relationship with people on the margins?
- Hagar also wonders how she could see God and live. Why did people in the ancient world fear seeing a divine being? How does this fear shape her worship?
- In what ways might we, like Hagar, encounter God in wilderness seasons, places of loneliness, failure, or desperation?
- How does the naming of the well (Beer‑lahai‑roi) help the community remember God’s faithfulness? Are there “wells” in your own life that mark where God met you?
- How does this passage challenge or expand your understanding of who receives God’s attention and care?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 16:7 | Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. |
| Genesis 16:9 | Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” |
| Genesis 16:10 | Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.” |
| Genesis 22:14 | Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.” |
| Genesis 28:17 | He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.” |
| Genesis 31:42 | Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.” |
| Genesis 32:30 | Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” |
| Exodus 33:18 | Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights Hagar's amazement that she saw God and yet lived. He proposes the obscure last clause may mean she glimpsed God's future purposes for her descendants, connecting her survival to the revelation of what was to come.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees Hagar's naming of God as her turning point: she stops feeling abandoned and finally recognizes that God governs all human affairs. Her words show she now understands she lives in the sight of the One who sees her.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary corrects the common translation "Thou God seest me," arguing the Hebrew describes God as "a God of Seeing" or "of Vision." It also notes that Hagar's words express joy and thankfulness for having seen Jehovah and survived the encounter.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights Hagar’s act of giving God a personal name based on her own experience: “Thou God seest me.” Her words express wonder that the Lord who spoke to her is the One who sees her, and that she, in turn, has seen Him who sees her.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the angel speaking to Hagar as the Word of the Lord, the eternal Logos or Son of God. He explains that Hagar named God "Thou God seest me" from her deep sense of His omniscience, seeing her everywhere and in all circumstances.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that naming a well after a specific event was a common ancient practice. The name Hagar gave this well was her grateful acknowledgment of God's gracious appearance to her in the moment of her distress.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists that Hagar's name for God means "God of seeing," not "the all-seeing One." Her astonishment was that she saw God and lived, since the common belief was that such a vision would be fatal. The well's name, Beer-lahai-roi, means "well of the seeing alive," marking the spot where a person saw God and remained alive.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Hagar's naming of God—"Thou God seest me"—confirms the Angel of Jehovah is identical with Jehovah himself. This first appearance of the phrase implies a distinction of persons in the Godhead, since the messenger is both sent and is the sender.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes how God meets returning sinners with mercy, using this to comfort Hagar in her distress. He emphasizes that women with child are under God's particular care, and that God's promise assures a safe delivery despite her fright and flight.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights Hagar's confession that God saw her sorrow and affliction, even when she had brought distress on herself through her own folly. For him, the name "Thou God seest me" carries a double edge: it restrains from sin and urges duty, reminding believers that God sees both their repentance and their wanderings.