“Then Adonai visited Sarah as He had said, and Adonai did for Sarah just as He had spoken.”
— Genesis 21:1 (TLV)
The Hebrew verb paqad looks simple at first… most Bibles translate it as “visited.” But it’s one of those words that carries layers of meaning: to visit, to attend to, to appoint, to muster, to number, even to call to account.
God’s “Visitation”
When Genesis says God “visited” Sarah, it doesn’t mean He just popped by for coffee. It means He attended to her situation with action. He brought about the promised birth of Isaac. God’s paqad is His intentional showing up to fulfill His word.
Paqad in Judgment and Mercy
This word swings both ways:
In mercy: God “visits” His people with blessing (Genesis 50:24; Exodus 3:16).
In judgment: God “visits” iniquity (Exodus 20:5). The idea isn’t random punishment; it’s God actively calling something to account.
So paqad always implies that something changes when God shows up… either redemption or reckoning.
Why It Matters for Us
When the New Testament says God “visited His people” through Jesus (Luke 7:16), Jewish ears would have heard the echo of paqad. God wasn’t just checking in. He was intervening; attending to the brokenness of the world in the most personal way possible.
My Final Thoughts
Paqad reminds us that God doesn’t just watch history unfold; He steps right into it. He visits, attends, calls to account, and fulfills promises. Sometimes that means blessing, sometimes discipline, but always covenant faithfulness.
Reflection Questions:
Where in your life do you need God to “visit”… to attend and intervene?
How does paqad expand your understanding of both God’s mercy and His justice?
How does seeing Jesus as God’s ultimate “visitation” encourage your faith today?
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