Genesis 16:9 - John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Bible Comments

And the angel of the Lord said unto her,.... The same angel; though Jarchi thinks that one angel after another was sent, and that at every speech there was a fresh angel; and because this phrase is repeated again and again, some of the Rabbins have fancied there were four angels r, and others five, but without any reason:

return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands; go back to her, humble thyself before her, acknowledge thy fault, enter into her service again, and be subject to her; do her work and business, bear her corrections and chastisements; and "suffer thyself to be afflicted" s, by her, as the word may be rendered; take all patiently from her, which will be much more to thy profit and advantage than to pursue the course thou art in: and the more to encourage her to take his advice, he promises the following things, Genesis 16:10.

r Bereshit Rabba, ut supra. (sect. 45. fol. 41. 1.) s התעני "te patere affligi", Junius Tremellius, Piscator "quid si, patere te affligi?" Drusius.

Genesis 16:9

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