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Lech Lecha

  
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 16:6
 16:7
16:6 Abram replied to Sarai, 'Your slave is in your hands. Do with her as you see fit.' Sarai abused her, and [Hagar] ran away from her.
Vayomer Avram el-Saray hineh shifchatech beyadech asi-lah hatov be'eynaych vate'aneha Saray vativrach mipaneyha.
16:7 An angel of God encountered her by a spring in the desert, in the oasis on the road to Shur.
Vayimtsa'ah mal'ach Adonay al-eyn hamayim bamidbar al-ha'ayin bederech Shur.


Commentary:

oasis
  Eyin in Hebrew, as distinguished from eyn ha-mayim which we translate as well or spring.

road to Shur
  This was a well known road to Egypt, some 50 miles south of the Mediterranean coast. It is obvious that Hagar was returning to Egypt, her homeland (cf. Genesis 16:1).

The Targum translates Shur as Chagra, a city on the border of the Holy Land, possibly on the 'River of Egypt' (Wadi el Arish, see Genesis 15:18). This would place it near the present Al Qusayma, approximately 100 miles southwest of Hebron. The name Shur is still found in the area in such places as Jebel es-Sur in the et-Tih desert.

Josephus identifies Shur with Pelusium on the Mediterranean coast near Egypt (Antiquities 6:7:3). Saadia Gaon states that it is Jifar. Also see note on Genesis 16:14.

The angel therefore encountered Hagar just as she was leaving the Holy Land.





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