Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1The LORD blessed Sarah, as he had promised, 2#Heb 11.11and she became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham when he was old. The boy was born at the time God had said he would be born. 3Abraham named him Isaac, 4#Gen 17.12; Acts 7.8and when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded. 5Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born. 6Sarah said, “God has brought me joy and laughter.#21.6 laughter: The name Isaac in Hebrew means “he laughs” (see also 17.17–19). Everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.” 7Then she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

8The child grew, and on the day that he was weaned, Abraham gave a great feast.

Hagar and Ishmael are Sent Away

9One day Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, was playing with#21.9 playing with; or making fun of. Sarah's son Isaac.#21.9 Some ancient translations with Sarah's son Isaac; Hebrew does not have these words. 10#Gal 4.29–30Sarah saw them and said to Abraham, “Send this slave and her son away. The son of this woman must not get any part of your wealth, which my son Isaac should inherit.” 11This troubled Abraham very much, because Ishmael was also his son. 12#Rom 9.7; Heb 11.18But God said to Abraham, “Don't be worried about the boy and your slave Hagar. Do whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I have promised. 13I will also give many children to the son of the slave woman, so that they will become a nation. He too is your son.”

14Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar some food and a leather bag full of water. He put the child on her back and sent her away. She left and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15When the water was all gone, she left the child under a bush 16and sat down about a hundred metres away. She said to herself, “I can't bear to see my child die.” While she was sitting there, she#21.16 she; one ancient translation the child. began to cry.

17God heard the boy crying, and from heaven the angel of God spoke to Hagar, “What are you troubled about, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy crying. 18Get up, go and pick him up, and comfort him. I will make a great nation out of his descendants.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. She went and filled the leather bag with water and gave some to the boy. 20God was with the boy as he grew up; he lived in the wilderness of Paran and became a skilful hunter. 21His mother found an Egyptian wife for him.

The Agreement between Abraham and Abimelech

22 # Gen 26.26 At that time Abimelech went with Phicol, the commander of his army, and said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23So make a vow here in the presence of God that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so promise that you will also be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living.”

24Abraham said, “I promise.”

25Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well which the servants of Abimelech had seized. 26Abimelech said, “I don't know who did this. You didn't tell me about it, and this is the first I have heard of it.” 27Then Abraham gave some sheep and cattle to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement. 28Abraham separated seven lambs from his flock, 29and Abimelech asked him, “Why did you do that?”

30Abraham answered, “Accept these seven lambs. By doing this, you admit that I am the one who dug this well.” 31And so the place was called Beersheba,#21.31 Beersheba: This name in Hebrew means “Well of the Vow” or “Well of Seven” (see also 26.33). because it was there that the two of them made a vow.

32After they had made this agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol went back to Philistia. 33Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshipped the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34Abraham lived in Philistia for a long time.

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Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1The Lord #1 Sam. 2:21 visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah #ch. 17:19; 18:10, 14as he had promised. 2And Sarah #Heb. 11:11; [Gal. 4:22] conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age #ch. 17:21at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, #ch. 17:19Isaac.#21:3 Isaac means he laughs 4And Abraham #Acts 7:8 circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, #ch. 17:10, 12as God had commanded him. 5#ch. 17:1, 17; Rom. 4:19Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6And Sarah said, #[Isa. 54:1; Gal. 4:27]“God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? #ch. 18:11, 12Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

God Protects Hagar and Ishmael

8And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9But Sarah #ch. 16:1, 15 saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, #[Gal. 4:29]laughing.#21:9 Possibly laughing in mockery 10So she said to Abraham, #Cited Gal. 4:30“Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for #Cited Rom. 9:7; Heb. 11:18through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13And I will make #ver. 18; ch. 16:10; 17:20a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 14So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of #ver. 31Beersheba.

15When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19Then #Num. 22:31; 2 Kgs. 6:17, 18, 20; [Luke 24:16, 31]God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness #ch. 16:12and became an expert with the bow. 21He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

A Treaty with Abimelech

22At that time #ch. 20:2; [ch. 26:1, 26] Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, #[ch. 26:28]“God is with you in all that you do. 23Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but #ch. 20:14as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

25When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants #[ch. 26:15, 18, 20-22]had seized, 26Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” 27So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men #ch. 26:31made a covenant. 28Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this#21:30 Or you may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” 31Therefore #ch. 26:33that place was called Beersheba,#21:31 Beersheba means well of seven or well of the oath because there both of them swore an oath. 32So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and #ch. 4:26; 12:8 called there on the name of the Lord, #Isa. 40:28; [Ps. 90:2]the Everlasting God. 34And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.

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