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Selected Verse: Genesis 21:8 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ge 21:8	Strong Concordance	And the child [03206] grew [01431], and was weaned [01580]: and Abraham [085] made [06213] a great [01419] feast [04960] the same day [03117] that Isaac [03327] was weaned [01580].
	King James	And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
the child grew, and was weaned--children are suckled longer in the East than in the Occident--boys usually for two or three years. Abraham made a great feast, &c.--In Eastern countries this is always a season of domestic festivity, and the newly weaned child is formally brought, in presence of the assembled relatives and friends, to partake of some simple viands. Isaac, attired in the symbolic robe, the badge of birthright, was then admitted heir of the tribe [ROSENMULLER].

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

the child grew, and was weaned--children are suckled longer in the East than in the Occident--boys usually for two or three years.

Abraham made a great feast, &c.--In Eastern countries this is always a season of domestic festivity, and the newly weaned child is formally brought, in presence of the assembled relatives and friends, to partake of some simple viands. Isaac, attired in the symbolic robe, the badge of birthright, was then admitted heir of the tribe [ROSENMULLER].

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Expulsion of Ishmael. - The weaning of the child, which was celebrated with a feast, furnished the outward occasion for this. Sarah saw Ishmael mocking, making ridicule on the occasion. "Isaac, the object of holy laughter, was made the butt of unholy wit or profane sport. He did not laugh (צחק), but he made fun (מצחק). The little helpless Isaac a father of nations! Unbelief, envy, pride of carnal superiority, were the causes of his conduct. Because he did not understand the sentiment, 'Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?' it seemed to him absurd to link so great a thing to one so small" (Hengstenberg). Paul calls this the persecution of him that was after the Spirit by him that was begotten after the flesh (Gal 4:29), and discerns in this a prediction of the persecution, which the Church of those who are born after the spirit of faith endures from those who are in bondage to the righteousness of the law. Gen 21:9-13 Sarah therefore asked that the maid and her son might be sent away, saying, the latter "shall not be heir with Isaac." The demand, which apparently proceeded from maternal jealousy, displeased Abraham greatly "because of his son," - partly because in Ishmael he loved his own flesh and blood, and partly on account of the promise received for him (Gen 17:18 and Gen 17:20). But God (Elohim, since there is no appearance mentioned, but the divine will was made known to him inwardly) commanded him to comply with Sarah's demand: "for in Isaac shall seed (posterity) be called to thee." This expression cannot mean "thy descendants will call themselves after Isaac," for in that case, at all events, זרעך would be used; for "in (through) Isaac shall seed be called into existence to thee," for קרא does not mean to call into existence; but, "in the person of Isaac shall there be posterity to thee, which shall pass as such," for נקרא includes existence and the recognition of existence. Though the noun is not defined by any article, the seed intended must be that to which all the promises of God referred, and with which God would establish His covenant (Gen 17:21, cf. Rom 9:7-8; Heb 11:18). To make the dismissal of Ishmael easier to the paternal heart, God repeated to Abraham (Gen 21:13) the promise already given him with regard to this son (Gen 17:20). Gen 21:14-16 The next morning Abraham sent Hagar away with Ishmael. The words, "he took bread and a bottle of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it (שׂם participle, not perfect) upon her shoulder, and the boy, and sent her away," do not state the Abraham gave her Ishmael also to carry. For ואת־היּלד does not depend upon שׂם and ויּתּן because of the copula ו, but upon יקּח, the leading verb of the sentence, although it is separated from it by the parenthesis "putting it upon her shoulder." It does not follow from these words, therefore, that Ishmael is represented as a little child. Nor is this implied in the statement which follows, that Hagar, when wandering about in the desert, "cast the boy under one of the shrubs," because the water in the bottle was gone. For ילד like נער does not mean an infant, but a boy, and also a young man (Gen 4:23); - Ishmael must have been 15 or 16 years old, as he was 14 before Isaac was born (cf. Gen 21:5, and Gen 16:16); - and השׁליך, "to throw," signifies that she suddenly left hold of the boy, when he fell exhausted from thirst, just as in Mat 15:30 ῥίπτειν is used for laying hastily down. Though despairing of his life, the mother took care that at least he should breathe out his life in the shade, and she sat over against him weeping, "in the distance as archers," i.e., according to a concise simile very common in Hebrew, as far off as archers are accustomed to place the target. Her maternal love could not bear to see him die, and yet she would not lose sight of him. Gen 21:17-19 Then God heard the voice (the weeping and crying) of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, "What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the boy, where he is" (באשר for אשׁר בּמקום, Sa2 15:21), i.e., in his helpless condition: "arise, lift up the lad," etc. It was Elohim, not Jehovah, who heard the voice of the boy, and appeared as the angel of Elohim, not of Jehovah (as in Gen 16:7), because, when Ishmael and Hagar had been dismissed from Abraham's house, they were removed from the superintendence and care of the covenant God to the guidance and providence of God the ruler of all nations. God then opened her eyes, and she saw what she had not seen before, a well of water, from which she filled the bottle and gave her son to drink. Gen 21:20-21 Having been miraculously saved from perishing by the angel of God, Ishmael grew up under the protection of God, settled in the wilderness of Paran, and "became as he grew up an archer." Although preceded by יגדּל, the רבה is not tautological; and there is no reason for attributing to it the meaning of "archer," in which sense רבב alone occurs in the one passage Gen 49:23. The desert of Paran is the present large desert of et-Tih, which stretches along the southern border of Canaan, from the western fringe of the Arabah, towards the east to the desert of Shur (Jifar), on the frontier of Egypt, and extends southwards to the promontories of the mountains of Horeb (vid., Num 10:12). On the northern edge of this desert was Beersheba (proleptically so called in Gen 21:14), to which Abraham had removed from Gerar; so that in all probability Hagar and Ishmael were sent away from his abode there, and wandered about in the surrounding desert, till Hagar was afraid that they should perish with thirst. Lastly, in preparation for Gen 25:12-18, it is mentioned in Gen 21:21 that Ishmael married a wife out of Egypt.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Expulsion of Ishmael. - The weaning of the child, which was celebrated with a feast, furnished the outward occasion for this. Sarah saw Ishmael mocking, making ridicule on the occasion. "Isaac, the object of holy laughter, was made the butt of unholy wit or profane sport. He did not laugh (צחק), but he made fun (מצחק). The little helpless Isaac a father of nations! Unbelief, envy, pride of carnal superiority, were the causes of his conduct. Because he did not understand the sentiment, 'Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?' it seemed to him absurd to link so great a thing to one so small" (Hengstenberg). Paul calls this the persecution of him that was after the Spirit by him that was begotten after the flesh (Gal 4:29), and discerns in this a prediction of the persecution, which the Church of those who are born after the spirit of faith endures from those who are in bondage to the righteousness of the law.

Gen 21:9-13

Sarah therefore asked that the maid and her son might be sent away, saying, the latter "shall not be heir with Isaac." The demand, which apparently proceeded from maternal jealousy, displeased Abraham greatly "because of his son," - partly because in Ishmael he loved his own flesh and blood, and partly on account of the promise received for him (Gen 17:18 and Gen 17:20). But God (Elohim, since there is no appearance mentioned, but the divine will was made known to him inwardly) commanded him to comply with Sarah's demand: "for in Isaac shall seed (posterity) be called to thee." This expression cannot mean "thy descendants will call themselves after Isaac," for in that case, at all events, זרעך would be used; for "in (through) Isaac shall seed be called into existence to thee," for קרא does not mean to call into existence; but, "in the person of Isaac shall there be posterity to thee, which shall pass as such," for נקרא includes existence and the recognition of existence. Though the noun is not defined by any article, the seed intended must be that to which all the promises of God referred, and with which God would establish His covenant (Gen 17:21, cf. Rom 9:7-8; Heb 11:18). To make the dismissal of Ishmael easier to the paternal heart, God repeated to Abraham (Gen 21:13) the promise already given him with regard to this son (Gen 17:20).

Gen 21:14-16

The next morning Abraham sent Hagar away with Ishmael. The words, "he took bread and a bottle of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it (שׂם participle, not perfect) upon her shoulder, and the boy, and sent her away," do not state the Abraham gave her Ishmael also to carry. For ואת־היּלד does not depend upon שׂם and ויּתּן because of the copula ו, but upon יקּח, the leading verb of the sentence, although it is separated from it by the parenthesis "putting it upon her shoulder." It does not follow from these words, therefore, that Ishmael is represented as a little child. Nor is this implied in the statement which follows, that Hagar, when wandering about in the desert, "cast the boy under one of the shrubs," because the water in the bottle was gone. For ילד like נער does not mean an infant, but a boy, and also a young man (Gen 4:23); - Ishmael must have been 15 or 16 years old, as he was 14 before Isaac was born (cf. Gen 21:5, and Gen 16:16); - and השׁליך, "to throw," signifies that she suddenly left hold of the boy, when he fell exhausted from thirst, just as in Mat 15:30 ῥίπτειν is used for laying hastily down. Though despairing of his life, the mother took care that at least he should breathe out his life in the shade, and she sat over against him weeping, "in the distance as archers," i.e., according to a concise simile very common in Hebrew, as far off as archers are accustomed to place the target. Her maternal love could not bear to see him die, and yet she would not lose sight of him.

Gen 21:17-19

Then God heard the voice (the weeping and crying) of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, "What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the boy, where he is" (באשר for אשׁר בּמקום, Sa2 15:21), i.e., in his helpless condition: "arise, lift up the lad," etc. It was Elohim, not Jehovah, who heard the voice of the boy, and appeared as the angel of Elohim, not of Jehovah (as in Gen 16:7), because, when Ishmael and Hagar had been dismissed from Abraham's house, they were removed from the superintendence and care of the covenant God to the guidance and providence of God the ruler of all nations. God then opened her eyes, and she saw what she had not seen before, a well of water, from which she filled the bottle and gave her son to drink.

Gen 21:20-21

Having been miraculously saved from perishing by the angel of God, Ishmael grew up under the protection of God, settled in the wilderness of Paran, and "became as he grew up an archer." Although preceded by יגדּל, the רבה is not tautological; and there is no reason for attributing to it the meaning of "archer," in which sense רבב alone occurs in the one passage Gen 49:23. The desert of Paran is the present large desert of et-Tih, which stretches along the southern border of Canaan, from the western fringe of the Arabah, towards the east to the desert of Shur (Jifar), on the frontier of Egypt, and extends southwards to the promontories of the mountains of Horeb (vid., Num 10:12). On the northern edge of this desert was Beersheba (proleptically so called in Gen 21:14), to which Abraham had removed from Gerar; so that in all probability Hagar and Ishmael were sent away from his abode there, and wandered about in the surrounding desert, till Hagar was afraid that they should perish with thirst. Lastly, in preparation for Gen 25:12-18, it is mentioned in Gen 21:21 that Ishmael married a wife out of Egypt.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
The child grew and was weaned - Anglo-Saxon Version. Now the child waxed and became weaned. We have the verb to wean from the Anglo-Saxon awendan, to convert, transfer, turn from one thing to another, which is the exact import of the Hebrew word גמל gamal in the text. Hence wenan, to wean, to turn the child from the breast to receive another kind of ailment. And hence, probably, the word Wean, a young child, which is still in use in the northern parts of Great Britain and Ireland, and which from its etymology seems to signify a child taken from the breast; surely not from the Scotch wee-ane, a little one, much less from the German wenig, little, as Dr. Johnson and others would derive it. At what time children were weaned among the ancients, is a disputed point. St. Jerome says there were two opinions on this subject. Some hold that children were always weaned at five years of age; others, that they were not weaned till they were twelve. From the speech of the mother to her son, 2 Maccabees 7:27, it seems likely that among the Jews they were weaned when three years old: O my son, have pity upon me that bare thee nine months in my womb, and gave thee Suck Three Years, and nourished thee and brought thee up. And this is farther strengthened by Ch2 31:16, where Hezekiah, in making provision for the Levites and priests, includes the children from three years old and upwards; which is a presumptive proof that previously to this age they were wholly dependent on the mother for their nourishment. Samuel appears to have been brought to the sanctuary when he was just weaned, and then he was capable of ministering before the Lord, Sa1 1:22-28; and this certainly could not be before he was three years of age. The term among the Mohammedans is fixed by the Koran, chap. 31:14, at two years of age.

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²¹ And he dwelt [03427] in the wilderness [04057] of Paran [06290]: and his mother [0517] took [03947] him a wife [0802] out of the land [0776] of Egypt [04714].

¹² Now these are the generations [08435] of Ishmael [03458], Abraham's [085] son [01121], whom Hagar [01904] the Egyptian [04713], Sarah's [08283] handmaid [08198], bare [03205] unto Abraham [085]:
¹³ And these are the names [08034] of the sons [01121] of Ishmael [03458], by their names [08034], according to their generations [08435]: the firstborn [01060] of Ishmael [03458], Nebajoth [05032]; and Kedar [06938], and Adbeel [0110], and Mibsam [04017],
¹⁴ And Mishma [04927], and Dumah [01746], and Massa [04854],
¹⁵ Hadar [02316], and Tema [08485], Jetur [03195], Naphish [05305], and Kedemah [06929]:
¹⁶ These are the sons [01121] of Ishmael [03458], and these are their names [08034], by their towns [02691], and by their castles [02918]; twelve [08147] [06240] princes [05387] according to their nations [0523].
¹⁷ And these are the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Ishmael [03458], an hundred [03967] [08141] and thirty [07970] [08141] and seven [07651] years [08141]: and he gave up the ghost [01478] and died [04191]; and was gathered [0622] unto his people [05971].
¹⁸ And they dwelt [07931] from Havilah [02341] unto Shur [07793], that is before [06440] Egypt [04714], as thou goest [0935] toward Assyria [0804]: and he died [05307] in the presence [06440] of all his brethren [0251].

¹² And the children [01121] of Israel [03478] took [05265] their journeys [04550] out of the wilderness [04057] of Sinai [05514]; and the cloud [06051] rested [07931] in the wilderness [04057] of Paran [06290].

²³ The archers [01167] [02671] have sorely grieved him [04843], and shot [07232] at him, and hated him [07852]:

²⁰ And God [0430] was with the lad [05288]; and he grew [01431], and dwelt [03427] in the wilderness [04057], and became an archer [07235] [07199].
²¹ And he dwelt [03427] in the wilderness [04057] of Paran [06290]: and his mother [0517] took [03947] him a wife [0802] out of the land [0776] of Egypt [04714].

⁷ And the angel [04397] of the LORD [03068] found her [04672] by a fountain [05869] of water [04325] in the wilderness [04057], by the fountain [05869] in the way [01870] to Shur [07793].

²¹ And Ittai [0863] answered [06030] the king [04428], and said [0559], As the LORD [03068] liveth [02416], and as my lord [0113] the king [04428] liveth [02416], surely in what place [04725] my lord [0113] the king [04428] shall be, whether in death [04194] or life [02416], even there also will thy servant [05650] be.

¹⁷ And God [0430] heard [08085] the voice [06963] of the lad [05288]; and the angel [04397] of God [0430] called [07121] to Hagar [01904] out of heaven [08064], and said [0559] unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar [01904]? fear [03372] not; for God [0430] hath heard [08085] the voice [06963] of the lad [05288] where he is.
¹⁸ Arise [06965], lift up [05375] the lad [05288], and hold [02388] him in thine hand [03027]; for I will make [07760] him a great [01419] nation [01471].
¹⁹ And God [0430] opened [06491] her eyes [05869], and she saw [07200] a well [0875] of water [04325]; and she went [03212], and filled [04390] the bottle [02573] with water [04325], and gave [08248] the lad [05288] drink [08248].

³⁰ And [2532] great [4183] multitudes [3793] came [4334] unto him [846], having [2192] with [3326] them those that were [1438] lame [5560], blind [5185], dumb [2974], maimed [2948], and [2532] many [4183] others [2087], and [2532] cast [4496] them [846] down [4496] at [3844] Jesus [2424]' feet [4228]; and [2532] he healed [2323] them [846]:

¹⁶ And Abram [087] was fourscore [08084] [08141] and six [08337] years [08141] old [01121], when Hagar [01904] bare [03205] Ishmael [03458] to Abram [087].

⁵ And Abraham [085] was an hundred [03967] years [08141] old [01121], when his son [01121] Isaac [03327] was born [03205] unto him.

²³ And Lamech [03929] said [0559] unto his wives [0802], Adah [05711] and Zillah [06741], Hear [08085] my voice [06963]; ye wives [0802] of Lamech [03929], hearken [0238] unto my speech [0565]: for I have slain [02026] a man [0376] to my wounding [06482], and a young man [03206] to my hurt [02250].

¹⁴ And Abraham [085] rose up early [07925] in the morning [01242], and took [03947] bread [03899], and a bottle [02573] of water [04325], and gave [05414] it unto Hagar [01904], putting [07760] it on her shoulder [07926], and the child [03206], and sent her away [07971]: and she departed [03212], and wandered [08582] in the wilderness [04057] of Beersheba [0884].
¹⁵ And the water [04325] was spent [03615] in [04480] the bottle [02573], and she cast [07993] the child [03206] under one [0259] of the shrubs [07880].
¹⁶ And she went [03212], and sat her down [03427] over against [05048] him a good way off [07368], as it were a bowshot [02909] [07198]: for she said [0559], Let me not see [07200] the death [04194] of the child [03206]. And she sat [03427] over against him, and lift up [05375] her voice [06963], and wept [01058].

²⁰ And as for Ishmael [03458], I have heard thee [08085]: Behold, I have blessed [01288] him, and will make him fruitful [06509], and will multiply [07235] him exceedingly [03966] [03966]; twelve [06240] [08147] princes [05387] shall he beget [03205], and I will make him [05414] a great [01419] nation [01471].

¹³ And also of the son [01121] of the bondwoman [0519] will I make [07760] a nation [01471], because he is thy seed [02233].

¹⁸ Of [4314] whom [3739] it was said [2980], That [3754] in [1722] Isaac [2464] shall [2564] thy [4671] seed [4690] be called [2564]:

⁷ Neither [3761], because [3754] they are [1526] the seed [4690] of Abraham [11], are they all [3956] children [5043]: but [235], In [1722] Isaac [2464] shall [2564] thy [4671] seed [4690] be called [2564].
⁸ That is [5123], They which are the children [5043] of the flesh [4561], these [5023] are not [3756] the children [5043] of God [2316]: but [235] the children [5043] of the promise [1860] are counted [3049] for [1519] the seed [4690].

²¹ But my covenant [01285] will I establish [06965] with Isaac [03327], which Sarah [08283] shall bear [03205] unto thee at this set time [04150] in the next [0312] year [08141].

¹⁸ And Abraham [085] said [0559] unto God [0430], O that [03863] Ishmael [03458] might live [02421] before thee [06440]!

⁹ And Sarah [08283] saw [07200] the son [01121] of Hagar [01904] the Egyptian [04713], which she had born [03205] unto Abraham [085], mocking [06711].
¹⁰ Wherefore she said [0559] unto Abraham [085], Cast out [01644] this bondwoman [0519] and her son [01121]: for the son [01121] of this bondwoman [0519] shall not be heir [03423] with my son [01121], even with Isaac [03327].
¹¹ And the thing [01697] was very [03966] grievous [03415] in Abraham's [085] sight [05869] because [0182] of his son [01121].
¹² And God [0430] said [0559] unto Abraham [085], Let it not be grievous [03415] in thy sight [05869] because of the lad [05288], and because of thy bondwoman [0519]; in all that Sarah [08283] hath said [0559] unto thee, hearken [08085] unto her voice [06963]; for in Isaac [03327] shall thy seed [02233] be called [07121].
¹³ And also of the son [01121] of the bondwoman [0519] will I make [07760] a nation [01471], because he is thy seed [02233].

²⁹ But [235] as [5618] then [5119] he that was born [1080] after [2596] the flesh [4561] persecuted [1377] him that was born after [2596] the Spirit [4151], even [2532] so [3779] it is now [3568].

²² But Hannah [02584] went not up [05927]; for she said [0559] unto her husband [0376], I will not go up until the child [05288] be weaned [01580], and then I will bring [0935] him, that he may appear [07200] before [06440] the LORD [03068], and there abide [03427] for [05704] ever [05769].
²³ And Elkanah [0511] her husband [0376] said [0559] unto her, Do [06213] what seemeth [05869] thee good [02896]; tarry [03427] until thou have weaned [01580] him; only the LORD [03068] establish [06965] his word [01697]. So the woman [0802] abode [03427], and gave her son [01121] suck [03243] until she weaned [01580] him.
²⁴ And when she had weaned [01580] him, she took him up [05927] with her, with three [07969] bullocks [06499], and one [0259] ephah [0374] of flour [07058], and a bottle [05035] of wine [03196], and brought [0935] him unto the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] in Shiloh [07887]: and the child [05288] was young [05288].
²⁵ And they slew [07819] a bullock [06499], and brought [0935] the child [05288] to Eli [05941].
²⁶ And she said [0559], Oh [0994] my lord [0113], as thy soul [05315] liveth [02416], my lord [0113], I am the woman [0802] that stood [05324] by thee here, praying [06419] unto the LORD [03068].
²⁷ For this child [05288] I prayed [06419]; and the LORD [03068] hath given [05414] me my petition [07596] which I asked [07592] of him:
²⁸ Therefore also I have lent [07592] him to the LORD [03068]; as long as he liveth [03117] he shall be lent [07592] to the LORD [03068]. And he worshipped [07812] the LORD [03068] there.

¹⁶ Beside their genealogy [03187] of males [02145], from three [07969] years [08141] old [01121] and upward [04605], even unto every one that entereth [0935] into the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], his daily [03117] [03117] portion [01697] for their service [05656] in their charges [04931] according to their courses [04256];