Genesis 21:8-21

Genesis 21:8-Ecclesiastes : . Sarah Forces Abraham to Send Hagar and Ishmael away.— The narrative is from E. Note the use of Elohim, the revelation to Abraham by night, the voice of the angel from heaven, Abraham’ s residence in the Negeb. The story is told with wonderful literary power and pathos. The writer deeply feels and conveys to his readers the brutality of the treatment accorded to Hagar and her son, the mother’ s helpless agony, and the child’ s pitiful torture by thirst.

As was customary, a feast was made when Isaac was weaned, about the age of three. Sarah saw Ishmael and Isaac playing together on equal terms (RV “ mocking” is quite misleading). She resents this, and sees that if they grow up together her son’ s prospects may be injured. Presumably the children of a concubine had a claim to some share in the property. Sarah is determined that Ishmael shall have nothing. She leaves nothing to chance; Hagar and Ishmael must be driven away at once; what will become of them she neither knows nor cares. Abraham comes out better than his tigerish wife; not so much indeed— he betrays little concern for Hagar, whom yet he had made the mother of his son; for the son himself he has some compunction. Perhaps he would not have consented but for God’ s bidding. That He should bid him acquiesce does not represent Him in an unfavourable light, for mother and child are in His care, and from the son a nation will spring. So with scanty provision, though more than our “ bottle” suggests, Hagar is turned out early next morning, with her child on her shoulder (so LXX). Her hoarded water spent, with no prospect of replenishing her waterskin, she puts down the child she has wearily carried, under a shrub to shield him from the sun. She leaves him that she may not watch his death agony, but still keeps him in sight as she sits in dumb despair. The child is not dumb but lifts up its voice and weeps (so LXX). Man’ s extremity is God’ s opportunity; He hears the lad’ s voice, bids her be of good cheer, for He will make him a great nation. She sees a well of water, to which her eyes had been sealed, and gives her child water. He thrives and becomes an archer, like his descendants. He dwells in Paran ( Genesis 14:6) W. of Edom, and marries a wife of his mother’ s country ( Genesis 21:9; Genesis 16:1).

Genesis 21:9 . playing ( mg.) : add with LXX, Vulg., “ with Isaac her son.”

Genesis 21:10 . Quoted Galatians 4:30. Paul’ s reference to Ishmael as persecuting Isaac rests on Rabbinical exegesis of the word rendered “ mocking.”

Genesis 21:12 . in Isaac· . . . called: quoted Romans 9:7, Hebrews 11:18. Isaac alone is to be reckoned as Abraham’ s seed.

Genesis 21:14 . Beersheba: (p. 32) 28 miles SW. of Hebron.

Genesis 21:19 . Presumably E added at this point “ Therefore she called the name of her son Ishmael” (God hears), as Genesis 21:17 leads us to expect. It would be omitted by the redactor of JE as it would clash with the explanation in J’ s story ( Genesis 16:11).