Genesis-Chap-21
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Note: Some
alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’
of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth
from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Genesis Chapter 21 marks a pivotal turning point in the life of Abraham and Sarah. After
decades of waiting and uncertainty, the divine promise is finally realised
through the miraculous birth of Isaac. However, this joy is immediately tempered
by family complexity, leading to the departure of Hagar and Ishmael. The
chapter concludes with a transition from family dynamics to regional diplomacy,
as Abraham establishes a covenant with Abimelech, securing
his status as a respected resident in the
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Genesis Chapter 21, verses 1 to 34: Whilst below the verses are the Explanation’s. (The Chapter is from JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
Verses 1-3. “And יְהוָה - the LORD remembered Sarah as He
had said, and יְהוָה - the LORD did unto Sarah as He had
spoken. And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his
old age, at the set time of which אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom
Sarah bore to him, Yitzchak - Isaac.
Explanation Verses 1-3: describe the fulfilment of the long-awaited promise. Sarah
conceives and bears a son in her old age, exactly at the time designated by the
Almighty. Abraham names him Isaac, a name rooted in the laughter of both
disbelief and eventual joy!
Verses
4-5. And
Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as אֱלֹהִים - Elohim had commanded. And
Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Explanation Verses 4-5: note that Abraham circumcises Isaac on the eighth day, adhering to
the covenant established in the previous chapters. At one hundred years old,
Abraham sees the physical sign of the eternal covenant passed to the next
generation.
Verses 6-8: And Sarah said: ‘אֱלֹהִים - Elohim hath made laughter for me; every
one that heareth will laugh on account of me’. 7 And she said: ‘Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah
should give children suck? for I have borne him a son
in his old age’. And the child grew, and was weaned. And
Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
Explanation Verses 6-8: capture Sarah’s wonder. She reflects on how the world will laugh
with her in celebration. The narrative then shifts to the “great feast” held on
the day Isaac is weaned, marking his transition from infancy to childhood.
Verses 9-11: And Sarah saw the son of
Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport. 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’. And the thing was grievous in Abraham’s
sight on account of his son.
Explanation Verses 9-11: Introduce the conflict. Sarah observes Ishmael “mocking” or “playing”
(metzachek), which she perceives as a threat to Isaac’s
spiritual or physical inheritance. She insists that Hagar and her son be cast
out, a request that greatly distresses Abraham.
Verses 12-13: And
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim said unto Abraham: ‘Let it not be
grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all
that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be
called to thee. 13 And also of the son of the
bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed’.
Explanation Verses 12-13: provide divine intervention. The Almighty instructs Abraham to
listen to Sarah, confirming that the “seed” will be called through Isaac. However,
a promise is also made regarding Ishmael: he, too, will become a nation because
he is Abraham’s offspring.
Verses 14-16: And Abraham arose 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
strayed in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under
one of the shrubs. And 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 look
upon the death of the child’. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her
voice, and wept.
Explanation Verses 14-16: detail the expulsion. Abraham provides Hagar with bread and water
and sends her into the wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water runs out, Hagar despairs, placing the child under a
shrub so she does not have to witness his death.
Verses 17-19: And אֱלֹהִים - Elohim heard the voice of the lad; and
the angel of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim called to Hagar out of heaven,
and said unto her: ‘What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for אֱלֹהִים - Elohim hath heard the voice of the lad
where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast by thy
hand; for I will make him a great nation’. And אֱלֹהִים - Elohim opened her eyes, and she saw a
well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad
drink.
Explanation Verses 17-19: show Divine compassion. An angel calls to Hagar, reassuring her
that the Almighty has heard the voice of the lad. Her eyes are opened to see a
well of water, saving their lives and reiterating Ishmael’s future greatness.
Verses 20-21: And אֱלֹהִים - Elohim was with the lad, and he grew;
and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. And
he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother
took him a wife out of the
Explanation Verses 20-21: Here it described Ishmael’s growth in the wilderness of Paran. He becomes a skilled archer, and Hagar secures a
wife for him from the
Verses 22-24: And it came to pass at that
time, that Abimelech and Phicol
the captain of his host spoke unto Abraham, saying: ‘אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is with thee in all that thou
doest. Now therefore swear unto me here by אֱלֹהִים - Elohim 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’. And Abraham said: ‘I will swear’.
Explanation Verses 22-24: Shifts to the political arena. Abimelech,
king of Gerar, recognises that Abraham is Divinely blessed and seeks a peace treaty. Abraham agrees,
but first addresses grievance regarding a stolen well.
Verses 25-31: And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. And Abimelech said: ‘I know not who hath
done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day’. And Abraham took
sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and
they two made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs
of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech
said unto Abraham: ‘What mean these seven ewe-lambs which thou hast set by themselves?’ And he said: ‘Verily, these
seven ewe-lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me,
that I have digged this well’. Wherefore
that place was called Beer-sheba; because there they
swore both of them.
Explanation Verses 25-31: these verses details the resolution of the
dispute. Abraham sets aside seven ewe lambs as a witness that he dug the well.
This act gives the site its name, Beer-sheba, meaning
the “well of the seven” or the “well of the oath”.
Verses 32-34: So they made a covenant at
Beer-sheba; and Abimelech
rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they
returned into the land of the Philistines. And Abraham
planted a tamarisk-tree in Beer-sheba, and called
there on the name of יְהוָה - the LORD, the Everlasting אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. And Abraham
sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days”.
Explanation Verses 32-34: We conclude the chapter with the establishment of the covenant. After Abimelech departs, Abraham plants a tamarisk tree and calls upon the Name of the Eternal, the Everlasting אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. He remains in the land of the Philistines as a protected stranger for many days.
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My Closing Message:
This chapter teaches us that the path to fulfilling a Divine mission is rarely
a straight line. It involves the heights of miraculous birth and the depths of
painful family separations. Through it all, Abraham learns that the Almighty’s
providence extends to all his children, even as the specific covenantal line
continues through Isaac. By the end of the chapter, Abraham is no longer just a
wandering nomad, but a man of recognized character and permanence, planting
roots and building peace with his neighbours.
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