And of the son of the slave woman I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.”
Parallel translations
- WEB I will also make a nation of the son of the servant, because he is your child.”
- KJV And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
- BSB But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
- NKJV Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”
- NLT But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”
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
God promises to make Ishmael into a nation too, because he is Abraham's son. The Lord shows mercy to Ishmael even outside the covenant line.
Overview
Though the covenant runs through Isaac, God graciously assures Abraham that Ishmael will also become a great nation. This reflects God's kindness and faithfulness to His earlier promises concerning Ishmael. The verse comforts Abraham and displays the breadth of God's providential care, even toward those not chosen for the covenant line of promise.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Gen 17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
- Gen 16:10Yahweh’s angel said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will not be counted for multitude.”
- Gen 21:18Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation.”
- Gen 25:12–18Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.
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 21:13 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
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