Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 21

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
           CHAPTER 21             

Sarah bears Isaac—He is circumcised—Promises to Abraham preserved through Isaac—Hagar and her son cast out of Abraham's household—The Lord saves Hagar and Ishmael—Abraham and Abimelech deal honorably with each other.

  1 AND the LORD avisited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto bSarah as he had spoken.
  2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a ason in his bold age, at the set ctime of which God had spoken to him.

 1a Gen. 30:22 (22-23); 1 Sam. 2:21
   b Gen. 17:19; Gen. 18:10 (10, 14)
 2a Gen. 24:36
   b TG Old Age
   c Gen. 17:21


  3 And Abraham called the name of his asona that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaaca.
  4 And Abraham acircumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
  5 And Abraham was an ahundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

 3a Abraham called his name of his son ... Isaac Isaac means 'he laughed' or that 'one laughs', perhaps not just that Sarah and Abraham 'laughed' when they were told that they would be bear a son, but that it was a 'joyous laugh' that such could be so.
  6 ¶ And Sarah said, God hath made me to alaugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
  7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his aold age.
  8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

  9 ¶ And Sarah saw the son of aHagar the Egyptian, which she had bborn unto Abraham, cmocking.
  10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, aCast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be bheir with my son, even with Isaac.
  11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his ason.

  12 ¶ And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in aIsaac shall thy bseed be called.
  13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a anation, because he is thy seed.
  14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and asent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of bBeer-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 her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
  17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the aangel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
  18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great anation.
  19 And God aopened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
  20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an aarcher.
  21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a awife out of the land of bEgypt.

  22 ¶ And it came to pass at that time, that aAbimelech and bPhichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, cGod is with thee in all that thou doest:
  23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
  24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
  25 And Abraham areproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants ahad violently taken away.
  26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
  27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them amade a covenant.
  28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
  29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
  30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this awell.
  31 Wherefore he called that place aBeer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
  32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: athen Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

 1a Gen. 16:7 (7, 14)
   b Gen. 10:19; Gen. 26:6
      BD Gerar

  33 ¶ And Abraham planted a agrove in Beer-sheba, and bcalled there on the name of the LORD, the ceverlasting God.
  34 And Abraham sojourned in the aPhilistines' land many days.