Literatura ng Ikalawang Templo sa Genesis 16:7: On Flight and Finding

[119] Having now said all that was called for on the subject of fugitives, we will go on to treat of what comes next in natural sequence. The next words are “An angel of the Lord found her” (Gen. 16:7)—the angel who decreed a return home to a soul whose shame was like to lead into wandering, and well-nigh was its escort back to the frame of mind which wanders not.

[177] In what preceded we have spoken about finding, having previously dealt with flight. We will now pass on in turn to the points which follow next in our plan of treatment. We read, then, “An angel of the Lord found her at the water-spring” (Gen. 16:7). “Spring” is a word used in many senses. In the first place, our mind is so called; secondly, the reasoning habit  and education; thirdly, the bad disposition; fourthly, its opposite, the good disposition; fifthly, the Maker and Father of the Universe Himself.

[202] On the subject of springs all that the occasion required has now been said. But it is with a most carefully considered meaning that Hagar is represented by the sacred oracles as found by the spring but not drawing water from it (Gen. 16:7). For a soul, while making gradual progress, is not yet capable of availing itself of Wisdom’s untempered draught, but such a soul is not prevented from staying hard by her.