Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1 The Lord k visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah l as he had promised. 2 And Sarah m conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age n at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, o Isaac. 1 4 And Abraham p circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, q as God had commanded him. 5 r Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, s "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." 7 And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? t Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

God Protects Hagar and Ishmael

8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah u saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, v laughing. 2 10 So she said to Abraham, w "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for x through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make y a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring." 14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of z Beersheba.

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation." 19 Then a God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness b and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

A Treaty with Abimelech

22 At that time c Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, d "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 or with my descendants or with my posterity, but e as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned." 24 And Abraham said, "I will swear."

25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants f had seized, 26 Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today." 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men g made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?" 30 He said, "These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this 3 may be a witness for me that I dug this well." 31 Therefore h that place was called Beersheba, 4 because there both of them swore an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and i called there on the name of the Lord, j the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:21
    Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 17:19
    God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
    Genesis 18:10
    The Lord said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
    Genesis 18:14
    Is anything too hard for the Lord ? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.
  3. Cross References
    Hebrews 11:11
    By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
    Galatians 4:22
    For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 17:21
    But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 17:19
    God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
  6. Cross References
    Acts 7:8
    And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 17:10
    This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
    Genesis 17:12
    He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring.
  8. Cross References
    Genesis 17:1
    When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.
    Genesis 17:17
    Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?
    Romans 4:19
    He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
  9. Cross References
    Isaiah 54:1
    Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married," says the Lord.
    Galatians 4:27
    For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 18:11 - 12
    Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 16:1
    Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.
    Genesis 16:15
    And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
  12. Cross References
    Galatians 4:29
    But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
  13. Cross References
    Galatians 4:30
    But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.
  14. Cross References
    Romans 9:7
    And not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
    Hebrews 11:18
    Of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 21:18
    Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.
    Genesis 16:10
    The angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.
    Genesis 17:20
    As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 21:31
    Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath.
  17. Cross References
    Numbers 22:31
    Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.
    2 Kings 6:17 - 18
    Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see." So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
    2 Kings 6:20
    As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, "O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
    Luke 24:16
    But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
    Luke 24:31
    And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
  18. Cross References
    Genesis 16:12
    He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.
  19. Cross References
    Genesis 20:2
    And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
    Genesis 26:1
    Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines.
    Genesis 26:26
    When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.
  20. Cross References
    Genesis 26:28
    They said, "We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 20:14
    Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him.
  22. Cross References
    Genesis 26:15
    (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.)
    Genesis 26:18
    And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them.
    Genesis 26:20 - 22
    The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 26:31
    In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace.
  24. Cross References
    Genesis 26:33
    He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.
  25. Cross References
    Genesis 4:26
    To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.
    Genesis 12:8
    From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
  26. Cross References
    Isaiah 40:28
    Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
    Psalms 90:2
    Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Previous Book Next Book