Isaac Is Born
Study note
God keeps his promise, and Sarah becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son. Abraham names him Isaac, as God commanded, and circumcises him on the eighth day. Abraham is 100 years old. Sarah says God has brought her laughter, and everyone who hears about it will laugh with her. The name Isaac means 'he laughs,' recalling both Abraham's and Sarah's laughter when God first made the promise.
1 The Lord kept his promise to Sarah and did exactly what he said he would do. And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2 Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a son in his old age. It happened right on time — exactly when God said it would. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham named his newborn son Isaac. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, just as God had told him to. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 Sarah said, "God has given me a reason to laugh! And everyone who hears about this is going to laugh right along with me." And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
7 She added, "Who would have ever told Abraham that Sarah would nurse babies? And yet here I am — I've given him a son when he's an old man!" And 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.
Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away
Study note
At a feast celebrating Isaac being weaned (around age 2-3), Sarah sees Ishmael mocking and demands that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away. Abraham is deeply troubled because Ishmael is his son too. But God tells Abraham to listen to Sarah, because the covenant line will continue through Isaac. God also promises to make Ishmael into a nation. Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away with bread and water. When the water runs out in the wilderness of Beersheba, Hagar puts the boy under a bush and cries. God hears Ishmael's voice, and an angel calls to Hagar, telling her not to be afraid. God opens her eyes to see a well of water. Ishmael grows up in the wilderness and becomes an archer.
8 The baby grew, and when it was time to take him off breast milk, Abraham threw a big celebration. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 But Sarah saw that Ishmael was making fun of Isaac. Ishmael was the son Hagar the Egyptian had given to Abraham. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10 She told Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her boy! That woman's son is not going to share Isaac's inheritance." 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 This deeply upset Abraham, because Ishmael was his son too. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 But God told Abraham, "Don't worry about the boy or the servant woman. Do what Sarah says, because your family line — the one I promised — will continue through Isaac." 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 hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 "But I'll take care of the servant woman's son too. I'll make a nation out of him as well, since he is also your child." And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
14 The next morning, Abraham got up early, packed some food and a water container, and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulders. Then he sent her away with the boy. She wandered off into the desert near Beersheba. And 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.
15 When the water ran out, she laid the boy down in the shade of a bush. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16 Then she walked a good distance away and sat down, because she couldn't stand to watch her son die. Sitting there, she broke down crying. And 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.
17 God heard the boy crying too. The angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven: "What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be scared. God has heard your boy crying right where he is." 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 "Go pick him up and hold him tight. I am going to turn his family into a great nation." Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
19 Then God opened Hagar's eyes, and she noticed a well of water there. She went over, filled up the water container, and gave her son a drink. 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 God watched over the boy as he grew up. He made his home in the desert and became an expert archer. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 He settled in the Desert of Paran, and his mother found him a wife from Egypt. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Abraham's Treaty with Abimelech
Study note
Abimelech recognizes that God is with Abraham in everything he does, so he asks Abraham to make a treaty of peace. Abraham agrees but also addresses a dispute over a well that Abimelech's servants had seized. Abraham gives Abimelech sheep and cattle to seal the treaty. He sets apart seven female lambs as proof that he dug the well. The place is called Beersheba, which can mean 'well of the oath' or 'well of seven.' Abraham plants a tamarisk tree there and worships God.
22 Around that time, Abimelech and his army leader Phicol came to Abraham. They said, "God is clearly with you in all you do." And 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:
23 "So right now, swear to me before God that you will treat me and my family fairly — the same way I've treated you. Promise to be loyal to me and to this land where you've been living." 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 Abraham said, "I give you my word." And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 But then Abraham brought up a complaint — Abimelech's servants had taken over one of Abraham's wells. And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 Abimelech said, "This is the first I'm hearing about it. I have no idea who did that. You never mentioned it before, and nobody told me until now." And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
27 So Abraham brought some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made an official agreement. And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28 Then Abraham set seven female lambs off to the side by themselves. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 Abimelech asked, "What are these seven lambs for?" And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30 Abraham said, "By taking these seven lambs from me, you are agreeing that I am the one who dug this well." And 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.
31 From then on, that place was called Beersheba, because that's where the two men swore their agreement to each other. Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 They made their deal at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and his leader Phicol went back to Philistine land. Thus 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.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba. He praised the Lord, the God who lives forever. And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
34 Abraham kept living in Philistine land for a long time. And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.