Genesis 21:19
Context21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. 1 She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
Genesis 24:16
Context24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 2 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.


[21:19] 1 tn Heb “And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.” The referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:16] 2 tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.