Genesis 21 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Birth of Isaac

21 The Lord came to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised.(A) 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him.(B) 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him—the one Sarah bore to him—Isaac.(C) 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.(D) 5 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.(E)

6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.”[a](F) 7 She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him[b] in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son mocking[c]—the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham.(G) 10 So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!”(H)

11 Now this was a very difficult thing for[d] Abraham because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be concerned[e] about the boy and your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac.(I) 13 But I will also make a nation of the slave’s son(J) because he is your offspring.”

14 Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, put them on Hagar’s shoulders, and sent her and the boy away.[f] She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, “I can’t bear to watch the boy die!” So as she sat nearby, she[g] wept loudly.(K)

17 God heard the voice of the boy, and the[h] angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What’s wrong, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from the place where he is. 18 Get up, help the boy up, and support him, for I will make him a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes,(L) and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy, and he grew; he settled in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He settled in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Abraham’s Covenant with Abimelech

22 At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army,(M) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.(N) 23 Swear to me by God here and now, that you will not break an agreement with me or with my children and descendants. As I have been loyal to you, so you will be loyal to me and to the country where you are a foreign resident.”

24 And Abraham said, “I swear it.” 25 But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the water well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.(O)

26 Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”

27 Abraham took sheep and cattle[i] and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.(P) 28 Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?”

30 He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand so that this act[j] will serve as my witness that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba[k](Q) because it was there that the two of them swore an oath. 32 After they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.

33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God.(R) 34 And Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 21:6 Isaac = He laughs; Gn 17:19
  2. Genesis 21:7 Sam, Tg Jonathan; MT omits him
  3. Genesis 21:9 LXX, Vg add Isaac her son
  4. Genesis 21:11 Lit was very bad in the eyes of
  5. Genesis 21:12 Lit Let it not be bad in your eyes
  6. Genesis 21:14 To “send away” a woman = divorce her; Dt 24:1. To “send away” a slave = free her; Dt 15:13.
  7. Genesis 21:16 LXX reads the boy
  8. Genesis 21:17 Or an
  9. Genesis 21:27 A covenant or treaty was regularly ratified by animal sacrifice (Gn 8:20–9:9; 15:9-17; Ex 24:8) and often involved an exchange of gifts (1Kg 15:19; Hs 12:1). The animals here could serve both purposes.
  10. Genesis 21:30 Lit that it
  11. Genesis 21:31 = Well of the Oath, or Seven Wells

Cross references

  1. 21:1 : Gn 17:16; 18:10; Gl 4:23
  2. 21:2 : Gn 17:21; 18:10, 14; Heb 11:11
  3. 21:3 : Gn 17:19
  4. 21:4 : Gn 17:10, 12; Ac 7:8
  5. 21:5 : Gn 17:1, 17; Rm 4:19
  6. 21:6 : Gn 18:12-15
  7. 21:9 : Gn 16:1, 15; Gl 4:29
  8. 21:10 : Gl 4:30
  9. 21:12 : Rm 9:7; Heb 11:18
  10. 21:13 : Gn 16:10; 21:18; 25:12-18
  11. 21:16 : Jr 6:26; Am 8:10
  12. 21:19 : Nm 22:31; 2Kg 6:17-18, 20; Lk 24:16, 31
  13. 21:22 : Gn 20:2; 26:1, 26
  14. 21:22 : Gn 26:28
  15. 21:25 : Gn 26:15, 18, 20-22
  16. 21:27 : Gn 26:31
  17. 21:31 : Gn 26:33
  18. 21:33 : Ps 45:6; 48:14; 90:2; 93:2; Is 40:28; Jr 10:10; Rm 16:26; Heb 13:8

You Might Also Like:

Genesis 21 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

21 And Jehovah hath looked after Sarah as He hath said, and Jehovah doth to Sarah as He hath spoken; 2 and Sarah conceiveth, and beareth a son to Abraham, to his old age, at the appointed time that God hath spoken of with him; 3 and Abraham calleth the name of his son who is born to him, whom Sarah ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

21 Forsooth God visited Sarah, as he promised, and [ful]filled those things, that he spake. 2 And she conceived, and childed a son in her eld (age), in the time wherein God before-said to her. (And she conceived, and bare a son in her old age, at the time which God had spoken of before to her.) 3 An...
Read More

Genesis 21 - World English Bible (WEB)

21 Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken. 2 Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.[a] 4 Abraham circumcised his son...
Read More

Genesis 21 - The Voice (VOICE)

Once again Abraham and Sarah take matters into their own hands. Although God has promised to protect and prosper them, they choose half-truths and deception in order to stay in Abimelech’s favor. The results could have been disastrous; but God’s intervention stops Abimelech from violating Sarah’s ma...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Birth of Isaac21 Then Adonai visited Sarah just as He had said, and Adonai did for Sarah just as He had spoken. 2 So Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time that God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore fo...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. 4 And Abraham circumcise...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised.(A)2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.(B)3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him.(C)4 And Abraham circumc...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abr...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Birth of Isaac21 Then the Lord visited Sarah as He had said and did for her as He had promised. 2 Sarah was able to have a child and she gave birth to a son when Abraham was very old. He was born at the time the Lord said it would happen. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son who was born t...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Isaac Is Born(A)21 And the Lord (B)visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah (C)as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah (D)conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, (E)at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sara...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The birth of Isaac21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac[a] to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his ...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New International Version (NIV)

The Birth of Isaac21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah(A) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.(B) 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son(C) to Abraham in his old age,(D) at the very time God had promised him.(E) 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac[a](F) to the son Sarah bore h...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Isaac Is Born21 The Lord was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. The Lord did for Sarah what he had promised to do. 2 Sarah became pregnant. She had a son by Abraham when he was old. The child was born at the exact time God had promised. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sar...
Read More

Genesis 21 - New English Translation (NET)

The Birth of Isaac21 The Lord visited[a] Sarah just as he had said he would and did[b] for Sarah what he had promised.[c] 2 So Sarah became pregnant[d] and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.[e] 4 Whe...
Read More