What significance does the naming of the well hold in Genesis 16:14? Text in Focus “Therefore the well was called Beer–lahai–roi. It is located between Kadesh and Bered.” (Genesis 16:14) Key Facts about the Name • Beer = “well” • Lahai = “of the living one” • Roi = “who sees me” • Full sense: “Well of the Living One who sees me” Why the Name Matters 1. Personal Testimony • Hagar, an Egyptian slave, names the site after meeting “the Angel of the LORD” (v. 7–13). • The name preserves her confession: God is alive and He sees. • It turns a private encounter into a public proclamation. 2. Revelation of God’s Character • God is “the Living One” (Deuteronomy 5:26; Joshua 3:10). • God is the One “who sees” (Psalm 33:13-15; Proverbs 15:3). • The well’s title links both truths: He is present and observant. 3. Enduring Memorial • Naming fixed the event geographically “between Kadesh and Bered,” enabling later generations to verify and remember. • Similar memorial names: Bethel (Genesis 28:19), Jehovah-jireh (22:14). • Names teach history through the land itself. 4. Assurance for the Covenant Line • Isaac later “was coming from Beer-lahai-roi” (Genesis 24:62) and “dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi” (25:11). • The promised son lives near the well first marked by God’s care for an outcast, highlighting grace threaded through the covenant story. 5. Hope for the Oppressed • Hagar’s situation—pregnant, mistreated, alone—makes the name a banner for anyone who feels unseen (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15). • It testifies that the Living God both notices and intervenes. Take-Home Reflections • Every time Scripture mentions Beer-lahai-roi, readers are reminded that God’s eyes are on His people. • Memorial names challenge believers to mark their own encounters with God, passing faith stories down the line. • The literal well still sitting in southern Canaan anchors the spiritual truth in real geography, underscoring the Bible’s historical reliability. |
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