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.

The Birth and Naming of Isaac

The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had spoken.

Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

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

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

Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

She said, “Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

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

Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away

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

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, Isaac.”

The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son.

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.

I will also make a nation of the son of the handmaid, because he is your seed.”

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.

The water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

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.

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.

Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation.”

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

God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.

He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.

The Covenant at Beersheba

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

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.”

Abraham said, “I will swear.”

Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this thing. You didn’t tell me, neither did I hear of it, until today.”

Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant.

Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?”

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.”

Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because they both swore there.

So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days.

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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