1 And the LORD remembered Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken. 2 And Sarah conceived, and bore 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 bore 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 laughter for me; every one that heareth will laugh on account of 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, making sport. 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 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 bondwoman; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.' 14 And Abraham arose 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 strayed 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 bow-shot; 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 fast by 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 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 spoke 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: 'Verily, 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 that place was called Beer-sheba; because there they swore 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 the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
Genesis 21 JPS Tanakh (1917)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Numbers like (22-2) in the text give the Hebrew verse numbering where it differs.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abimelech
King of Gerar who took Sarah, was warned by God in a dream and returned her to Abraham, and made a covenant with Abraham at Beersheba; an Abimelech king of the Philistines at…
Cited in the guide: Genesis 20:2–3; Genesis 21:22–27; Genesis 26:1
Abraham
Called by God, he left home in faith to become the father of a chosen people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 12–25
Hagar
Sarah's Egyptian servant who bore Ishmael and met God in the wilderness.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 16, 21
Isaac
The long-promised son, nearly offered on Moriah, through whom the covenant continued.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 21–27
Phicol
Commander of Abimelech's army, who stood with him in the covenant at Beersheba with Abraham and again in the covenant with Isaac.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 21:22; Genesis 21:32; Genesis 26:26
Sarah
Wife of Abraham who bore Isaac in her old age, long after hope seemed gone.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 17-21
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 12:6; Genesis 18:10; Genesis 18:14; Genesis 17:19; Galatians 4:23
- 2 Galatians 4:22; Hebrews 11:11; Luke 1:24–25; Genesis 17:19; Luke 1:36
- 3 Genesis 17:19; Romans 9:7; Genesis 21:6; Matthew 1:2; Joshua 24:3
- 4 Acts 7:8; Genesis 17:10–12; Leviticus 12:3; John 7:22–23; Exodus 12:48
- 5 Genesis 17:17; Romans 4:19; Genesis 17:1
- 6 Psalm 126:2; Isaiah 54:1; Genesis 17:17; Luke 1:58; Galatians 4:27–28
- 7 Genesis 18:11–12; Isaiah 66:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Deuteronomy 4:32–34; Numbers 23:23
- 8 1 Samuel 1:22; Hosea 1:8; Genesis 40:20; Genesis 29:22; Psalm 131:2
- 9 Galatians 4:29; Genesis 16:15; Galatians 4:22; Genesis 16:1; Psalm 44:13–14
- 10 John 8:35; Galatians 4:22–31; 1 John 2:19; 1 Peter 1:4; Genesis 36:6–7
- 11 Hebrews 12:11; Genesis 17:18; Matthew 10:37; Genesis 22:1–2; 2 Samuel 18:33
- 12 Hebrews 11:18; Romans 9:7–8; Genesis 17:19; 1 Samuel 8:9; 1 Samuel 8:7
- 13 Genesis 16:10; Genesis 17:20; Genesis 21:18; Genesis 25:12–18
- 14 Psalm 119:60; Genesis 21:31; Proverbs 27:14; 1 Kings 19:3; Genesis 25:6
- 15 Jeremiah 14:3; 2 Kings 3:9; Psalm 63:1; Exodus 15:22–25; Exodus 17:1–3
- 16 Isaiah 49:15; Ruth 1:9; 1 Kings 3:26; Judges 2:4; 1 Samuel 30:4
- 17 Genesis 16:11; Psalm 50:15; Psalm 91:15; Exodus 3:7; Genesis 16:9
- 18 Genesis 21:13; Genesis 16:10; 1 Chronicles 1:29–31; Genesis 17:20; Genesis 25:12–18
- 19 Numbers 22:31; 2 Kings 6:17–20; Isaiah 35:5–6; Luke 24:16–31
- 20 Genesis 28:15; Genesis 39:21; Genesis 16:12; Genesis 39:2–3; Luke 1:80
- 21 Genesis 24:3–4; Genesis 26:34–35; Genesis 27:46–28:2; Numbers 12:16; 1 Samuel 25:1
- 22 Joshua 3:7; Genesis 26:28; Genesis 26:26; Genesis 20:2; Romans 8:31
- 23 Joshua 2:12; Genesis 20:14; Genesis 14:22–23; Genesis 26:28; Genesis 31:44
- 24 Hebrews 6:16; Romans 12:18; Genesis 14:13
- 25 Genesis 26:15–22; Proverbs 27:5; Matthew 18:15; Judges 1:15; Genesis 29:8
- 26 2 Kings 5:20–24; Genesis 13:7
- 27 Genesis 26:28–31; Isaiah 32:8; Proverbs 18:16; Proverbs 18:24; Ezekiel 17:13
- 29 Genesis 33:8; Exodus 12:26; 1 Samuel 15:14
- 30 Genesis 31:52; Joshua 24:27; Joshua 22:27–28; Genesis 31:44–48
- 31 Genesis 26:33; Genesis 21:14; 1 Kings 4:25; Genesis 26:23; 2 Samuel 17:11
- 32 Genesis 21:27; 1 Samuel 18:3; Genesis 10:14; Genesis 26:8; Exodus 13:17
- 33 1 Timothy 1:17; Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 90:2; Romans 16:26; Jeremiah 10:10
- 34 Psalm 39:12; Hebrews 11:13; Genesis 20:1; 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For when Isaac was born and called by that name, Sarah showed that her laughter was not that of scornful reproach, but that of joyful praise; for she said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that every one who hears will laugh with me." Then in a little while the bond maid was cast out of the house with …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And when, after he had gained his son, he was commanded to offer him up, although he had heard the word, In Isaac shall thy seed be called, he proceeded to offer up his son, his only son, to God, believing that God is able to raise up even from the dead.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… by casting out the bond maid and her son, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called." No doubt He then goes on to say, "And as for the son of this bond woman, I will make him a great nation, because he is thy seed." How then is it said "In Isaac shall thy seed be called," when God calls …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For when it is said, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called," by this seed is meant solely the city of God; so that from it is separated Abraham's other seed, which was in the son of the bond woman, and which was to be in the sons of Keturah.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)