So Abraham rose early in the morning: early in the morning suggests that this action takes place the morning following the events and speeches in verses 9-13, which Good News Translation and many other versions make clear with “next morning.” So Abraham obeys God’s instructions quickly. Rose may be taken to mean “he got up from sleeping” or that he initiated the action that is named, “gave Hagar some food.”
Bread is understood by Good News Translation, New English Bible, Revised English Bible, New International Version, Moffatt to refer to food generally, as in 3.19. Skin of water refers to a dried animal hide that has been prepared to hold water. This may sometimes be referred to as “a hide for holding water,” “a skin to carry water in,” “a leather water bag.”
And gave it to Hagar: the first clause (literally “and gave to Hagar”) refers to the food and the water skin.
Putting it on her shoulder, along with the child: this is not entirely clear. The text says literally “he putting on her shoulder and the child.” Did Abraham put the food and water skin on her shoulder (the word may also refer to the back) and also the child? Child translates the same word as in verse 8, where it referred to little Isaac who is probably about three years old. The use of the same word in verses 14-16 referring to Ishmael seems to identify Ishmael also as a small child who could be carried on the back of his mother.
The Septuagint and Syriac translated “and he placed the child on her shoulder.” In these ancient versions the sense is clear. However, in the light of chapter 17, we must ask how old Ishmael was when he and Hagar were sent away. In 17.25 Ishmael was thirteen when he was circumcised. If the weaning of Isaac took place when he was approximately three, Ishmael was then between sixteen and seventeen years old and far too big to ride on his mother’s back.
Two approaches are taken by translators: the first is to assume that this story has no time relationship to chapter 17, and that the Hebrew text here pictures Ishmael as a small child. In some cases this is done by following the Septuagint. For example, Good News Translation says “He put the child on her back and sent her away,” and Revised English Bible “He set the child on her shoulder.” This is equivalent to the recommendation of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which says “… it is not impossible that the M[asoretic] T[ext] constitutes an emended text-form. Therefore translators may choose the simplified form ‘(… and he gave it [the food and water] to Hagar,) and put the child on her shoulder.’ ”
The second choice is to interpret the Hebrew to mean that only the food and water were placed on Hagar’s [shoulder] back. Accordingly Speiser translates “He placed them on her back and sent her away with the child.” Speiser notes that the Hebrew text is obscure, but he prefers to give it this questionable sense rather than to resort to changing the text. As he says, “The various emendations that have been proposed merely substitute one set of problems for another. An acceptable solution has yet to be discovered.” Another translation that follows the second alternative is New International Version, which translates “Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy.”
In the light of the problems related to this obscure text, it does not seem advisable to favor one solution above the other. However, if the translator selects the first option, it may be necessary to explain how Ishmael, who was thirteen years old in 17.25, is now being carried by his mother. It is far more natural in terms of the story development to follow the second choice, and many translators will wish to do this.
And she departed: that is, “left Abraham’s camp.”
Wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba: wandered means she drifted about without a fixed destination. See discussion of 20.13. For wilderness see 14.6. Beer-sheba is the name of a town southeast of Gaza in the Negev desert. The plain around Beersheba was suitable for winter pasturage and was where some of the patriarchs made their camps. See the map, page 18.
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 .