The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis

Chapter 21

Isaac is born and circumcised, 1-5. Sarah's joy, 6, 7. Isaac is weaned, 8. Hagar and Ishmael are cast out, 9-14. Hagar in distress, 15, 16. The angel relieves and comforts her, 17-21. Abimelech's covenant with Abraham at Beer-sheba, 22-34.

1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, "God has made me to laugh so that all who hear will laugh with me." 7 And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah shall nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."

8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast the day that Isaac was weaned.

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 10 Therefore, she said to Abraham, "Cast out this woman-servant and her son. For the son of this woman-servant shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. 12 And God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy and because of your woman-servant. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For in Isaac your offspring shall be called. 13 And also of the son of the woman-servant I will make a nation because he is your child." 14 And Abraham rose early in the morning, took bread and a bottle of water, gave it to Hagar (putting it on her shoulder) and the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16 And she went and sat herself down over against him a good way off, about a bow-shot, for she said, "Do not let me see the death of the child." And she sat over against him and raised her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy. And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand, for I will make him a great nation." 19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 And God was with the boy, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took for him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me and to the land in which you have sojourned." 24 And Abraham said, "I will swear." 25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26 And Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing, neither did you tell me, neither yet have I heard of it, but today."

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and both of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What do these seven ewe-lambs mean which you have set by themselves?" 30 And he said, "For these seven ewe-lambs you shall take from my hand so that they may be a witness to me that I have dug this well." 31 Therefore, he called that place Beer-sheba, because there the both of them swore. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. Then Abimelech arose, with Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Genesis, Chapter 21[➚]

Notes

[v.10] - Quoted in Galatians 4:30.

[v.12] - Quoted in Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18.

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