d x 1-3. Isaac's birth and naming. y 4,5. Circumcision. x 6,7. Cause of Isaac's naming. y 8. Weaning.1897 B.C.
Genesis 21)
1 And the Lord visited Sarah according as He said, and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken.
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time which God had spoken to him. (Note the change of title here, till v.32, because it is Creator and creature. In v.33, Yehovah, where it is in covenant relation. In Mary's song both titles united-Luke 1:46,47)
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born to him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac (= let him laugh).
4 And Abraham circumcised his son being 8 days old (8=the Dominical number, cp. Ishmael, 13th year), as God had commanded him.
1896 B.C.
5 And Abraham was 100 years old, when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 And Sarah said, "God has made me to laugh, so that all that hear with laugh with me." (not laugh "at")
7 And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? (A proof that "God", the Creator, had renewed her youth, showing why Abimelech should have taken her [20:2]. Sarah's Magnificat may be compared with Mary's. The scenes of both near to each other. Mary's words [Luke 1:54,55] connect her "mercy" with that shown to "Abraham and his seed") for I have born him a son in his old age."
8 And the child grew (cp. Luke 2:40), and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
c z 9,10. Hagar and Ishmael, in house.
a 11. Abraham's suffering.
b 12,13. God's intervention.
c 14. Hagar and Ishmael. Wilderness of Beer-sheba.
z 15. Hagar and Ishmael, out of house.
a 16. Hagar's suffering.
b 17-19. God's intervention.
c 20,21. Hagar and Ishmael. Wilderness of Paran.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born to Abraham, mocking (again).1891 B.C.
10 Wherefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." (see the Divine Interpretation-Gal. 3:6-29; 4:22-31; 5:1-12)
11 And the word was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 And God said to Abraham, "Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the lad, and because of your bondwoman; in all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac shall your seed be called. (Here Heb. zer'a = seed, is in the sing. sense, because of the word "Isaac", and because of the sing. verb "it shall be called". Zer'a is a collective noun, like Eng. "sheep", but the context must determine whether it is sing. or pl. It is to this verse Gal. 3:16 refers; not 12:7, where it is indefinite; or 17:7 where the verb and pronoun show it is plural. See Gal. 3:16; and cp. Rom. 9:7. Heb. 11:18. "Your seed" is therefore "Christ". The difference of the 30 years comes in here: 430 years to Exodus 12:40 from Gen.12:4, when Abraham was 75: thence to Isaac's birth: and now, 5 to his recognition as the seed = 30 years.)
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is your seed."
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water (cp. man's provision, a bottle, with God's a well v.19), an gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba (= well of the oath).
15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 And she went, and sat herself down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow-shot: for she said, "Let me not see the death of the child." (a Fig. of speech, the lessening of a thing in order to increase and intensify that same thing, demeaning). And she sat over against him, and the boy lifted up his 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 to her, "What ails you, Hagar? fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in your hand; for I will make him a great nation."
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well dug 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 dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran (= place of caverns): and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
D d 22-24. Sojourning. Commencement.
x e 25,26. The well taken.
f 27. Covenant.
x e 28-31. The well dug.
f 32,33. Covenant.
d 34. Sojourning. Continued.
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol (= strong) the chief captain of his host spoke to Abraham saying, "God is with you in all that you do:
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. (cp. 26:19. Ex. 10-18. Judg. 5:11. This explains Ex. 17:8 "Then came Amalek", because of vv.1-7)
26 And Abraham said, "I know not who has done this thing: neither did you tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today."
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. (not one party as in 15:10-18. cp. Gal.8:20. The covenant cut, because of the dividing of the sacrifice. cp. 15:10. Jer. 34:18-20. English = concluded or solemnized)
28 And Abraham set 7 ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What means these 7 ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?"
30 And he (Abraham) said, "For these seven ewe lambs shall you take of my hand, that they may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well." (Does this remind you of the 7,000 elect that will witness for Christ before Satan [Antichrist] in the end times?)
31 This is why he called the place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: the Abimlech rose up, and Phicol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines (= immigrants).
33 And Abraham planted trees (not 'asherah, but the wood for 22:3 about 20 years later) in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord , the everlasting GOD. (This is the Divine definition of the Lord, Heb 'olan = duration, secret and hidden from man. Cp. Ps. 90:2)
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.