Gen 21:8-14 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 21:8-21: 21:8-21 God used the incident of Ishmael’s mocking Isaac to separate Ishmael and Hagar from the family and the child of promise. They would constantly threaten the promised descendant if they remained with the family. Summary for Gen 21:8-9: 21:8-9 The feast for Isaac’s weaning probably occurred when he was three and Ishmael was about seventeen years old (16:16 ). Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of her son, Isaac: The verb metsakheq (“making fun of”) is related to the word for “laughter”; this theme (21:6 ) is given a sour twist by Ishmael’s mockery.

a21:8-21►

b21:8-9►

c16:16►

d21:6►

e21:10►

f16:6►

g21:11-13►

h21:14-21►

i16:7-14►

j16►

k41:32►

l16:7►

m21:13►

n16:11-12►

oGal 4:21-31►

‏ Genesis 21:8-14

Summary for Gen 21:8-21: 21:8-21 ^a God used the incident of Ishmael’s mocking Isaac to separate Ishmael and Hagar from the family and the child of promise. They would constantly threaten the promised descendant if they remained with the family.
Summary for Gen 21:8-9: 21:8-9 ^b The feast for Isaac’s weaning probably occurred when he was three and Ishmael was about seventeen years old (16:16 ^c). Sarah saw Ishmael making fun of her son, Isaac: The verb metsakheq (“making fun of”) is related to the word for “laughter”; this theme (21:6 ^d) is given a sour twist by Ishmael’s mockery.
21:10 ^e Earlier, Sarah mistreated Hagar and pressured her to flee (16:6 ^f); when Hagar’s son mistreated Isaac, Sarah demanded that that slave woman and her son leave.
Summary for Gen 21:11-13: 21:11-13 ^g Abraham was upset by Sarah’s demand to oust Hagar and Ishmael. God told him to comply, assuring Abraham that Ishmael would also have a future as Abraham’s offspring.
Summary for Gen 21:14-21: 21:14-21 ^h God again rescued Hagar in the wilderness and guaranteed her future (cp. 16:7-14 ⁱ). This passage is similar to ch 16 ^j, but the differences are great. Here, Hagar and Ishmael are rescued, but there is no commemorative naming. God’s earlier promise to Hagar is reiterated, but this time Hagar is not told to return to Sarah. The repeated motifs on the two occasions confirm God’s sovereign plan for Hagar and Ishmael. As Joseph later told Pharaoh, a twofold event demonstrated God’s confirmation (41:32 ^k). God did not abandon Hagar and Ishmael but met them in their despair (cp. 16:7 ^l), provided sustenance for them, and promised again that Ishmael would found a great nation (21:13 ^m; cp. 16:11-12 ⁿ). Paul uses this event in his letter to the Galatians to illustrate how God’s people must relinquish all that threatens the fulfillment of God’s promise (Gal 4:21-31 ^o).