Genesis 21:16
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.”
A short, plain-language explanation of Genesis 21:16 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
“Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)“And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.”
King James Version · Public Domain“And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.”
American Standard Version · Public Domain“And she goeth and sitteth by herself over-against, afar off, about a bow-shot, for she said, `Let me not look on the death of the lad;' and she sitteth over-against, and lifteth up her voice, and weepeth.”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainOther passages that echo Genesis 21:16 — 12 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Genesis 27:38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, O my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.
- Genesis 29:11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
- Genesis 44:34For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”
- Judges 2:4When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
- Ruth 1:9May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud
- 1 Samuel 24:16When David had finished saying these things, Saul called back, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud
- 1 Samuel 30:4So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.
- 1 Kings 3:26Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”
- Esther 8:6For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”
- Isaiah 49:15“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!
- Zechariah 12:10Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
- Luke 15:20So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).