Genesis - 21:19



19 God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Genesis 21:19.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
And God opened her eyes: and she saw a well of water, and went and filled the bottle, and gave the boy to drink.
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the lad drink.
And God openeth her eyes, and she seeth a well of water, and she goeth and filleth the bottle with water, and causeth the youth to drink;
Then God made her eyes open, and she saw a water-spring, and she got water in the skin and gave the boy a drink.
And God opened her eyes. And seeing a well of water, she went and filled the skin, and she gave the boy to drink.
Tunc aperuit Deus oculos ejus, et vidit puteum aquae, et perrexit et implevit utrem aqua, et potum dedit puero.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

God opened her eyes - These words appear to me to mean no more than that God directed her to a well, which probably was at no great distance from the place in which she then was; and therefore she is commanded, Genesis 21:18, to support the lad, literally, to make her hand strong in his behalf - namely, that he might reach the well and quench his thirst.

And God (h) opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
(h) Unless God opens our eyes, we can neither see, nor use the means which are before us.

And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water,.... Which she saw not before; not that she was really blind and had her eyes opened, or her sight restored, but they might be holden or restrained by the providence of God, that she should not see it before; or, through inattention and distraction of mind, might not observe it; or her eyes might be swelled with weeping and crying, that she saw it not; though it is not improbable that this well was not in being before, but was immediately produced by the power of God, who when he pleases can open mountains in the midst of the valleys, and make the wilderness a pool of water, Isaiah 41:18, the Jewish writers (k) say, it was created between the two evenings, that is, on the evening of the seventh day of the creation. Happy are those whose eyes are opened, by the Spirit and grace of God, to see the well of living water, the fountain and fulness of grace that is in Christ, where thirsty souls may come and drink and take their fill.
And she went and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad to drink; with which he was refreshed and recovered from his fainting, and was restored to health again.
(k) Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 30.)

God opened her eyes--Had she forgotten the promise (Genesis 16:11)? Whether she looked to God or not, He regarded her and directed her to a fountain close beside her, but probably hid amid brushwood, by the waters of which her almost expiring son was revived.

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