Cast out into the harsh wilderness, a young boy's survival and transformation into a formidable, independent warrior unfolds under extraordinary Divine supervision. God maintained a special, protective watch over him, guarding him against the dangers of the desert and wild beasts [מלבי״ם]. This careful oversight granted him immense success in his endeavors [רד״ק] and demonstrated God's control over nature to fulfill the earlier promise made to Abraham that the boy would eventually become a great nation [קונטרס חיבה יתירה, ביאור יש״ר]. As he matured, he also accumulated significant wealth and property [רד״ק]. Interestingly, his physical maturation truly began only after his expulsion from Abraham's home. This delayed development explains why he was previously so vulnerable and nearly died of thirst during his initial journey [קונטרס חיבה יתירה].
His path was marked by wandering, fulfilling the prophecy that he would live as a free, nomadic wild man, far removed from settled civilization [מלבי״ם, חזקוני]. Having left his father's house with nothing, he was forced to forge his own path and survive by hunting [ביאור יש״ר].
To sustain himself, he became highly skilled with a bow. The primary approach among commentators is that he developed into a marksman who shot arrows and hurled stones. However, another perspective suggests he was simply known as a young man who wielded a bow [רד״ק, רבינו חננאל, דעת זקנים, בכור שור, חזקוני], while a unique interpretation posits that he was an educator who trained and raised a new generation of archers [רש ר הירש]. His relationship with the weapon went beyond casual use; archery became his defining profession and craft, much like a master hunter or tradesman [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, העמק דבר, רש״י, רלב״ג, הכתב והקבלה]. A few commentators maintain that his expertise even extended to the actual manufacturing and building of the bows themselves [שד״ל, רמב״ן].
Ultimately, he was not merely someone who shot arrows, but an absolute master of archery, combining the practical action of shooting with deep professional expertise [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה, לבוש האורה, ברכת אשר על התורה, דברי דוד]. Remarkably, he acquired this extraordinary skill entirely on his own, guided only by God's providence and without any human instructor [העמק דבר]. This lethal talent served a dual purpose. Beyond hunting for food, he used his mastery of the bow to ambush and rob travelers passing through the desert, fully realizing the prophecy that his hand would be against everyone [רש״י, יריעות שלמה]. This martial legacy did not end with him. It took deep root in his descendants, such as the sons of Kedar, who grew into heroic warriors and archers, carrying forward the formidable trade of their father [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].