### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ṭâchâh**, represented by `{{H2909}}`, is a primitive root meaning **to stretch a bow, as an archer**, and is used to denote a **(bow-) shot**. This highly specific term appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, where it serves as a measure of distance.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H2909}}` is used to illustrate a moment of profound maternal anguish. In [[Genesis 21:16]], after being cast out, Hagar places her son Ishmael under a shrub and moves "a good way off, as it were a **bowshot**" [[Genesis 21:16]]. This distance was chosen because she could not bear to watch the child die. The term vividly establishes a physical separation born directly from emotional desperation.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from this passage illuminate the context of desperation and separation:
* `{{H7368}}` **râchaq** (to widen... remove... far): This word, used in [[Genesis 21:16]] to describe Hagar moving "a good way off," emphasizes the theme of distance. It is also used to describe God removing transgressions from his people [[Psalms 103:12]].
* `{{H4194}}` **mâveth** (death): This is the reality Hagar is trying to escape by creating the distance of a bowshot, as she says, "Let me not see the **death** of the child" [[Genesis 21:16]]. The word is central to understanding the stakes of her situation.
* `{{H3206}}` **yeled** (something born, i.e. a lad or offspring): This identifies the focus of Hagar's sorrow, her **child**. The word is used throughout scripture to refer to children in various contexts, from the promise of a child born to us [[Isaiah 9:6]] to the children of whoredoms [[Hosea 1:2]].
* `{{H1058}}` **bâkâh** (to weep; generally to bemoan): After creating this distance, Hagar "lift up her voice, and **wept**" [[Genesis 21:16]]. This word captures the emotional release that follows her act of separation, a theme found in moments of mourning and supplication [[Joel 2:17]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H2909}}` is found entirely within its singular, powerful context:
* **A Measure of Grief:** A "bowshot" is not merely a unit of length but becomes a measurement of a mother's anguish. It is the precise distance she needed to preserve her sanity in the face of her child's impending death.
* **The Boundary of Endurance:** The distance marks a physical boundary that corresponds to an emotional one. Hagar moves just far enough away that she does not have to see the tragedy, establishing a limit to what she can bear.
* **Tangible Separation:** The word provides a tangible and relatable image for an intangible feeling. By using the familiar length of an archer's shot, the text makes Hagar's desperate act of separation vivid and understandable.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2909}}` is a rare term whose meaning is defined by its sole appearance in scripture. While its base definition is a practical one—the distance of a bowshot—its application in [[Genesis 21:16]] transforms it into a powerful symbol. It illustrates how a specific, concrete measure can be used to convey the depth of human suffering, marking the painful distance between a mother and her dying child.
TRV