Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 16:13/אבן עזרא על בראשית ט״ז:י״ג

אאל ראי. על משקל רָאָה עָני (איכה ג א) כטעם אל מראה:

1A GOD OF SEEING. Ro’ i (seeing) follows the paradigm of oni (affliction).²⁰ i, like oni, is a noun (Krinsky) and both are vocalized with a chataf kamatz beneath the first letter. Compare, I am the man that hath seen affliction (oni) (Lam. 3:1). The meaning of a God of seeing is a God who appears in visions.

בהגם הלום. כמו עתה והנכון שהוא כמו פה, וכן "הבא עוד הלום איש" (ש"א י כב) והטעם הגם פה ראיתי מלאך השם אחר שראה השם בעניי, כי הוא ראי תמיד:

2HAVE I EVEN HERE. The commentaries translate halom as now.²¹ However, its correct meaning is here. Halom (hither) in Is there yet a man come hither (halom) (I Sam. 10:22) is similar. The meaning ha-gam halom ra’iti achare ro’ i (have I even here seen Him that seeth me) is: have I even here seen an angel of God after God saw my affliction, because God constantly seeth me (ro’i).²²’i) really see my affliction and send an angel to me in the dessert. The clause literally reads: Have I even here seen after He seeth me. I.E. apparently views our verse as abridged or perhaps in her excitement Hagar did not complete her thoughts.