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Footnotes
Midrash is a genre of rabbinic literature that includes nonliteral elaborations of biblical texts. The midrash Genesis Rabba 84:6, for example, notes the affinities between Jacob and Joseph.
Although many translations use the term “concubine,” the Hebrew has the word isha (Genesis 16:3), which means “wife,” rather than pilegesh, which means “concubine.”
This is the second time Hagar leaves Abraham’s home; the first occurred when she was pregnant with Ishmael. On Sarah’s motives in casting out Hagar, see Jonathan Kirsch, “What Does Sarah See?” BR 14:05.
Endnotes
The terms carry this meaning in several biblical passages. For shlch with a chaf as final letter, see “And I will cast you out of My presence” (Ve-hishlachti et chem me’al panay) (Jeremiah 7:15) and “Do not cast me off in old age” (Al tashlicheni le-et ziknah) (Psalms 71:9). For shlch with chet as final letter, see “Send that woman out of my presence” (Shilchu na et zot me’alay ha-chutzah) (2 Samuel 13:17) and “The Lord God cast him out of the Garden of Eden” (Va-yeshalichehu…me-gan Eden) (Genesis 3:23).