Genesis 16:9

So the angel of the LORD told her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The angel of the LORD speaks to Hagar while she is fleeing from her mistress Sarai, positioned between Hagar’s confession of flight in Genesis 16:8 and the promise of multiplied offspring in Genesis 16:10.

The words — The verbs שׁוּבִי (Shuvi) and הִתְעַנִּי (hit'ani) literally mean "return" and "humble yourself." They function as a direct command to go back and submit under her mistress’s authority.

The thread — This directive to yield to authority aligns with the submission themes in 1 Peter 5:5, Ecclesiastes 10:4, and Ephesians 5:21. These passages extend the principle of humble submission to various relational and ecclesiastical contexts.

Why it lands — The text commands immediate return and submission without guaranteeing an alteration of Hagar’s circumstances. A reader must recognize that obedience to present authority is presented as the required response before divine intervention.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he saidלָהּ֙la/hto <the>/ herמַלְאַ֣ךְmal.'Akh[the] angel of יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh שׁ֖וּבִיShu.vireturn אֶל־'el-to גְּבִרְתֵּ֑ךְge.vir.Te/khmistress/ your וְהִתְעַנִּ֖יve./hit.'a.Niand/ humble yourself תַּ֥חַתTa.chatunder יָדֶֽיהָ׃ya.Dei./hahands/ her

King James Version

And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

Cross-references

1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Ecclesiastes 10:4 If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.
Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Titus 2:9 Slaves are to submit to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative,
1 Peter 2:18 Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.