Chapter 21

1 Isaac is born. 4 He is circumcised. 6 Sarah’s joy. 9 Hagar and Ishmael are cast forth. 15 Hagar in distress. 17 The angel comforteth her. 22 Abimelech’s covenant with Abraham at Beer-sheba.

1. The Lord visited Sarah. This divine act of grace is called a “visit” of the Lord. The verb here translated “to visit,” when used of a “visit” of the Lord, may refer either to His coming in judgment to punish men (Isa. 24:21; Jer. 9:25; Hosea 12:3; etc.) or, as here, to favor them (Gen. 50:24; Ruth 1:6; 1 Sam. 2:21).

The birth of Isaac was contrary to the usual course of nature (Gal. 4:23; Heb. 11:11). From time to time in God’s dealings with the chosen people He gave them miraculous evidences of His divine power and leadership in order to inspire them with confidence in Him (see John 15:11). These miracles reached a climax in the great miracle of all time—the incarnation, perfect life, vicarious death, glorious resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 3:16).

2. At the set time. Like many of God’s promises, this one was fulfilled precisely on time (see chs. 17:21; 18:10, 14). The coming of the Flood, the deliverance from Egypt, the birth of the Messiah, along with various events foretold by Daniel and John, were in fulfillment of time prophecies (Gen. 6:3; Ex. 12:41; Dan. 9:25; Gal. 4:4). Of the repeated promises made to Abraham of the birth of a son, only those immediately prior to that event made specific mention of the time of the event. At first Abraham was informed only that he would have a son. Later he was told that Sarah would give birth to that son, and only at the very last was he told when the son would be born.

3. Isaac. God had already selected a name for the child (ch. 17:19). Isaac’s name, meaning “he laughs,” was to be a perpetual reminder of the glad occasion when faith became reality (see Gen. 17:17; 18:12; 21:6; Ps. 126:2). The birth of Samuel and that of John the Baptist, both under similar circumstances, also brought great joy (1 Sam. 2:1; Luke 1:58).

4. Abraham circumcised his son. A year earlier Abraham and Ishmael, together with all male members of the household, had been circumcised. The sign of the covenant was now bestowed upon Isaac, the son of the covenant (see on ch. 17:10-14, 23).

5. Abraham was an hundred years old. Exactly 25 years had passed by since the first promise of a son (ch. 12:1–4). Whether Isaac was born at Gerar or Beersheba is not clear (see ch. 20:15; 21:31).

6. God hath made me to laugh. Sarah’s laughter a year previously had reflected cynicism and incredulity, but now she laughed for joy. The steadfastness of Abraham and Sarah through what seemed to them long, dark years of disappointment and delay, was now rewarded. To them the birth of Isaac meant the dawn of a new day (see Ps. 30:5). It was the “earnest,” or token, that the promise in its entirety—the coming of the Messiah, the gospel to all nations, and the eternal home in Canaan—would eventually be realized (Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:16; Heb. 11:9, 10). Repeated reference is made to this glad event by Bible writers (see Isa. 54:1; 51:2, 3; Gal. 4:22–28). Like Sarah, “Jerusalem which is above,” “the mother of us all,” rejoices as children of faith are born to her today (Isa. 66:10; Luke 15:10).

8. And was weaned. Among Orientals weaning took place later than it does in Western lands. According to 2 Macc. 7:27, Jewish mothers nursed their children for three years (see also 2 Chron. 31:16). Samuel appears to have been brought to the sanctuary as soon after he had been weaned as he was able to minister before the Lord (1 Sam. 1:22–28). It is an Oriental custom to celebrate the weaning of a child by a ritual feast, at which he is expected to eat a meal of solid food for the first time. This marks the close of infancy.

9. Mocking. Some commentators translate the Hebrew word mes\acheq, KJV “mocking,” as “playing,” and conclude that Sarah’s declaration in the following verse was the result of jealousy. They think she could not endure the thought of Ishmael’s sharing in Abraham’s inheritance. Others explain this text in the light of Paul’s explanation that Ishmael was expelled from his father’s home for persecuting Isaac (Gal. 4:29, 30).

The verb mes\acheq, “mocking,” is from the same root word as Isaac, “to laugh.” Here used in the intensive form, however, it expresses something more than simple laughter—rather, ridicule. Lot seemed to his sons-in-law “as one that mocked,” or made fun of their good judgment; he seemed to be joking (Gen. 19:14). The same word is used of Joseph, who, Potiphar’s wife said, had come “to mock us,” that is, to make sport of her husband’s generosity toward him (ch. 39:14–17). The revelry of the Israelites before the golden calf is also described by the same verb, translated rather inappropriately in the KJV as “to play” (Ex. 32:6). The Philistines called for blind Samson “to make sport” for them (Judges 16:25). The only instance in which the word is used in a favorable sense occurs in Gen. 26:8, where it describes Isaac’s caressing of Rebekah. According to the majority of instances in which the intensive form of this verb is used, then, Ishmael was “always mocking,” or taunting, Isaac.

Ishmael was 14 years older than Isaac, and therefore about 17 when Isaac was weaned (see ch. 16:3; 21:5). He had no doubt ever considered himself the eldest son and heir of Abraham. The birth of Isaac, however, and the weaning feast made it apparent that Sarah’s son was to replace him, and as a result his jealousy was aroused. Little wonder that Ishmael taunted Isaac on being the younger, and consequently ineligible to the rights and privileges of the birthright.

10. Cast out this bondwoman. Sarah’s words, reflecting jealousy and contempt, hardly seem appropriate for one who had suggested Hagar’s marriage to Abraham in the first place (ch. 16:2, 3). Sarah referred to Hagar as a slave and to Ishmael as the son of a slave. Of course, Sarah had the right to demand that the status of her own son be legally clarified, that no question might arise after Abraham’s death. Sarah therefore called upon her husband to send Hagar away and to disown Ishmael.

11. Grievous in Abraham’s sight. To Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael were intruders, the one a low-caste Egyptian, an alien slave, the other a half-breed youth who would always be causing trouble. Abraham, quite naturally, did not share these feelings. He did not question Isaac’s prerogatives as the promised heir, but Ishmael was also his son. For years he had thought him to be the heir rather than Isaac. Ishmael was his own flesh and blood, and he loved this lad who had been his only son for 14 years. To Abraham, it seemed impossible to comply with Sarah’s wish.

12. Hearken unto her voice. From a human point of view it seems strange that God should approve of Sarah’s somewhat selfish request. Although God was ready to bless Ishmael (see chs. 16:10; 21:13), and did not directly censure Abraham on account of Hagar, yet He never recognized Abraham’s marriage to her. To God, she was ever the “bondwoman,” not his wife. Ishmael’s incessant “mocking” (see on v. 9) made it apparent that he would continue to disturb the peace and harmony of the household during Abraham’s lifetime, and that upon Abraham’s death he would probably press his claim to the birthright by force. It was now clear that Ishmael could no longer remain in the home without danger to God’s plan for Isaac. Abraham had not sought God’s advice in taking Hagar, and that hasty act now made necessary the expulsion of a son whom he dearly loved. At the same time, God comforted Abraham with the assurance that Ishmael, as his offspring, would also share in some of the promise made to him and would become a great nation.

14. Bread, and a bottle. The word “bread” in Hebrew is a collective term for all kinds of food. The “bottle,” a goat’s skin, must have held sufficient water to last from one well to the next. Upon her previous flight Hagar seems to have set out for her home in Egypt (ch. 16:7), and perhaps intended to do so now. Abraham’s generous nature and his love for Ishmael certainly led him to make adequate provision for their journey. It seems that an emergency arose later only because they had missed their way and were wandering aimlessly about in the wilderness until their water was spent. This is implied by the word “wandered,” from a Hebrew verb that means “to err,” “to wander,” “to go astray” (see Ps. 119:176; Isa. 53:6). It was not in the purpose of God for Hagar and Ishmael to return to Egypt, for His promise concerning the boy could not be fulfilled there. The wandering in the desert was apparently a providence of God for (see Acts 17:26).

And the child. This phrase suggests that Hagar had to carry Ishmael as well as the food and water. The fact that Ishmael was now about 17 years old (see on Gen. 21:8, 9) makes it clear that Hagar could not have carried him. The text must therefore mean that Abraham placed some of the provisions upon Hagar’s shoulder and some upon Ishmael’s.

The expulsion of one of his sons must have meant intense suffering for Abraham (see v. 11). But, mindful of his own responsibility for the situation that had developed, he resigned himself to the revealed will of God in the matter. The fate of Hagar and Ishmael seems harsh in the extreme, but this they had made inevitable by their attitude toward Isaac. Had they been willing to accept a subordinate role, they might perhaps have remained in Abraham’s home until Ishmael was grown. Then Ishmael might have gone forth, married, and with a share of his father’s wealth. How often an ill-considered course of action means not only the forfeit of blessings it is our privilege to enjoy but needless suffering as well (see Jer. 5:25).

The wilderness of Beer-sheba. Beer-sheba, the major city of the northern Negeb, the semiarid southland, was the center of various caravan roads leading from trans-Jordan to the coast and from Palestine to Egypt. The wilderness was south of the city.

15. She cast the child. As noted previously, Ishmael was no longer an infant but a grown lad. The word translated “child” is sometimes rendered “young man” (see Gen. 4:23; 1 Kings 12:10). The word “cast,” although seeming to suggest rough treatment, must be understood as in Matt. 15:30, where the sick were “cast” at Jesus’ feet to be healed. This implies only that they were committed to His solicitous care. Hagar committed Ishmael to the shade of the tree, the only available means of relieving his pain. In translating the Hebrew “cast” into Greek, the LXX uses the same word as does Matthew. Though despairing of his life, the mother took care that he should at least breathe out his life in the shade; it was all she could do for him.

16. A good way off. Her leaving of Ishmael suggests that thirst had made him delirious. Her immediate presence could only add to her own suffering without alleviating his.

17. God heard the voice of the lad. The Hebrew word here translated “voice” may mean either audible or inarticulate words uttered in prayer or in despair, or may refer only to his groaning and heavy breathing. The same Hebrew word is also used to describe the roll of thunder, the rustling of leaves, the bleating of lambs, and the blast of a trumpet (see Ex. 20:18; 1 Sam. 15:14; 2 Sam. 5:24). Whatever it was, God heard, and sent His angel to Hagar with words of encouragement and a remedy for the lad’s pain.

19. God opened her eyes. Hagar was directed to a well of water in the immediate vicinity, one that had been there all the time. Divine power did not produce clear water, but clear vision. The desert wells of Palestine were artificially enlarged holes in the ground where the water of natural springs collected, whose openings were concealed by stones to prevent stray animals from falling in. Hagar was simply unaware of the existence of this particular well until providentially directed to it.

20. Became an archer. Under the continued watchcare of God, Ishmael grew up to be a hunter, thus providing for his own and his mother’s needs.

21. The wilderness of Paran. This wilderness region lies between the Gulf of ФAqaba and the Gulf of Suez, to the south of Kadesh-barnea. Though Hagar probably revisited her native land to procure a wife for her son, she returned to the desert country of southern Canaan. God Himself probably directed her to the wilderness of Paran in order that there Ishmael might be free from the corruption of Egypt. The northern part of this region, furthermore, was included in the land promised to Abraham. Perhaps it was with this in mind that Hagar chose to make it their home.

22. At the time. This may refer to the events of the preceding chapter, to the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, or to the latter’s marriage.

God is with thee. Having witnessed the blessing of heaven upon Abraham, first in Gerar and then at Beersheba, Abimelech considered it advantageous to conclude a covenant with him. Closer association with so prosperous a man might benefit him also. At first considering himself the superior of Abraham, Abimelech now recognized that Abraham was infinitely superior to him. For this purpose Abimelech and his army commander Phichol went to Beersheba to conclude a treaty with him. Phichol may be a Hebrew name meaning “the mouth of all,” the one who as commander gave orders to Abimelech’s army, or it may be a Philistine name of unknown derivation.

The fact that God is with a man cannot long remain unknown to others. The evident blessing of God upon His loyal representatives produces respect for them in the minds of those who witness their lives. About the humblest Christian is an atmosphere of dignity and power.

25. Abraham reproved Abimelech. Before concluding the proposed treaty, however, Abraham protested the unprovoked expropriation of one of his wells by Abimelech’s men. Though not specifically so stated, the well was returned at this time to Abraham’s ownership (vs. 28–30).

27. Made a covenant. Wherever he went, Abraham followed the sound policy of living at peace with his neighbors (see Jer. 29:7; Rom. 12:18). He had formed a league with Amorite chiefs, Mamre, Aner, and Eshcol, at Hebron (Gen. 14:13). He had placed the king of Sodom under obligation to him by his generosity (ch. 14:23). Now he was ready to conclude a treaty of friendship with a Philistine king. The sheep and oxen here mentioned were probably not a gift to Abimelech, but rather were the animals necessary to the ceremonial conclusion of the covenant (see on ch. 15:9–17). The verb here translated “made” is the same as in ch. 15:18, and means, literally, “to cut.” It refers to the dividing of the covenant animals, between whose parts those participating must walk. This custom was common among Semitic peoples, and was practiced even in Jeremiah’s time (Jer. 34:18, 19). Abraham and Abimelech must have followed it here.

28. Seven ewe lambs. These lambs were not used in connection with the ratification of the covenant. They were either a good-will gift, or payment for the well, which, although dug by Abraham, was apparently on Abimelech’s territory. Abimelech’s acceptance of the lambs was to “be a witness” (v. 30) to Abraham’s rights at the well in question.

31. Beer-sheba. In memory of the pact of friendship, Abraham called the place Beersheba, meaning either the “well of swearing” or the “well of seven.” It is not known whether the number seven entered into the ancient covenant ceremony. In ancient Hebrew the two words “seven” and “swearing,” at least as written, were identical. That Abraham gave “seven” lambs to Abimelech as witnesses of his oath may point to the words “seven,” shebaФ, as having some connection with the act of swearing, shabaФ. However, since this is the only Biblical occasion upon which a gift of seven animals was made in confirmation of an oath, we cannot be certain as to the validity of this suggestion.

Anciently, Beersheba was the southern-most city of the land of Canaan. The expression “from Dan even to Beer-sheba” (Judges 20:1; 2 Sam. 24:2; etc.) or “from Beer-sheba even to Dan” (1 Chron. 21:2) stood for the entire country. Beersheba has been inhabited without interruption since the days of Abraham, and has retained its ancient name to the present day. It belongs to the state of Israel and has grown vastly in a few decades, having in 1972 a population of about 84,000.

32. Land of the Philistines. The statement that Abimelech and Phichol “returned into the land of the Philistines” after concluding a treaty with Abraham at Beersheba implies that the area around this city was outside the recognized boundaries of Philistia. At the same time it was probably under the control of the prince of Gerar in Abraham’s time; otherwise it is unlikely that the question over ownership of the well would have arisen.

This is the first Biblical mention of the “land of the Philistines.” Most modern commentators have seen in this statement the historical mistake of a late author, claiming as they do that the Philistines did not enter Palestine prior to the late 13th century b.c., long after Abraham’s time. There is, however, no reason to doubt the presence of Philistines in Palestine during the patriarchal period. They are mentioned in documents of the north Syrian coastal city of Ugarit before the 15th centuryb.c. That Egyptian sources mention the Philistines about the year 1200 b.c. for the first time does not prove their nonsettlement of Palestine prior to that time. It shows only that they did not play so prominent a role as they did later in the time of Ramses III, when they and other “peoples of the sea” were so numerous as to threaten for a time to overrun Egypt (see Ex. 13:17).

33. Abraham planted a grove. The word “grove,” reminiscent of the idolatrous cult places of Palestine (Deut. 16:21; Judges 6:26; etc.), seems to imply that Abraham planted a similar sacred grove which he dedicated to the true God. But the translation “grove,” from Хeshel, is erroneous. The word Хeshel, found in similar forms in southern Arabic, Egyptian, Assyrian, and Aramaic, denotes a variety of tamarisk, a shrublike tree native to semiarid regions like the Negeb. It is slow of growth but long of life. Abraham probably planted this particular tree for no other purpose than to serve as a memorial of the transaction concerning the well. Commemorative trees are often planted today.

Called there on the name of the Lord. As elsewhere, Abraham here conducted public worship (see Gen. 12:7, 8; 13:4, 18). The object of his worship was “the everlasting God,” literally, “the God of eternity,” in contrast to the heathen deities, which are but the creatures of those who worship them (Hosea 8:6) Abraham worshipped the everlasting Witness of treaties, the eternal Source of the blessings that attended him throughout life, and the immortal Father who never fails His children.

34. Sojourned in the Philistines’ land. This seems to contradict the implication of v. 32 that Beersheba did not belong to the land of Philistia. Apparently, either (1) Philistia had no fixed boundary on its desert side, and Beersheba may have been claimed by Abimelech, or (2) Beersheba was situated on the border of Philistia, and Abraham must often have pastured his flocks across the border.

Ellen G. White comments

1-14PP 146-147; SR 79-80

2, 3, 9-14PP 146

10 SR 79

12 PP 151

33 8T 270