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Genesis 21

KJV · Chapter 21/50

1And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

2For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

3And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

5And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

6And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

7And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

8And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10Wherefore 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.

11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

12And 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 hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14And Abraham rose 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 wandered in the wilderness of Beer–sheba.

15And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17And 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.

18Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19And 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.

20And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

23Now 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.

24And Abraham said, I will swear.

25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

26And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

27And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

30And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.

31Wherefore he called that place Beer–sheba; because there they sware both of them.

32Thus they made a covenant at Beer–sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

33And Abraham planted a grove in Beer–sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

34And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Sarah finally gives birth to Isaac, just as promised; because of conflict between the sons, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away, but God cares for them in the desert; Abraham makes a covenant of peace with Abimelech at Beersheba.

Explanation

This chapter is the long-awaited fulfillment of the promise: 25 years after God's initial call (Genesis 12), Isaac is born, and his very name ('he laughs') celebrates the joy and surprise of this long-delayed blessing. The expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, though painful, is permitted by God, who reaffirms his special care for them, saving their lives in the desert and promising to make Ishmael into a great nation as well — showing that God's grace reaches even those who fall outside the main line of the promise. The chapter ends with Abraham establishing a lasting peace treaty with Abimelech at Beersheba, reinforcing his reputation as a man of integrity favored by God among the neighboring peoples. The central lesson is that God's promises are fulfilled at the right time, even when they seem delayed to human eyes.

Fun facts

  • The name of the well 'Beersheba' can mean either 'well of the oath' or 'well of the seven,' a direct reference to the seven ewe lambs Abraham set apart as a witness of the covenant with Abimelech (v. 28-31).
  • The apostle Paul uses the rivalry between Ishmael (son of the slave woman) and Isaac (son of the promise) in Galatians 4 as an allegory between living by the law and living by grace, showing how this family story gained a broader spiritual meaning in the New Testament.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Genesis 21:1After so many promises and delays, the text marks the fulfillment: the LORD does exactly what He had promised Sarah, without further delay.
  2. Genesis 21:2Sarah becomes pregnant and has a son in her old age, at the exact time God had determined—the promise that seemed impossible in the earlier chapters is finally fulfilled.
  3. Genesis 21:3Abraham names the son Isaac, meaning “he laughs”—the same name already announced by God, carrying his parents’ laughter of disbelief from chapters 17 and 18.
  4. Genesis 21:4Abraham circumcises Isaac at eight days old, following to the letter the rule God had established in chapter 17 for every male descendant.
  5. Genesis 21:5Marks Abraham’s age at Isaac’s birth, 100—twenty-five years after the first promise of descendants, back in chapter 12.
  6. Genesis 21:6Sarah says, “God hath made me to laugh”: the son’s name, Isaac, means exactly that, “he laughs,” in Hebrew. It’s a play on words that runs through the whole story: Sarah laughed in disbelief when she heard she would have a son in her old age, and now she laughs with joy for the same reason. The boy’s name preserves that joke forever.
  7. Genesis 21:7Sarah reflects on how unlikely the situation seemed: no one would have said that she, so old, would still nurse a son—reinforcing the astonishment behind the name Isaac.
  8. Genesis 21:8The text jumps ahead to Isaac’s weaning, marked by a great feast—an important event at the time, since children were nursed much longer than they are today.
  9. Genesis 21:9Sarah sees Hagar’s son mocking Isaac during the feast—this behavior is the spark for the request she makes in the next verse.
  10. Genesis 21:10Sarah asks Abraham to cast out “this bondwoman and her son,” afraid that Ishmael would share the inheritance with Isaac. At the time, the son a patriarch had with his wife’s slave really could claim a share of the estate—Sarah’s concern wasn’t pettiness, it was a real legal issue. Only after God promises Ishmael a separate future does Abraham agree to send them away.
  11. Genesis 21:11Abraham is deeply troubled by Sarah’s request, because he still cared for Ishmael as his son, even knowing the main promise would continue through Isaac.
  12. Genesis 21:12God steps in and tells Abraham not to worry, confirming that Sarah’s decision is right: it is through Isaac that the promised line will continue.
  13. Genesis 21:13Even while confirming that the main promise continues through Isaac, God guarantees that He will also make a nation out of Ishmael, because he too is Abraham’s son.
  14. Genesis 21:14Abraham sends Hagar off with nothing but “bread, and a bottle of water” on her shoulder, the bare minimum given to someone traveling on foot through the desert. Shortly afterward the water runs out and she comes to think her son will die of thirst—the text shows that this simple provision barely lasted.
  15. Genesis 21:15The water Hagar was carrying runs out, and she leaves the boy under a bush, not knowing what else to do about his thirst.
  16. Genesis 21:16Hagar moves away so as not to watch her son die, and weeps at a distance—the despair of a mother who believes she has no way out left.
  17. Genesis 21:17God hears the boy’s crying, and an angel appears to Hagar telling her not to be afraid, because God had already heard his suffering—the same kind of intervention she had already experienced in chapter 16.
  18. Genesis 21:18The angel instructs Hagar to get up and hold her son by the hand, repeating the promise that Ishmael will become a great nation.
  19. Genesis 21:19God opens Hagar’s eyes to a well she hadn’t seen before—the provision arrives right when there seemed to be no solution left.
  20. Genesis 21:20Sums up Ishmael’s growth in the wilderness, noting that he became a skilled archer—the same kind of independent life already described by the angel in chapter 16.
  21. Genesis 21:21Ishmael settles in the wilderness of Paran, and it is his own mother, Hagar, who chooses an Egyptian wife for him—echoing Hagar’s own Egyptian origin.
  22. Genesis 21:22Abimelech seeks out Abraham, publicly acknowledging that God was with him in everything—a recognition that leads to the formal agreement told through the rest of the chapter.
  23. Genesis 21:23Abimelech asks Abraham for an oath sworn “by God,” asking for loyalty to himself, his son, and his grandson. Written contracts like today’s didn’t exist: swearing by God’s name was the official agreement, breakable only at the risk of divine punishment—which is why kings and patriarchs swore with such formality before closing any deal.
  24. Genesis 21:24Abraham agrees to take the oath Abimelech requests, agreeing to maintain a relationship of loyalty between the two families.
  25. Genesis 21:25Before closing the agreement, Abraham takes the chance to complain about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized by force—a practical conflict that needs to be settled along with the oath.
  26. Genesis 21:26Abimelech says he’s surprised by the complaint, claiming he knew nothing about the well until that moment.
  27. Genesis 21:27Abraham seals the agreement by giving sheep and cattle to Abimelech, and the two formally establish the covenant between their families.
  28. Genesis 21:28Abraham sets seven ewe lambs apart from the rest of the flock given to Abimelech—a gesture that will take on special meaning explained in the verses that follow.
  29. Genesis 21:29Abimelech asks the reason for the seven ewe lambs set apart, opening the way for Abraham to explain their purpose.
  30. Genesis 21:30The “seven ewe lambs” Abraham sets apart aren’t payment for the well, but a living receipt: by accepting them, Abimelech publicly acknowledges that the well was dug by Abraham. It’s this gesture that gives the place its name right afterward, Beersheba, which in Hebrew sounds like both “well of the oath” and “well of the seven.”
  31. Genesis 21:31The name of the place, Beersheba, holds this double meaning of the oath made there between Abraham and Abimelech.
  32. Genesis 21:32With the agreement concluded, Abimelech and the commander of his army return to the land of the Philistines, ending the meeting in peace.
  33. Genesis 21:33Abraham plants a tree in Beersheba and worships the LORD there under a new title, “the everlasting God”—marking the place as a site of lasting worship.
  34. Genesis 21:34Closes the chapter with Abraham living for a long time in the land of the Philistines, at peace after the agreement with Abimelech.

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