And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Parallel translations
- WEB Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.
- BSB But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,
- NKJV And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.
- NASB Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking Isaac.
- NLT But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.
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 sees Ishmael, Hagar's son, mocking. His scorn toward Isaac triggers the coming separation.
Overview
Ishmael's mockery, which Paul later describes as persecution of the child of promise, reveals hostility toward Isaac and threatens the household. The conflict dramatizes the tension between the son born of the flesh and the son born of promise. Paul draws on this scene to teach that the children of promise, born by the Spirit, must not be enslaved by works of the flesh.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Gal 4:29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
- Gen 16:15And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
- Gal 4:22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
- Gen 16:1Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
- Prov 20:11Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
- Ps 22:6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
- Lam 1:7Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.
- 2 Chr 36:16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
- 2 Chr 30:10So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.
- Ps 44:13–14Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
- Ps 42:10As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
- Gen 16:3–6And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
- Heb 11:36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
- Neh 4:1–5But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
- Gen 17:20And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
- 2 Kgs 2:23–24And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
- Job 30:1But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
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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 21:9 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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