Genesis 21

Birth of Isaac

1Then Adonai visited Sarah just as He had said, and Adonai did for Sarah just as He had spoken.

2So Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time that God had told him.

3Abraham named his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore for him—Isaac.

4Then Abraham circumcised Isaac, his eight-day-old son, just as God had commanded him.

5Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac his son was born to him.

6So Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me! Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

7She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham, ‘Sarah has nursed children’? For I have given birth to a son in his old age!”

Ishmael Banished, Yet Delivered

8The child grew and was weaned—Abraham made a big feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

9But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian whom she had born to Abraham—making fun.

10So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this female slave and her son, for the son of this female slave will not be an heir with my son—with Isaac.”

11Now the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s eyes on account of his son.

12But God said to Abraham, “Do not be displeased about the boy and your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For through Isaac shall your seed be called.

13Yet I will also make the son of the slave woman into a nation, because he is your seed.”

14So Abraham got up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away. She went and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15When the water from the skin was finished, she abandoned the child under one of the bushes.

16Then she went and sat herself down opposite, about a bowshot away, for she had said, “I can’t bear to see the child dying!” So she sat down opposite and lifted up her voice and wept.

17Then God heard the boy’s voice and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and He said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, because God has heard the boy’s voice where he is.

18Get up! Lift the boy up, and hold on to him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the water skin, and gave the boy a drink.

20God was with the boy and he grew. He dwelled in the wilderness and became an archer.

21He dwelled in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Covenant of Abimelech and Abraham

22Now it came about at that same time that Abimelech—with Phicol the commander of his army---said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.

23So now, make a pledge to me here, by God, that you will not violate your word with me or with my descendants or with my offspring. As I have shown loyalty to you, show the same to me, and to the land in which you have lived as an outsider.”

24Abraham said, “I make a pledge.”

25Now Abraham had rebuked Abimelech because of the well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized.

26So Abimelech said, “I don’t know who did this thing. Nor did you tell me, nor did I hear about it until today.”

27Then Abraham took a flock of sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

28Abraham set seven young ewe-lambs apart from the flock of sheep by themselves.

29Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe-lambs that you’ve set by themselves mean?”

30He said, “You are to accept the seven ewe-lambs from my hand, so that they may be a witness for me that I dug this well.”

31That is why that place is named Beer-sheba, because there both of them made a pledge,

32and they made a covenant in Beer-sheba. Then Abimelech got up, with Phicol the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.

33Then he planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba and called there on the Name of Adonai, the Everlasting God.

34He lived as an outsider in the land of the Philistines for many days.

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Genesis 21

Isaac Is Born

1The Lord graciously remembered and visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for her as He had promised. 2So Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. 3Abraham named his son Isaac (laughter), the son to whom Sarah gave birth. 4So Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, just as God had commanded him. 5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. 6Sarah said, “God has made me laugh; all who hear [about our good news] will laugh with me.” 7And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have given birth to a son by him in his old age.”

8The child [Isaac] grew and was #This was probably when the child was about three years of age. Samuel served in the sanctuary from the time that he was weaned (1 Sam 1:22-28), and a Hebrew mother is quoted in 2 Maccabees 7:27 as saying to her son that she nursed him for three years.weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Sarah Turns against Hagar

9Now [as time went on] Sarah saw [Ishmael] the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, #Ishmael was old enough to know better than to ridicule or tease his much younger brother, and his behavior was inappropriate and thoughtless.mocking [Isaac]. 10Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” 11The situation #Lit was very displeasing in the eyes of Abraham.distressed Abraham greatly because of his son [Ishmael]. 12God said to Abraham, “Do not let it distress you because of Ishmael and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her and do what she asks, for your descendants will be named through Isaac. 13And I will also make a nation of [Ishmael] the son of the maid, because he is your descendant.” 14So Abraham got up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her #Ishmael was born when Abraham was eighty-six years old (Gen 16:16), so Ishmael was about fourteen when Isaac was born, and about sixteen or seventeen years old when Isaac was weaned (Gen 21:8; 2 Chr 31:16).away. And she left [but lost her way] and wandered [aimlessly] in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

15When the water in the skin was all gone, Hagar abandoned the boy under one of the bushes. 16Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And as she sat down opposite him, she raised her voice and wept. 17God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from where he is [resting]. 18Get up, help the boy up, and hold him by the hand, for I will make him a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the [empty] skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

20God was with Ishmael, and he grew and developed; and he lived in the wilderness and became an [expert] archer. 21He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Covenant with Abimelech

22Now at that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do; 23so now, swear to me here by God that you will not deal unfairly with me [by breaking any agreements we have] or with my son or with my descendants, but as I have treated you with kindness, you shall do the same to me and to the land in which you have sojourned (temporarily lived).” 24And Abraham said, “I will swear.” 25Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water which the servants of Abimelech had [violently] seized [from him], 26Abimelech said, “I do not know who did this thing. Indeed, you did not tell me, and I did not hear of it until today.”

27So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant (binding agreement). 28Then Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs of the flock, 29and Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set apart?” 30Abraham said, “You are to accept these seven ewe lambs from me as a witness for me, that I dug this well.” 31Therefore that place was called Beersheba (Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), because there the two of them swore an oath. 32So they made a covenant at Beersheba; then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, got up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord [in prayer], #Heb El Olam.the Eternal God. 34And Abraham lived [as a resident alien] in the land of the Philistines for #I.e. an extended period of time.many days.

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