There is no indication of how long Hagar and her son wandered about in the desert. It may be important for discourse considerations to make clear that they had been there long enough to use up their water; for example, “After some time,” “Some time later.” Some translations repeat the verb of the previous verse: “They wandered around until….”

When the water in the skin was gone may need to be expressed as “when they had drunk all the water in the skin,” “when there was no more water left in the skin,” “when the water skin had become empty,” or as some translations say, “when their water was finished.”

She cast the child under one of the bushes: cast translates a form of the verb meaning “to throw,” but with a human object the sense is “abandon,” “leave,” “put.” Child translates the same word used in Gen 21.8. According to Driver the verb translated cast “clearly indicates that Ishmael was being carried by his mother.” Speiser, however, comments that the meaning of the verb is “not necessarily ‘cast away’ ”; and translates “left the child.” Bushes translates a word also used in Job 30.4. Although some interpreters attempt to make precise what the bush or shrub may have been, it is probably best not to try to name it. It is important that the bush or small tree be large enough to provide shade for the child. It may be better in many cases to translate “under a small tree” or “in the shade of a bush.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .