Genesis 16:13. The God who sees. רֳאִ֑י

Discussion must focus on the Hebrew text (including text criticism) and its ancient translations, not on archaeology, modern language translations, or theological controversies.
Forum rules
Members will observe the rules for respectful discourse at all times!
Please sign all posts with your first and last (family) name.
Post Reply
wilens
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 11:11 am
Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Genesis 16:13. The God who sees. רֳאִ֑י

Post by wilens »

16:13 בראשית
וַתִּקְרָ֤א שֵׁם־יְהוָה֙ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יהָ אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י כִּ֣י אֽ͏ָמְרָ֗ה הֲגַ֥ם הֲלֹ֛ם רָאִ֖יתִי אַחֲרֵ֥י רֹאִֽי׃

In Genesis 16:13 where Hagar calls God by a new name, most English translations render אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י as “the God who sees ME.” Why is it not just “the God who sees.” Where does the ‘me’ come from? Just the previous context?
David Wilens
self educated Bible learner
User avatar
Jason Hare
Posts: 1920
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:07 am
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Contact:

Re: Genesis 16:13. The God who sees. רֳאִ֑י

Post by Jason Hare »

wilens wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:36 pm 16:13 בראשית
וַתִּקְרָ֤א שֵׁם־יְהוָה֙ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יהָ אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י כִּ֣י אֽ͏ָמְרָ֗ה הֲגַ֥ם הֲלֹ֛ם רָאִ֖יתִי אַחֲרֵ֥י רֹאִֽי׃

In Genesis 16:13 where Hagar calls God by a new name, most English translations render אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י as “the God who sees ME.” Why is it not just “the God who sees.” Where does the ‘me’ come from? Just the previous context?
The suffix refers to the first-person pronoun. “God sees” is אֵל רֹאֶה ʾēl rōʾeh, but “God sees me” is אֵל רֹאִי ʾēl rōʾî or (as in the text) אֵל רֳאִי ʾēl rŏʾî. The idea of “me” is found in the suffix .
Jason Hare
Tel Aviv, Israel
The Hebrew Café
יוֹדֵ֣עַ צַ֭דִּיק נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּ֑וֹ וְֽרַחֲמֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים אַכְזָרִֽי׃
ספר משלי י״ב, י׳
User avatar
Jason Hare
Posts: 1920
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:07 am
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Contact:

Re: Genesis 16:13. The God who sees. רֳאִ֑י

Post by Jason Hare »

—2. meaning uncertain: on אֵל רֳאִי Gn 16:13a, see especially White ZAW 87 (1975) 28559 and Westermann BK 1/2:296: either —a. God of seeing, of perception; or —b. God who sees me (רֳאִי‎ = רֹאִי, see Westermann BK 1/2: 279); —c. further support for the first suggestion (a) is now given by H.P. Müller Monotheismus im Alten Israel und in seiner Umwelt 122108: El of seeing, being seen; cf. the Ugaritic place name Ilštmʿ and Ilištamʿi (Fisher Parallels 2: p. 264 entry 14, and p. 352 entry 152) “El of hearing” (as well as e.g. White, and also Westermann, see above); in support of the second suggestion (b) see esp. Sept. ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐπιδών με and Vulg. tu deus qui vidisti me, and see further Westermann BK 1/2:296.
Source: Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1163.

It is uncertain. Perhaps the isn’t so firm as a pronoun marker, but that is where it comes from. Notice from HALOT that both Greek and Latin translations included the “me” element.
Jason Hare
Tel Aviv, Israel
The Hebrew Café
יוֹדֵ֣עַ צַ֭דִּיק נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּ֑וֹ וְֽרַחֲמֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים אַכְזָרִֽי׃
ספר משלי י״ב, י׳
wilens
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 11:11 am
Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Re: Genesis 16:13. The God who sees. רֳאִ֑י

Post by wilens »

Thanks for the pronoun suffix lesson. Now I know to check the declension of my pronouns. Before, I only looked at the Biblehub description which is "noun - masculine singular."
David Wilens
self educated Bible learner
User avatar
Jason Hare
Posts: 1920
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:07 am
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Contact:

Re: Genesis 16:13. The God who sees. רֳאִ֑י

Post by Jason Hare »

wilens wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 6:22 am Thanks for the pronoun suffix lesson. Now I know to check the declension of my pronouns. Before, I only looked at the Biblehub description which is "noun - masculine singular."
Do you study Hebrew at all or just use Biblehub?
Jason Hare
Tel Aviv, Israel
The Hebrew Café
יוֹדֵ֣עַ צַ֭דִּיק נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּ֑וֹ וְֽרַחֲמֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים אַכְזָרִֽי׃
ספר משלי י״ב, י׳
Post Reply