1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, 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 old 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 Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
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 Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, 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 sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
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 bow shot: 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 angel 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 nation.
19 And God opened 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 archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God 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 reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had 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 made 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 well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
1 And the LORD H3068 visited H6485 Sarah H8283 as he had said, H559 and the LORD H3068 did H6213 unto Sarah H8283 as he had spoken. H1696
2 For Sarah H8283 conceived, H2029 and bare H3205 Abraham H85 a son H1121 in his old age, H2208 at the set time H4150 of which God H430 had spoken H1696 to him.
3 And Abraham H85 called H7121 the name H8034 of his son H1121 that was born H3205 unto him, whom Sarah H8283 bare H3205 to him, Isaac. H3327
4 And Abraham H85 circumcised H4135 his son H1121 Isaac H3327 being eight H8083 days H3117 old, H1121 as God H430 had commanded H6680 him.
5 And Abraham H85 was an hundred H3967 years H8141 old, H1121 when his son H1121 Isaac H3327 was born H3205 unto him.
6 And Sarah H8283 said, H559 God H430 hath made H6213 me to laugh, H6712 so that all that hear H8085 will laugh H6711 with me.
7 And she said, H559 Who would have said H4448 unto Abraham, H85 that Sarah H8283 should have given children H1121 suck? H3243 for I have born H3205 him a son H1121 in his old age. H2208
8 And the child H3206 grew, H1431 and was weaned: H1580 and Abraham H85 made H6213 a great H1419 feast H4960 the same day H3117 that Isaac H3327 was weaned. H1580
9 And Sarah H8283 saw H7200 the son H1121 of Hagar H1904 the Egyptian, H4713 which she had born H3205 unto Abraham, H85 mocking. H6711
10 Wherefore she said H559 unto Abraham, H85 Cast out H1644 this bondwoman H519 and her son: H1121 for the son H1121 of this bondwoman H519 shall not be heir H3423 with my son, H1121 even with Isaac. H3327
11 And the thing H1697 was very H3966 grievous H3415 in Abraham's H85 sight H5869 because H182 of his son. H1121
12 And God H430 said H559 unto Abraham, H85 Let it not be grievous H3415 in thy sight H5869 because of the lad, H5288 and because of thy bondwoman; H519 in all that Sarah H8283 hath said H559 unto thee, hearken H8085 unto her voice; H6963 for in Isaac H3327 shall thy seed H2233 be called. H7121
13 And also of the son H1121 of the bondwoman H519 will I make H7760 a nation, H1471 because he is thy seed. H2233
14 And Abraham H85 rose up early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and took H3947 bread, H3899 and a bottle H2573 of water, H4325 and gave H5414 it unto Hagar, H1904 putting H7760 it on her shoulder, H7926 and the child, H3206 and sent her away: H7971 and she departed, H3212 and wandered H8582 in the wilderness H4057 of Beersheba. H884
15 And the water H4325 was spent H3615 in H4480 the bottle, H2573 and she cast H7993 the child H3206 under one H259 of the shrubs. H7880
16 And she went, H3212 and sat her down H3427 over against H5048 him a good way off, H7368 as it were a bowshot: H2909 H7198 for she said, H559 Let me not see H7200 the death H4194 of the child. H3206 And she sat H3427 over against him, and lift up H5375 her voice, H6963 and wept. H1058
17 And God H430 heard H8085 the voice H6963 of the lad; H5288 and the angel H4397 of God H430 called H7121 to Hagar H1904 out of heaven, H8064 and said H559 unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? H1904 fear H3372 not; for God H430 hath heard H8085 the voice H6963 of the lad H5288 where he is.
18 Arise, H6965 lift up H5375 the lad, H5288 and hold H2388 him in thine hand; H3027 for I will make H7760 him a great H1419 nation. H1471
19 And God H430 opened H6491 her eyes, H5869 and she saw H7200 a well H875 of water; H4325 and she went, H3212 and filled H4390 the bottle H2573 with water, H4325 and gave H8248 the lad H5288 drink. H8248
20 And God H430 was with the lad; H5288 and he grew, H1431 and dwelt H3427 in the wilderness, H4057 and became an archer. H7235 H7199
21 And he dwelt H3427 in the wilderness H4057 of Paran: H6290 and his mother H517 took H3947 him a wife H802 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
22 And it came to pass at that time, H6256 that Abimelech H40 and Phichol H6369 the chief captain H8269 of his host H6635 spake H559 unto Abraham, H85 saying, H559 God H430 is with thee in all that thou doest: H6213
23 Now therefore swear H7650 unto me here H2008 by God H430 that thou wilt not deal falsely H8266 with me, nor with my son, H5209 nor with my son's son: H5220 but according to the kindness H2617 that I have done H6213 unto thee, thou shalt do H6213 unto me, and to the land H776 wherein thou hast sojourned. H1481
24 And Abraham H85 said, H559 I will swear. H7650
25 And Abraham H85 reproved H3198 Abimelech H40 because H182 of a well H875 of water, H4325 which Abimelech's H40 servants H5650 had violently taken away. H1497
26 And Abimelech H40 said, H559 I wot H3045 not who hath done H6213 this thing: H1697 neither H3808 didst thou tell H5046 me, neither H3808 yet heard H8085 I of it, but H1115 to day. H3117
27 And Abraham H85 took H3947 sheep H6629 and oxen, H1241 and gave H5414 them unto Abimelech; H40 and both of them H8147 made H3772 a covenant. H1285
28 And Abraham H85 set H5324 seven H7651 ewe lambs H3535 of the flock H6629 by themselves.
29 And Abimelech H40 said H559 unto Abraham, H85 What H2008 mean these seven H7651 ewe lambs H3535 which thou hast set H5324 by themselves?
30 And he said, H559 For these seven H7651 ewe lambs H3535 shalt thou take H3947 of my hand, H3027 that H5668 they may be a witness H5713 unto me, that I have digged H2658 this well. H875
31 Wherefore he called H7121 that place H4725 Beersheba; H884 because there they sware H7650 both of them. H8147
32 Thus they made H3772 a covenant H1285 at Beersheba: H884 then Abimelech H40 rose up, H6965 and Phichol H6369 the chief captain H8269 of his host, H6635 and they returned H7725 into the land H776 of the Philistines. H6430
33 And Abraham planted H5193 a grove H815 in Beersheba, H884 and called H7121 there on the name H8034 of the LORD, H3068 the everlasting H5769 God. H410
34 And Abraham H85 sojourned H1481 in the Philistines' H6430 land H776 many H7227 days. H3117
1 And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh. Every one that heareth will laugh with me.
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, 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 `gave her' the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
15 And the water in the bottle was spent, 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 look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad. And the angel 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 thy hand. For I will make him a great nation.
19 And God opened 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 he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God 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 reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, I know 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 they two made 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, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. Because there they sware both of them.
32 So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 And `Abraham' planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
1 And Jehovah hath looked after Sarah as He hath said, and Jehovah doth to Sarah as He hath spoken;
2 and Sarah conceiveth, and beareth a son to Abraham, to his old age, at the appointed time that God hath spoken of with him;
3 and Abraham calleth the name of his son who is born to him, whom Sarah hath born to him -- Isaac;
4 and Abraham circumciseth Isaac his son, `being' a son of eight days, as God hath commanded him.
5 And Abraham `is' a son of a hundred years in Isaac his son being born to him,
6 and Sarah saith, `God hath made laughter for me; every one who is hearing laugheth for me.'
7 She saith also, `Who hath said to Abraham, Sarah hath suckled sons, that I have born a son for his old age?'
8 And the lad groweth, and is weaned, and Abraham maketh a great banquet in the day of Isaac's being weaned;
9 and Sarah seeth the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she hath borne to Abraham, mocking,
10 and she saith to Abraham, `Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of this handmaid hath no possession with my son -- with Isaac.'
11 And the thing is very wrong in the eyes of Abraham, for his son's sake;
12 and God saith unto Abraham, `Let it not be wrong in thine eyes because of the youth, and because of thy handmaid: all that Sarah saith unto thee -- hearken to her voice, for in Isaac is a seed called to thee.
13 As to the son of the handmaid also, for a nation I set him, because he `is' thy seed.'
14 And Abraham riseth early in the morning, and taketh bread, and a bottle of water, and giveth unto Hagar (placing `it' on her shoulder), also the lad, and sendeth her out; and she goeth on, and goeth astray in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba;
15 and the water is consumed from the bottle, and she placeth the lad under one of the shrubs.
16 And she goeth and sitteth by herself over-against, afar off, about a bow-shot, for she said, `Let me not look on the death of the lad;' and she sitteth over-against, and lifteth up her voice, and weepeth.
17 And God heareth the voice of the youth; and the messenger of God calleth unto Hagar from the heavens, and saith to her, `What to thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath hearkened unto the voice of the youth where he `is';
18 rise, lift up the youth, and lay hold on him with thy hand, for for a great nation I set him.'
19 And God openeth her eyes, and she seeth a well of water, and she goeth and filleth the bottle `with' water, and causeth the youth to drink;
20 and God is with the youth, and he groweth, and dwelleth in the wilderness, and is an archer;
21 and he dwelleth in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother taketh for him a wife from the land of Egypt.
22 And it cometh to pass at that time that Abimelech speaketh -- Phichol also, head of his host -- unto Abraham, saying, `God `is' with thee in all that thou art doing;
23 and now, swear to me by God here: thou dost not lie to me, or to my continuator, or to my successor; according to the kindness which I have done with thee thou dost with me, and with the land in which thou hast sojourned.'
24 And Abraham saith, `I -- I do swear.'
25 And Abraham reasoned with Abimelech concerning the matter of a well of water which Abimelech's servants have taken violently away,
26 and Abimelech saith, `I have not known who hath done this thing, and even thou didst not declare to me, and I also, I have not heard save to-day.'
27 And Abraham taketh sheep and oxen, and giveth to Abimelech, and they make, both of them, a covenant;
28 and Abraham setteth seven Lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech saith unto Abraham, `What `are' they -- these seven lambs which thou hast set by themselves?'
30 And he saith, `For -- the seven lambs thou dost accept from my hand, so that it becometh a witness for me that I have digged this well;'
31 therefore hath he called that place `Beer-Sheba,' for there have both of them sworn.
32 And they make a covenant in Beer-Sheba, and Abimelech riseth -- Phichol also, head of his host -- and they turn back unto the land of the Philistines;
33 and `Abraham' planteth a tamarask in Beer-Sheba, and preacheth there in the name of Jehovah, God age-during;
34 and Abraham sojourneth in the land of the Philistines many days.
1 And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as he had spoken.
2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 And Sarah said, God has made me laugh: all that hear will laugh with me.
7 And she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle children? For I have borne [him] a son in his old age.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
10 And she said to Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son -- with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because of thy handmaid: [in] all that Sarah hath said to thee hearken to her voice, for in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee.
13 But also the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a flask of water, and gave [it] to Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder -- and the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
15 And the water was exhausted from the flask; and she cast the child under one of the shrubs,
16 and she went and sat down over against [him], a bow-shot off; for she said, Let me not behold the death of the child. And she sat over against [him], and lifted up her voice and wept.
17 And God heard the voice of the lad. And the Angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens, and said to her, What [aileth] thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad there, where he is.
18 Arise, take the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make of him a great nation.
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the lad drink.
20 And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech, and Phichol the captain of his host, spoke to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.
23 And now swear to me here by God that thou wilt not deal deceitfully with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson. According to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land in which thou sojournest.
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, I do not know who has done this, neither hast thou told me [of it], neither have I heard [of it] but to-day.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, What [mean] these seven ewe-lambs, these which thou hast set by themselves?
30 And he said, That thou take the seven ewe-lambs of my hand, that they may be a witness to me that I have dug this well.
31 Therefore he called that place Beer-sheba, because there they had sworn, both of them.
32 And they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the captain of his host, and returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 And [Abraham] planted a tamarisk in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Eternal ùGod.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
1 Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken.
2 Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.{Isaac means "He laughs."}
4 Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him.
6 Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me."
7 She said, "Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age."
8 The child grew, and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
9 Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this handmaid and her son! For the son of this handmaid will not be heir with my son, even with Isaac."
11 The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son.
12 God said to Abraham, "Don't let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your handmaid. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For from Isaac will your seed be called.
13 Also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is your seed."
14 Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 The water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 She went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. For she said, "Don't let me see the death of the child." She sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.
17 God heard the voice of the boy. The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Don't be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
18 Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation."
19 God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink.
20 God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.
21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
22 It happened at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.
23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner."
24 Abraham said, "I will swear."
25 Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 Abimelech said, "I don't know who has done this thing. Neither did you tell me, neither did I hear of it, until today."
27 Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant.
28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 Abimelech said to Abraham, "What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?"
30 He said, "You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well."
31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba,{Beersheba can mean "well of the oath" or "well of seven."} because they both swore there.
32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God.
34 Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days.
1 And the Lord came to Sarah as he had said and did to her as he had undertaken.
2 And Sarah became with child, and gave Abraham a son when he was old, at the time named by God.
3 And Abraham gave to his son, to whom Sarah had given birth, the name Isaac.
4 And when his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham made him undergo circumcision, as God had said to him.
5 Now Abraham was a hundred years old when the birth of Isaac took place.
6 And Sarah said, God has given me cause for laughing, and everyone who has news of it will be laughing with me.
7 And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would have a child at her breast? for see, I have given him a son now when he is old.
8 And when the child was old enough to be taken from the breast, Abraham made a great feast.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with Isaac.
10 So she said to Abraham, Send away that woman and her son: for the son of that woman is not to have a part in the heritage with my son Isaac.
11 And this was a great grief to Abraham because of his son.
12 But God said, Let it not be a grief to you because of the boy and Hagar his mother; give ear to whatever Sarah says to you, because it is from Isaac that your seed will take its name.
13 And I will make a nation of the son of your servant-woman, because he is your seed.
14 And early in the morning Abraham got up, and gave Hagar some bread and a water-skin, and put the boy on her back, and sent her away: and she went, wandering in the waste land of Beer-sheba.
15 And when all the water in the skin was used up, she put the child down under a tree.
16 And she went some distance away, about an arrow flight, and seating herself on the earth, she gave way to bitter weeping, saying, Let me not see the death of my child.
17 And the boy's cry came to the ears of God; and the angel of God said to Hagar from heaven, Hagar, why are you weeping? have no fear, for the child's cry has come to the ears of God.
18 Come, take your child in your arms, for I will make of him a great nation.
19 Then God made her eyes open, and she saw a water-spring, and she got water in the skin and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the boy, and he became tall and strong, and he became a bowman, living in the waste land.
21 And while he was in the waste land of Paran, his mother got him a wife from the land of Egypt.
22 Now at that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the captain of his army, said to Abraham, I see that God is with you in all you do.
23 Now, then, give me your oath, in the name of God, that you will not be false to me or to my sons after me, but that as I have been good to you, so you will be to me and to this land where you have been living.
24 And Abraham said, I will give you my oath.
25 But Abraham made a protest to Abimelech because of a water-hole which Abimelech's servants had taken by force.
26 But Abimelech said, I have no idea who has done this thing; you never gave me word of it, and I had no knowledge of it till this day.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement together.
28 And Abraham put seven young lambs of the flock on one side by themselves.
29 Then Abimelech said, What are these seven lambs which you have put on one side?
30 And he said, Take these seven lambs from me as a witness that I have made this water-hole.
31 So he gave that place the name Beer-sheba, because there the two of them had given their oaths.
32 So they made an agreement at Beer-sheba, and Abimelech and Phicol, the captain of his army, went back to the land of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham, after planting a holy tree in Beer-sheba, gave worship to the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.
34 And Abraham went on living in the land of the Philistines as in a strange country.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 21
Commentary on Genesis 21 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Birth of Isaac. - Jehovah did for Sarah what God had promised in Genesis 17:6 (cf. Genesis 18:14): she conceived, and at the time appointed bore a son to Abraham, when he was 100 years old. Abraham gave it the name of Jizchak (or Isaac), and circumcised it on the eighth day. The name for the promised son had been selected by God, in connection with Abraham's laughing (Genesis 17:17 and Genesis 17:19), to indicate the nature of his birth and existence. For as his laughing sprang from the contrast between the idea and the reality; so through a miracle of grace the birth of Isaac gave effect to this contrast between the promise of God and the pledge of its fulfilment on the one hand, and the incapacity of Abraham for begetting children, and of Sarah for bearing them, on the other; and through this name, Isaac was designated as the fruit of omnipotent grace working against and above the forces of nature. Sarah also, who had previously laughed with unbelief at the divine promise (Genesis 18:12), found a reason in the now accomplished birth of the promised son for laughing with joyous amazement; so that she exclaimed, with evident allusion to his name, “ A laughing hath God prepared for me; every one who hears it will laugh to me ” (i.e., will rejoice with me, in amazement at the blessing of God which has come upon me even in my old age), and gave a fitting expression to the joy of her heart, in this inspired tristich (Genesis 21:7): “ Who would have said unto Abraham: Sarah is giving suck; for I have born a son to his old age .” מלּל is the poetic word for דּבּר , and מי before the perfect has the sense of - whoever has said, which we should express as a subjunctive; cf. 2 Kings 20:9; Psalms 11:3, etc.
Expulsion of Ishmael. - The weaning of the child, which was celebrated with a feast, furnished the outward occasion for this. Sarah saw Ishmael mocking, making ridicule on the occasion. “Isaac, the object of holy laughter, was made the butt of unholy wit or profane sport. He did not laugh ( צחק ), but he made fun ( מצחק ). The little helpless Isaac a father of nations! Unbelief, envy, pride of carnal superiority, were the causes of his conduct. Because he did not understand the sentiment, 'Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?' it seemed to him absurd to link so great a thing to one so small” (Hengstenberg). Paul calls this the persecution of him that was after the Spirit by him that was begotten after the flesh (Galatians 4:29), and discerns in this a prediction of the persecution, which the Church of those who are born after the spirit of faith endures from those who are in bondage to the righteousness of the law.
Genesis 21:9-13
Sarah therefore asked that the maid and her son might be sent away, saying, the latter “shall not be heir with Isaac.” The demand, which apparently proceeded from maternal jealousy, displeased Abraham greatly “ because of his son, ” - partly because in Ishmael he loved his own flesh and blood, and partly on account of the promise received for him (Genesis 17:18 and Genesis 17:20). But God ( Elohim , since there is no appearance mentioned, but the divine will was made known to him inwardly) commanded him to comply with Sarah's demand: “ for in Isaac shall seed (posterity) be called to thee .” This expression cannot mean “thy descendants will call themselves after Isaac,” for in that case, at all events, זרעך would be used; for “in (through) Isaac shall seed be called into existence to thee,” for קרא does not mean to call into existence; but, “in the person of Isaac shall there be posterity to thee, which shall pass as such,” for נקרא includes existence and the recognition of existence. Though the noun is not defined by any article, the seed intended must be that to which all the promises of God referred, and with which God would establish His covenant (Genesis 17:21, cf. Romans 9:7-8; Hebrews 11:18). To make the dismissal of Ishmael easier to the paternal heart, God repeated to Abraham (Genesis 21:13) the promise already given him with regard to this son (Genesis 17:20).
Genesis 21:14-16
The next morning Abraham sent Hagar away with Ishmael. The words, “ he took bread and a bottle of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it ( שׂם participle, not perfect) upon her shoulder, and the boy, and sent her away, ” do not state the Abraham gave her Ishmael also to carry. For ואת־היּלד does not depend upon שׂם and ויּתּן because of the copula ו , but upon יקּח , the leading verb of the sentence, although it is separated from it by the parenthesis “putting it upon her shoulder.” It does not follow from these words, therefore, that Ishmael is represented as a little child. Nor is this implied in the statement which follows, that Hagar, when wandering about in the desert, “cast the boy under one of the shrubs,” because the water in the bottle was gone. For ילד like נער does not mean an infant, but a boy, and also a young man (Genesis 4:23); - Ishmael must have been 15 or 16 years old, as he was 14 before Isaac was born (cf. Genesis 21:5, and Genesis 16:16); - and השׁליך , “to throw,” signifies that she suddenly left hold of the boy, when he fell exhausted from thirst, just as in Matthew 15:30 ῥίπτειν is used for laying hastily down. Though despairing of his life, the mother took care that at least he should breathe out his life in the shade, and she sat over against him weeping, “in the distance as archers,” i.e., according to a concise simile very common in Hebrew, as far off as archers are accustomed to place the target. Her maternal love could not bear to see him die, and yet she would not lose sight of him.
Genesis 21:17-19
Then God heard the voice (the weeping and crying) of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “ What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the boy, where he is ” ( באשר for אשׁר בּמקום , 2 Samuel 15:21), i.e., in his helpless condition: “ arise, lift up the lad, ” etc. It was Elohim , not Jehovah , who heard the voice of the boy, and appeared as the angel of Elohim , not of Jehovah (as in Genesis 16:7), because, when Ishmael and Hagar had been dismissed from Abraham's house, they were removed from the superintendence and care of the covenant God to the guidance and providence of God the ruler of all nations. God then opened her eyes, and she saw what she had not seen before, a well of water, from which she filled the bottle and gave her son to drink.
Genesis 21:20-21
Having been miraculously saved from perishing by the angel of God, Ishmael grew up under the protection of God, settled in the wilderness of Paran, and “ became as he grew up an archer .” Although preceded by יגדּל , the רבה is not tautological; and there is no reason for attributing to it the meaning of “archer,” in which sense רבב alone occurs in the one passage Genesis 49:23. The desert of Paran is the present large desert of et-Tih , which stretches along the southern border of Canaan, from the western fringe of the Arabah, towards the east to the desert of Shur ( Jifar ), on the frontier of Egypt, and extends southwards to the promontories of the mountains of Horeb (vid., Numbers 10:12). On the northern edge of this desert was Beersheba (proleptically so called in Genesis 21:14), to which Abraham had removed from Gerar; so that in all probability Hagar and Ishmael were sent away from his abode there, and wandered about in the surrounding desert, till Hagar was afraid that they should perish with thirst. Lastly, in preparation for Genesis 25:12-18, it is mentioned in Genesis 21:21 that Ishmael married a wife out of Egypt.
Abimelech's Treaty with Abraham. - Through the divine blessing which visibly attended Abraham, the Philistine king Abimelech was induced to secure for himself and his descendants the friendship of a man so blessed; and for that purpose he went to Beersheba, with his captain Phicol , to conclude a treaty with him. Abraham was perfectly ready to agree to this; but first of all he complained to him about a well which Abimelech's men had stolen, i.e., had unjustly appropriated to themselves. Abimelech replied that this act of violence had never been made known to him till that day, and as a matter of course commanded the well to be returned. After the settlement of this dispute the treaty was concluded, and Abraham presented the king with sheep and oxen, as a material pledge that he would reciprocate the kindness shown, and live in friendship with the king and his descendants. Out of this present he selected seven lambs and set them by themselves; and when Abimelech inquired what they were, he told him to take them from his hand, that they might be to him (Abraham) for a witness that he had digged the well. It was not to redeem the well, but to secure the well as his property against any fresh claims on the part of the Philistines, that the present was given; and by the acceptance of it, Abraham's right of possession was practically and solemnly acknowledged.
From this circumstance, the place where it occurred received the name שׁבע בּאר , i.e., seven-well, “because there they sware both of them.” It does not follow from this note, that the writer interpreted the name “oath-well,” and took שׁבע in the sense of שׁבעה . The idea is rather the following: the place received its name from the seven lambs, by which Abraham secured to himself possession of the well, because the treaty was sworn to on the basis of the agreement confirmed by the seven lambs. There is no mention of sacrifice, however, in connection with the treaty (see Genesis 26:33). נשׁבּע to swear, lit., to seven one's self, not because in the oath the divine number 3 is combined with the world-number 4, but because, from the sacredness of the number 7, the real origin and ground of which are to be sought in the number 7 of the work of creation, seven things were generally chosen to give validity to an oath, as was the case, according to Herodotus (3, 8), with the Arabians among others. Beersheba was in the Wady es-Seba , the broad channel of a winter-torrent, 12 hours' journey to the south of Hebron on the road to Egypt and the Dead Sea, where there are still stones to be found, the relics of an ancient town, and two deep wells with excellent water, called Bir es Seba , i.e., seven-well (not lion-well, as the Bedouins erroneously interpret it): cf. Robinson 's Pal. i. pp. 300ff.
Here Abraham planted a tamarisk and called upon the name of the Lord (vid., Genesis 4:26), the everlasting God. Jehovah is called the everlasting God, as the eternally true, with respect to the eternal covenant, which He established with Abraham (Genesis 17:7). The planting of this long-lived tree, with its hard wood, and its long, narrow, thickly clustered, evergreen leaves, was to be a type of the ever-enduring grace of the faithful covenant God.
Abraham sojourned a long time there in the Philistines' land. There Isaac was probably born, and grew up to be a young man (Genesis 22:6), capable of carrying the wood for a sacrifice; cf. Genesis 22:19. The expression “in the land of the Philistines” appears to be at variance with Genesis 21:32, where Abimelech and Phicol are said to have returned to the land of the Philistines. But the discrepancy is easily reconciled, on the supposition that at that time the land of the Philistines had no fixed boundary, at all events, towards the desert. Beersheba did not belong to Gerar, the kingdom of Abimelech in the stricter sense; but the Philistines extended their wanderings so far, and claimed the district as their own, as is evident from the fact that Abimelech's people had taken the well from Abraham. On the other hand, Abraham with his numerous flocks would not confine himself to the Wady es Seba , but must have sought for pasture-ground in the whole surrounding country; and as Abimelech had given him full permission to dwell in his land (Genesis 20:15), he would still, as heretofore, frequently come as far as Gerar, so that his dwelling at Beersheba (Genesis 22:19) might be correctly described as sojourning (nomadizing) in the land of the Philistines.