Genesis 21:3-13

3 And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah childed to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised him in the eighth day, as God commanded to him, (And Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day, as God had commanded to him,)
5 when he was of an hundred years; for Isaac was born in this age of the father. (when he was a hundred years old; for this was the age of his father when Isaac was born.)
6 And Sarah said, The Lord hath made laughing to me (The Lord hath made me to laugh), and whoever shall hear (about this) shall laugh with me.
7 And again she said, Who should hear, and believe to Abraham (And she added, For who would have said to Abraham), that Sarah should give sucking to a son, whom she childed to him, (when he is) now an eld man?
8 Therefore the child increased, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast in the day of his weaning (and Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning).
9 And when Sarah saw the son of Hagar (the) Egyptian, playing, or doing idolatry, with Isaac her son, (And when Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, mocking her son Isaac,)
10 she said to Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of the handmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac. (she said to Abraham, Send away this slave-girl and her son; for the slave-girl's son shall not be heir with my son Isaac.)
11 Abraham took this heavily for his son; (And Abraham took this heavily, or was deeply troubled, for Ishmael was also his son;)
12 and 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 (the) seed shall be called to thee; (but God said to him, Do not thou fret over the boy and the slave-girl; hear thou all the things which Sarah saith to thee, for thy promised descendants shall come through Isaac;)
13 but also I shall make the son of the handmaid into a great folk, for he is thy seed. (but I shall also make the son of the slave-girl into a great nation, for he is also thy descendant.)

Genesis 21:3-13 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.