Chapter 21
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
2For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
7And 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.
8And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10Wherefore 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.
11And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
12And 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.
13And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
14And 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 Beersheba.
15And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16And she went, and sat her 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. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
17And 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.
18Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
19And 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.
20And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
22And 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:
23Now 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.
24And Abraham said, I will swear.
25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
26And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
27And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30And 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.
31Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
32Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
34And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
“And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.”
Overview
Sarah conceives and bears Isaac in her old age, just as God had promised. Abraham circumcises Isaac on the eighth day. Sarah sees Ishmael mocking and demands that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out. Though grieved, Abraham obeys after God assures him that Ishmael will also become a nation, but the covenant belongs to Isaac. God provides water for Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness. The chapter closes with Abraham making a covenant with Abimelech at Beersheba.
Key Themes
The Fulfillment of God's Promise
Isaac's birth at the appointed time proves that God keeps His word no matter how long or impossible the wait — laughter replaces doubt.
The Separation of Ishmael and Isaac
The casting out of Ishmael establishes that God's covenant promise runs through the child of promise, not the child of human effort.
God's Provision in the Wilderness
God hears Ishmael's cry and opens Hagar's eyes to a well of water, showing that His care extends beyond the covenant line to all who call upon Him.
Study Questions
How does Isaac's birth 'at the set time of which God had spoken' encourage believers who are waiting on God's promises?
What is the significance of Sarah's laughter in verse 6 compared to her earlier laughter of doubt in Genesis 18?
How does Paul use the Hagar/Sarah story in Galatians 4:21-31 to illustrate the difference between law and grace?
What does God's care for Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness reveal about His compassion?
Why is it important that the covenant is established through Isaac specifically, and what does this teach about God's sovereignty in election?
Connection to Christ
Isaac is the child of promise, born by God's supernatural power, just as Christ was born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit. Paul identifies Isaac as the pattern: 'we, as Isaac was, are the children of promise' (Galatians 4:28). The joy of Isaac's birth — his name means 'laughter' — anticipates the greater joy at the birth of Christ, the ultimate promised son through whom all the families of the earth are blessed.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Genesis 21. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?