Genesis 21:4-14

4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was ¹eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5 Now Abraham was ²one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

6 Sarah said, "God has made ³laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me."

7 And she said, "⁴Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

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

Sarah Turns against Hagar

9 Now Sarah saw ⁵the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, ⁶mocking.

10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "⁷Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac."

11 ⁸The matter distressed Abraham greatly because * of his son.

12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever * Sarah tells you, listen to her, for ⁹through Isaac your descendants shall be named.

13 "And of ¹⁰the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant."

14 So Abraham rose 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 away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.

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Genesis 21:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 21

This chapter gives an account of the conception, birth, circumcision, and weaning of Isaac, Ge 21:1-8; of the mocking of Ishmael, and of the casting out of him and his mother from Abraham's house, at the request of Sarah, which, though grievous to Abraham, he complied with at the direction of God, Ge 21:9-13; of the provision Abraham made for their departure, and of the supply they met with in the wilderness from God, where Ishmael was brought up, and where he married, Ge 21:14-21; and of a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech, king of Gerar, Ge 21:22-32; and of Abraham's planting a grove, and calling on the name of the Lord, Ge 21:33; and the chapter is closed with this observation, that Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days, Ge 21:34.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 10

1. Genesis 17:12; Acts 7:8
2. Genesis 17:17
3. Genesis 18:13; Psalms 126:2; Isaiah 54:1
4. Genesis 18:11, 13
5. Gen 16:1, 4, 15
6. Galatians 4:29
7. Galatians 4:30
8. Genesis 17:18
9. Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18
10. Genesis 16:10; Genesis 21:18; Genesis 25:12-18

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "for"
[b]. Or "playing"
[c]. Lit "with Isaac"
[d]. Lit "was very grievous in Abraham's sight"
[e]. Lit "Do not let it be grievous in your sight"
[f]. Lit "your seed will be called"
[g]. Lit "seed"
[h]. I.e. a skin used as a bottle