Genesis 21

1 Now the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] attended to [visited, overseen] Sarah as He had said [promised, spoken], and the LORD did for Sarah [as a noblewoman, reflecting her high status] what He had [spoken, commanded] promised. word study 2 So Sarah [the noblewoman, Abraham’s wife] conceived [became pregnant, to conceive or become with child] and bore [gave birth to, to beget] a son [a male child, descendant] to Abraham [the father of many nations] in his old age [extreme age, advanced years], at the very time [the set time, appointed season] God [Elohim, the supreme God] had promised [spoken, commanded]. word study 3 And Abraham [the father of many nations] gave the name [identity, character] Isaac [he laughs] to the son [descendant, child] Sarah [noblewoman, princess] bore [gave birth, begot] to him [as his wife, companion]. word study 4 When his son [descendant, child] Isaac [he laughs, son of promise] was eight [a special number] days old, Abraham [father of many, faithful one] circumcised [performed the ritual of circumcision, cut off] him, as God [Elohim, the supreme Lord] had commanded [given orders, appointed] him. word study 5 Abraham [a hundred years old, as a centenarian] was a hundred years old [at this advanced age, a milestone] when his son [descendant, offspring] Isaac [he laughs] was born [brought forth, given birth] to him [as his father, the patriarch]. word study 6 Then Sarah [the noblewoman, Abraham’s wife] said, “God [Elohim, the supreme One] has made me laugh [given me cause for joy, to rejoice], and everyone [all who hear] who hears of this will laugh [rejoice, be happy] with me [in my joy, because of my blessing].” word study 7 She added, “Who [expressing a wish or inquiry] would have told Abraham [the father of many nations] that Sarah [noblewoman, mother of Isaac] would nurse [give milk or suckle] children [sons or descendants]? Yet I have borne [given birth or beget] him a son [a male child or descendant] in his old age [extreme age or advanced years, a life well-lived].” word study 8 So the child [youth, young one] grew [to magnify, become great] and was weaned [to ripen, become mature], and Abraham [father of many] held a great [large, significant] feast [celebration, banquet] on the day [a period of time, an occasion] Isaac [he laughs, son of Abraham] was weaned [treated well, matured]. word study 9 But Sarah [the noblewoman, mother of Isaac] saw that the son [descendant, child] whom Hagar [the Egyptian slave girl, mother of Ishmael] the Egyptian [from the land of Egypt] had borne [given birth to, beget] to Abraham [the father of many nations] was mocking [laughing, playing, making fun of] her son [Isaac, the child of promise], word study 10 and she said to Abraham [the father of faith], “Expel [drive out, cast away] the slave woman [maidservant, bondwoman] and her son, for the slave woman’s [handmaid’s] son will never share [have a part, inherit] in the inheritance [heritage, possession] with my son [descendant, heir] Isaac [he laughs, son of promise]!” word study 11 Now this matter [a very grievous thing, a great grief] distressed [was very wrong, felt very bad] Abraham greatly [exceedingly, much] because it concerned [on account of, because of] his son [descendant, child] Ishmael. word study 12 But God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed [let it not be grievous] about the boy [youth, the young one] and your maidservant [bondwoman, female slave]. Listen to [hearken unto, obey] everything that Sarah [noblewoman, mother of Isaac] tells you, for through Isaac [he laughs, son of promise] your offspring [seed, descendants] will be reckoned [called, named]. word study 13 But I will also [even, too] make a nation [Gentile, large group] of the slave woman’s [maidservant, female servant] son [offspring, descendant], because he is your [own, literal] offspring [seed, descendant].” word study 14 Early [at the break of day, in the morning watch] in the morning, Abraham [the father of many nations] got up, took [received, lifted up] bread [food, sustenance] and a skin [leather bottle, waterskin] of water [refreshment, life-giving fluid], put them on Hagar’s [the slave girl, mother of Ishmael] shoulders [back, burden-bearing area], and sent her away [dismissed, let her depart] with the boy [youth, young child]. She left [departed, went out] and wandered [strayed, went astray] in the Wilderness [desert, barren land] of Beersheba [well of the sevenfold oath, a place of covenant]. word study 15 When the water [liquid refreshment] in the skin [leather bottle] was gone [completely consumed, used up], she left [abandoned, cast away] the boy [youth] under [beneath] one [a single] of the bushes [small plants, shrubs]. word study 16 Then she went off and sat down [a good way off, about 100 meters away] nearby, about a bowshot [as far as someone can shoot an arrow] away, for she said, “I cannot bear [endure, tolerate] to watch the boy [youth, child] die [experience death, perish]!” And as she sat [remained, dwelled] nearby, she lifted up her voice [sound, cry] and wept [cried, shed tears]. word study 17 Then God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] heard [listened with attention and obedience] the voice [sound or cry] of the boy [youth, a young person], and the angel [messenger or representative] of God called [summoned or invoked] to Hagar [the slave girl and mother of Ishmael] from heaven [the sky or spiritual realm], “What [is troubling you, what aileth thee] is wrong, Hagar? Do not [absolutely not] be afraid [fear or revere], for God [the one supreme God] has heard [listened with attention] the voice [cry or sound] of the boy [youth] where he [the boy, in his current state] lies [is, in his present situation]. word study 18 Get up [arise, stand up], lift up the boy [youth, young one], and take him by the hand [hold him in your hand, grasp him], for I will make him into a great [large, powerful] nation [Gentile, group of people].” word study 19 Then God [the supreme Creator, Elohim] opened her eyes [to see spiritually, to understand], and she saw a well [spring, source] of water [refreshment, life]. So she went and filled the skin [leather bottle, waterskin] with water [liquid, source of refreshment] and gave the boy [youth, young person] a drink [to quench thirst, to satisfy]. word study 20 And God [Elohim, the supreme God] was with the boy [youth, a young person], and he grew up [to magnify, became great] and settled [to dwell, lived] in the wilderness [a desert, open field] and became a great [skilled, powerful] archer [bowman, warrior]. word study 21 And while he was dwelling [residing, staying] in the Wilderness [desert, open field] of Paran [a desert area in Arabia], his mother [female parent, maternal figure] got [took, obtained] a wife [woman, female companion] for him from the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. word study 22 At that time [in that same season, when it came to pass] Abimelech [a Philistine king, ruler of the land] and Phicol [the chief captain, commander] the commander of his army [large group of people, military force] said to Abraham [father of many nations, the chosen one], “God [Elohim, the one supreme God] is with [together with, in close relationship] you in all [everything, every aspect] that you do [accomplish, undertake, make]. word study 23 Now, therefore, swear to me here [in the presence of] before God [Elohim, the supreme Judge] that you will not deal falsely [deceive or cheat] with me or my children [posterity] or descendants [offspring]. Show to me and to the country [land, territory] in which you reside [sojourn, live as a foreigner] the same kindness [mercy, loving-kindness] that I have shown to you [treated you with compassion].” word study 24 And Abraham [the father of many nations] replied [said in response], “I [the speaker, Abraham himself] swear [to make an oath, give my word] it [this promise, vow].” word study 25 But when Abraham [the father of many nations] complained [reproved, reasoned with] to Abimelech [a Philistine king] about a well [a source of water, a spring] that Abimelech’s servants [slaves, attendants] had seized [plundered, taken by force], word study 26 Abimelech [the Philistine king] replied, “I do not know [am unaware, have no knowledge of] who has done [perpetrated, is responsible for] this [thing, act, or deed]. You did not tell [inform, disclose] me, so I have not heard [been informed, learned] about it [this matter, situation] until [up to, as far as] today [this day, at this time].” word study 27 So Abraham [the father of many nations] brought sheep [or goats, a flock] and cattle [domesticated oxen] and gave them to Abimelech [a Philistine king], and the two men [both of them, together] made a covenant [a promise, an agreement, a treaty]. word study 28 Abraham [the father of many nations] separated [set apart, stood] seven ewe lambs [young female sheep, often used in sacrifices] from the flock [a group of sheep or goats], word study 29 and Abimelech [the Philistine king] asked him, “Why have you set apart [separated, made distinct] these seven ewe lambs [young female sheep, often used in sacrifices]?” word study 30 He replied, “You are to accept [take, receive] the seven ewe lambs [young female sheep, often used in sacrifices] from my hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] as my witness [testimony, evidence] that I dug [searched, excavated] this well [a source of water, a spring].” word study 31 So that place [a location, a city] was called [named, designated] Beersheba [well of the sevenfold oath, a city in Palestine], because [for the reason that, since] it was there [in that location, at that time] that the two [a pair, both] of them [Abraham and Abimelech] swore [made a promise, took an oath] an oath [a vow, a pledge]. word study 32 After they had made the covenant [a promise or agreement, a sacred bond] at Beersheba [the well of the sevenfold oath], Abimelech [a Philistine king] and Phicol [the chief captain, a strong leader] the commander [ruler, leader] of his army [a large group of people, a campaign] got up [rose up, stood] and returned [to turn back, to go back] to the land [the soil, a country] of the Philistines [immigrants from other places, a non-Israelite people]. word study 33 And Abraham planted [established, fixed] a tamarisk tree [a type of tree often found in groves] in Beersheba [the well of the sevenfold oath], and there he called [invoked, worshiped] upon the name [identity, character] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the Eternal [Everlasting, forever] God [El, the powerful One]. word study 34 And Abraham [the father of many nations] resided [sojourned, lived as a foreigner] in the land [country, territory] of the Philistines [a people from a foreign region] for a long time [many days, an extended period]. word study