Commentary for Genesis 21:16
וַתֵּלֶךְ֩ וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב לָ֜הּ מִנֶּ֗גֶד הַרְחֵק֙ כִּמְטַחֲוֵ֣י קֶ֔שֶׁת כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֔ה אַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַתִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת־קֹלָ֖הּ וַתֵּֽבְךְּ׃
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow-shot; for she said: ‘Let me not look upon the death of the child.’ And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.
Rashi on Genesis
מנגד means some distance away.
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Radak on Genesis
ותלך, after she had thrown Ishmael under one of the small trees, she went away a distance and sat down.
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Haamek Davar on Genesis
And she went to sit across from him: A second time, to indicate that she distanced herself more than a bowshot, since she wanted to cry out loud. But she did not want the child to hear her crying; as this is hard for a sick person - whether he will recover or whether he will die. Hence she distanced herself further and she raised her voice and cried.
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