1 And the I AM visited Sarah as He had said, and the I AM did to Sarah as He had spoken.
God is always faithful in keeping His promises.
This would have been about 2108AH (1938BC).
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the time God had told him He would.
Sarah is about ninety years old.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.”
7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have born him a son in his old age.”
Jewish legend says that the neighbor women didn’t believe Isaac was really Sarah’s child. To prove it she had them all bring their babies and she nursed the whole neighborhood. That is why this verse is in the plural. This is a fun story, but it is not biblical so should be repeated as what it is- legend.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
Before the invention of formula and commercial baby food, babies were often nursed until they were three to five years old. This greatly increased the bonding between the child and mother and supplied baby with many needed nutrients and better immunity, as well as adding natural spacing between children (nursing women don't often get pregnant).
So, the nation Israel were “strangers” for 430 years beginning with Abraham’s entrance into Canaan, while Abraham’s SEED were only strangers for 400 years. Isaac was born 25 years after Abraham began his travels, so this weaning (the time when Ishmael is cast out and Isaac confirmed as the true seed) must have happened when Isaac was 5 (2113AH, 1933BC).
9 And Sarah saw Hagar the Egyptian's son, which she had born to Abraham, mocking.
10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave and her son, because the son of this slave will not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.”
Ishmael was teasing Isaac. This angered Sarah and she demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be kicked out of the house.
11 And the thing was very upsetting to Abraham, because of his son.
It was standard practice that a child born to the wife of the household would be the main inheritor but that the child born to the master of a slave woman because of previous infertility would still be kept in the house and treated special. Abraham not only loved his son, he didn’t want to violate social custom.
12 And God said to Abraham, “Don't be upset about the lad and thy slave. Do what Sarah has said to thee and listen to her voice, because Isaac will be called thy seed.
13 “And also of the son of the slave-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy descendent.”
“Isaac is your true son and will inherit your property and the promise of the Messiah. But I will be good to Ishmael too, for your sake.”
14 And Abraham got up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away, and she left, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
This “child” was 19 (he was 13 when he was circumcised, Isaac was born a year later and weaned at 5.) Though today’s Jews hold children twelve and up as responsible adults, obviously God held this teen as still a child.
15 When the bottle of water was gone, and she threw the child under one of the shrubs.
This was some powerful strong woman. My teenagers have all been bigger than me, and I’m not a small or short woman!
16 And she went, and sat down a good way away from him, about a bow shot, because she said, “Don't let me see the child die.” And she sat over away from him, and lift up her voice, and cried.
It is always a hard thing for a mother to see her child suffering. Hagar had been used to get this child because of Sarah’s infertility and now she has been kicked out of her home, against all social customs.
17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
18 “Get up and pick up the boy, and hold him in thine hand, because I will make him a great nation.”
God gives the comfort Hagar is needing. But He doesn’t just stop with words. He gives her the physical things she is needing right now.
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up, and lived in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother found him an Egyptian wife.
We read later that Ishmael had twelve sons and became a great nation. In fact, he is the ancestor of most of those in the Middle East today.
22 And it happened then, that Abimelech and Phichol his general spoke to Abraham, and said, ‘God is with thee in everything that thou do:
23 “Now then, swear to me here by God that thou won't hurt me or my son, or my grandson, but treat me and my country the way I have treated thee.”
Abraham was very rich and powerful. Abimelech was scared of him.
24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25 And Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, “I don't know who has done this thing, neither did thou tell me. I only heard of it today.”
Someone took Abraham’s well away, a very serious thing in this desert land. Abimelech had no idea who did it.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech, and they made a covenant between them.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech asked Abraham, “What do you mean by these seven ewe lambs which thou have set by themselves?”
30 And he said, “Thou shall take these seven ewe lambs from me so they can be a witness for me, that I have dug this well.”
This doesn’t make sense to our modern western minds because sheep would not make very good witnesses, what with their limited vocabulary and all. But this is actually a typical legal contract in this time period. It is much like giving collateral today.
31 This is why he named that place Beersheba, because that's where they made their contract.
Beersheba means “Well of Oath.”
32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech got up, and Phichol his general and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
The Bible tells us that Ham’s grandsons were the fathers of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the I AM, the everlasting God.
34 And Abraham lived in the Philistines' land for a long time.
God is always faithful in keeping His promises.
This would have been about 2108AH (1938BC).
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the time God had told him He would.
Sarah is about ninety years old.
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.”
7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have born him a son in his old age.”
Jewish legend says that the neighbor women didn’t believe Isaac was really Sarah’s child. To prove it she had them all bring their babies and she nursed the whole neighborhood. That is why this verse is in the plural. This is a fun story, but it is not biblical so should be repeated as what it is- legend.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
Before the invention of formula and commercial baby food, babies were often nursed until they were three to five years old. This greatly increased the bonding between the child and mother and supplied baby with many needed nutrients and better immunity, as well as adding natural spacing between children (nursing women don't often get pregnant).
- Abraham was 75 when he left Haran (chapter 12:4).
- He was 85 when he married Hagar (chapter 16:1-3).
- He was 86 when Ishmael was born (16:16).
- He was 99 when he was circumcised (chapter 17:1-21) and Isaac was promised, and Ishmael was 13.
- Verse 5 says Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born (25 years after Abraham became a “sojourner in the land” by leaving Haran), so Ishmael was 14.
- Galatians 3:17 says The Law was given 430 years after the Covenant was made with Abraham (see also Exodus 12:40).
So, the nation Israel were “strangers” for 430 years beginning with Abraham’s entrance into Canaan, while Abraham’s SEED were only strangers for 400 years. Isaac was born 25 years after Abraham began his travels, so this weaning (the time when Ishmael is cast out and Isaac confirmed as the true seed) must have happened when Isaac was 5 (2113AH, 1933BC).
9 And Sarah saw Hagar the Egyptian's son, which she had born to Abraham, mocking.
10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave and her son, because the son of this slave will not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.”
Ishmael was teasing Isaac. This angered Sarah and she demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be kicked out of the house.
11 And the thing was very upsetting to Abraham, because of his son.
It was standard practice that a child born to the wife of the household would be the main inheritor but that the child born to the master of a slave woman because of previous infertility would still be kept in the house and treated special. Abraham not only loved his son, he didn’t want to violate social custom.
12 And God said to Abraham, “Don't be upset about the lad and thy slave. Do what Sarah has said to thee and listen to her voice, because Isaac will be called thy seed.
13 “And also of the son of the slave-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy descendent.”
“Isaac is your true son and will inherit your property and the promise of the Messiah. But I will be good to Ishmael too, for your sake.”
14 And Abraham got up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away, and she left, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
This “child” was 19 (he was 13 when he was circumcised, Isaac was born a year later and weaned at 5.) Though today’s Jews hold children twelve and up as responsible adults, obviously God held this teen as still a child.
15 When the bottle of water was gone, and she threw the child under one of the shrubs.
This was some powerful strong woman. My teenagers have all been bigger than me, and I’m not a small or short woman!
16 And she went, and sat down a good way away from him, about a bow shot, because she said, “Don't let me see the child die.” And she sat over away from him, and lift up her voice, and cried.
It is always a hard thing for a mother to see her child suffering. Hagar had been used to get this child because of Sarah’s infertility and now she has been kicked out of her home, against all social customs.
17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
18 “Get up and pick up the boy, and hold him in thine hand, because I will make him a great nation.”
God gives the comfort Hagar is needing. But He doesn’t just stop with words. He gives her the physical things she is needing right now.
19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up, and lived in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother found him an Egyptian wife.
We read later that Ishmael had twelve sons and became a great nation. In fact, he is the ancestor of most of those in the Middle East today.
22 And it happened then, that Abimelech and Phichol his general spoke to Abraham, and said, ‘God is with thee in everything that thou do:
23 “Now then, swear to me here by God that thou won't hurt me or my son, or my grandson, but treat me and my country the way I have treated thee.”
Abraham was very rich and powerful. Abimelech was scared of him.
24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”
25 And Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26 And Abimelech said, “I don't know who has done this thing, neither did thou tell me. I only heard of it today.”
Someone took Abraham’s well away, a very serious thing in this desert land. Abimelech had no idea who did it.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech, and they made a covenant between them.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech asked Abraham, “What do you mean by these seven ewe lambs which thou have set by themselves?”
30 And he said, “Thou shall take these seven ewe lambs from me so they can be a witness for me, that I have dug this well.”
This doesn’t make sense to our modern western minds because sheep would not make very good witnesses, what with their limited vocabulary and all. But this is actually a typical legal contract in this time period. It is much like giving collateral today.
31 This is why he named that place Beersheba, because that's where they made their contract.
Beersheba means “Well of Oath.”
32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech got up, and Phichol his general and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
The Bible tells us that Ham’s grandsons were the fathers of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the I AM, the everlasting God.
34 And Abraham lived in the Philistines' land for a long time.