Genesis21

God fulfills His promise to Abraham and Sarah with the miraculous birth of Isaac in their old age. Following Isaac's weaning, Sarah demands the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, a decision God affirms while also promising to make a great nation of Ishmael. Subsequently, Abraham establishes a covenant with Abimelech concerning a well, naming the place Beersheba, and calls upon the everlasting God.

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The Birth and Naming of Isaac

Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised.

So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.

When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”

She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,

and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”

Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael.

But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.

But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”

Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes.

Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I cannot bear to watch the boy die!” And as she sat nearby, she lifted up her voice and wept.

Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies.

Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

And God was with the boy, and he grew up and settled in the wilderness and became a great archer.

And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

The Covenant at Beersheba

At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.

Now, therefore, swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or descendants. Show to me and to the country in which you reside the same kindness that I have shown to you.”

And Abraham replied, “I swear it.”

But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,

Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”

So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.

Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock,

and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”

He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.”

So that place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.

After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army got up and returned to the land of the Philistines.

And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.

And Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

Study Notes for Genesis 21

Verse 1

This verse emphasizes God's faithfulness by stressing that He fulfilled His promise to Sarah exactly as He had spoken, confirming the miraculous nature of Isaac’s birth.

Verse 2

Sarah's conception at the 'set time' (the specific appointed moment) highlights the sovereignty and precision of God’s timing in fulfilling the covenant promise (cf. Gen 18:10).

Verse 3

The name Isaac means 'he laughs.' This name serves as a constant reminder of the laughter of doubt (Gen 18:12) transformed into the laughter of joy (Gen 21:6).

Verse 4

Abraham’s immediate circumcision of Isaac follows the sign of the covenant established in Genesis 17, demonstrating obedience and formally integrating Isaac into the covenant community.

Verse 6

Sarah’s declaration marks a dramatic shift: her initial skeptical laughter has been replaced by joyous, faith-filled laughter. She recognizes the divine miracle, expecting others to share her joy.

Verse 8

Weaning in the ancient Near East often occurred between the ages of two and five. The accompanying great feast marked the child’s transition from dependency to early childhood.

Verse 9

Ishmael was likely a teenager (around 14–17 years old). The word 'mocking' (*metzaheq*) implies malicious derision or persecution against Isaac, threatening his position as the primary heir (cf. Galatians 4:29).

Verse 10

Sarah demands the removal of Ishmael to secure Isaac's sole inheritance. This painful separation was necessary to clarify the lineage through which the covenant promises would flow.

Verse 12

God affirms Sarah’s harsh command, confirming that the covenant line (*thy seed shall be called*) runs exclusively through Isaac. This establishes the principle of divine election within salvation history.

Verse 13

Though excluded from the covenant promises given to Isaac, God assures Abraham that Ishmael, being his biological seed, will also become the founder of a great nation, fulfilling the earlier promise made in Genesis 16:10.

Verse 14

Abraham's provision of meager supplies emphasizes Hagar's dependence on immediate divine intervention once they enter the wilderness, a place of extreme vulnerability.

Verse 17

God hears the voice of the lad (Ishmael), demonstrating that divine compassion extends beyond the covenant people; God attends to the distress of all those who cry out to Him.

Verse 18

The Angel of God repeats the promise made to Abraham (v. 13) directly to Hagar, giving her assurance and a future purpose for her son despite their current desolation.

Verse 19

God opens Hagar's eyes, allowing her to see the provision that was already there. This physical miracle often symbolizes the need for divine intervention to perceive God's help.

Verse 20

Ishmael's survival and growth as an archer confirms the prophecy from Genesis 16:12 that he would be a 'wild donkey of a man,' flourishing independently in the wilderness.

Verse 22

Abimelech’s approach demonstrates that Abraham’s prosperity and military success were clearly visible to the surrounding Canaanite leaders, leading them to acknowledge God’s favor upon him.

Verse 23

Abimelech seeks a non-aggression pact, recognizing Abraham's growing power and desiring security for his own descendants against potential future conflict.

Verse 25

Water rights were crucial for survival and livestock in the arid climate. This dispute highlights the tension between Abraham, the sojourner, and the settled inhabitants over vital resources.

Verse 27

The exchange of sheep and oxen served as a customary way to seal the covenant, establishing mutual obligations and confirming the agreement between the parties.

Verse 30

The seven ewe lambs function as a legal witness, establishing Abraham's undeniable claim to the well. This ritual confirms his ownership through purchase and excavation.

Verse 31

The place name Beersheba means either 'Well of the Oath' (referencing the sworn covenant) or 'Well of Seven' (referencing the seven lambs used as witnesses).

Verse 33

Planting a grove (or tamarisk tree) indicates Abraham’s intention to settle permanently in this location. Calling upon El Olam, 'The Everlasting God,' links the local covenant to the eternal nature of the divine.

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Genesis21

The Birth and Naming of Isaac

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

The Covenant at Beersheba

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