And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”
- BSB So the angel of the LORD told her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.”
- NKJV The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.”
- NASB So the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.”
- NLT The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The angel told Hagar to return to Sarai and submit to her. God called her back to a hard but right path.
Overview
Rather than condoning flight, God directs Hagar to return and submit, even to a harsh mistress. The command is paired with a great promise, making submission bearable through hope. This teaches that God often calls His people back to difficult situations with the assurance of His presence and blessing, a pattern echoed in the New Testament call to patient endurance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 1 Pet 5:5–6Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
- Eph 6:5–6Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
- Eph 5:21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
- Titus 2:9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
- 1 Pet 2:18–25Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
- Eccl 10:4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 16:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.