The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
- BSB Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael.
- NKJV And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.
- NASB The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son Ishmael.
- NLT This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Sarah's demand grieves Abraham deeply because of his son Ishmael. He is torn by love for his other child.
Overview
Abraham's distress shows his genuine fatherly affection for Ishmael, making the required separation costly. His grief reflects the painful tension between natural love and God's revealed purpose. The verse honestly portrays the emotional weight of obedience, reminding believers that following God's will sometimes requires surrendering even cherished relationships.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Heb 12:11All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.
- Gen 17:18Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
- Matt 10:37He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me.
- 2 Sam 18:33The king was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate, and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died for you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
- Gen 22:1–2After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 21:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.