Genesis 21

Sarah Has a Son

1The Lord was good to Sarah and kept his promise. 2#He 11.11. Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said. 3Abraham named his son Isaac, 4#Gn 17.12; Ac 7.8. and when the boy was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as God had commanded.

5Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, 6and Sarah said, “God has made me laugh.#21.6 God has made me laugh: In Hebrew “Isaac” sounds like “laugh.” And now everyone will laugh with me. 7Who would have dared to tell Abraham that someday I would have a child? But in his old age, I have given him a son.”

8The time came when Sarah no longer had to nurse Isaac,#21.8 no longer had to nurse Isaac: In ancient Israel mothers nursed their children until they were about three years old. Then there was a family celebration. and on that day Abraham gave a big feast.

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

9-10 # Ga 4.29,30. One day, Sarah noticed Hagar's son Ishmael#21.9,10 Ishmael: The son of Abraham and Hagar, who was Sarah's slave woman (see 16.1-16). playing,#21.9,10 playing: Hebrew; one ancient translation “playing with her son Isaac.” and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that Egyptian slave woman and her son! I don't want him to inherit anything. It should all go to my son.”#21.9,10 Get rid … son: When Abraham accepted Ishmael as his son, it gave Ishmael the right to inherit part of what Abraham owned. But slaves who were given their freedom lost the right to inherit such property.

11Abraham was worried about Ishmael. 12#Ro 9.7,8; He 11.17,18. But God said, “Abraham, don't worry about your slave woman and the boy. Just do what Sarah tells you. Isaac will inherit your family name, 13but the son of the slave woman is also your son, and I will make his descendants into a great nation.”

14Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away.

They wandered around in the desert near Beersheba, 15and after they had run out of water, Hagar put her son under a bush. 16Then she sat down a long way off, because she could not bear to watch him die. And she cried bitterly.

17When God heard the boy crying, the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven and said, “Hagar, why are you worried? Don't be afraid. I have heard your son crying. 18Help him up and hold his hand, because I will make him the father of a great nation.” 19Then God let her see a well. So she went to the well and filled the skin with water, then gave some to her son.

20-21God blessed Ishmael, and as the boy grew older, he became an expert at hunting with his bow and arrows. He lived in the Paran Desert, and his mother chose an Egyptian woman for him to marry.

A Peace Treaty

22 # Gn 26.26. About this time Abimelech and his army commander Phicol said to Abraham, “God blesses everything you do! 23Now I want you to promise in the name of God that you will always be loyal to me and my descendants, just as I have always been loyal to you in this land where you have lived as a foreigner.” 24And so, Abraham promised he would.

25One day, Abraham told Abimelech, “Some of your servants have taken over one of my wells.”

26“This is the first I've heard about it,” Abimelech replied. “Why haven't you said something before? I don't have any idea who did it.” 27Abraham gave Abimelech some sheep and cattle, then the two men made a peace treaty.

28Abraham separated seven female lambs from his flock of sheep, 29and Abimelech asked, “Why have you done this?”

30Abraham replied, “I want you to accept these seven lambs as proof that I dug this well.” 31So they called the place Beersheba,#21.31 Beersheba: Meaning “Well of Good Fortune” or “Peace Treaty Well.” because they made a treaty there.

32When the treaty was completed, Abimelech and his army commander Phicol went back to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree#21.33 tamarisk tree: A tall shade tree that has deep roots and needs little water. in Beersheba and worshiped the eternal Lord God. 34Then Abraham lived a long time as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines.

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Genesis 21

CHAPTER 21

1Forsooth God visited Sarah, as he promised, and [ful] filled those things, that he spake.

2And she conceived, and childed a son in her eld age, in the time wherein God before-said to her.

3And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah childed to him, Isaac.

4And Abraham circumcised him in the eighth day, as God commanded to him,

5when he was of an hundred years; for Isaac was born in this age of the father.

6And Sarah said, The Lord hath made laughing to me, and whoever shall hear shall laugh with me.

7And again she said, Who should hear, and believe to Abraham, that Sarah should give sucking to a son, whom she childed to him, when he is now an eld [or old] man?

8Therefore the child increased, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast in the day of his weaning.

9And when Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, playing, or doing idolatry, with Isaac her son,

10she said to Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of the handmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac.

11Abraham took this heavily for his son;

12and God said to him, Be it not seen sharp to thee on the child, and on thine handmaid; all things which Sarah saith to thee, hear thou her voice, for in Isaac seed shall be called to thee;

13but also I shall make the son of the handmaid into a great folk, for he is thy seed.

14And so Abraham rose early, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and put it on Hagar’s shoulder, and he betook to her the child#21:14 Ishmael would be about 15 years old at this time., and let go her; and when she had gone, she went out of the way in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15And when the water in the bottle was ended, she cast away the child under a tree that was there;

16and she went away, and she sat even against, as far as a bow may cast; for she said, I shall not see the child dying; and she sat against, and raised [up] her voice, and wept.

17Forsooth the Lord heard the voice of the child, and the angel of the Lord called Hagar from heaven, and said, What doest thou, Hagar? do not thou dread, for God hath heard the voice of the child, from the place wherein he is.

18Rise thou, and take the child, and hold his hand; for I shall make him into a great folk.

19And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went, and filled the bottle, and she gave drink to the child;

20and God was with him, and he increased, and dwelled in wilderness, and he was made a young man an archer,

21and dwelled in the desert of Paran; and his mother took to him a wife of the land of Egypt.

22In the same time, Abimelech, and Phicol, prince of his host, said to Abraham, God is with thee in all things that thou doest;

23therefore swear thou by God that thou harm not me, and mine heirs, and my kindred; but by the mercy which I did to thee, do thou to me, and to the land in which thou livedest as a comeling.

24And Abraham said, I shall swear.

25And he blamed Abimelech for the well of water, which his servants took away by violence.

26And Abimelech answered, I wist not who did this thing, but also thou showedest not to me, and I heard not except today.

27And so Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave to Abimelech, and both smote together a bond of peace.

28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock asides half.

29And Abimelech said to him, What will these seven ewe lambs mean to themselves, which thou madest stand asides half?

30And he said, Thou shalt take of mine hand seven ewe lambs, that those [or they] be into witnessing to me, for I digged this well.

31Therefore that place was called Beersheba, that is, The Well of the Oath#21:31 Beersheba also means ‘the Well of the Seven’., for ever either swore there;

32and they made bond of peace for the well of an oath. Forsooth Abimelech rose, and Phicol, the prince of his chivalry, and they turned again into the land of Palestines.

33Soothly Abraham planted a wood in Beersheba, and inwardly called there the name of [the] everlasting God;

34and he was an earth-tiller, or a comeling, of the land of Palestines in many days.

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