Genesis 16:3-4

16:3 So after Abram had lived ¹  in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, ²  to her husband to be his wife. ³  16:4 He had sexual relations with ⁴  Hagar, and she became pregnant. ⁵  Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. ⁶ 

Genesis 16:8

16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from ⁷  my mistress, Sarai.”

Genesis 16:15-16

16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. ⁸  16:16 (Now ⁹  Abram was 86 years old ¹⁰  when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) ¹¹ 

Genesis 21:9-13

21:9 But Sarah noticed ¹²  the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. ¹³  21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ¹⁴  that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”

21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. ¹⁵  21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ¹⁶  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ¹⁷  all that Sarah is telling ¹⁸  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ¹⁹  21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”

Genesis 25:12

The Sons of Ishmael

25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, ²⁰  whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

[16:3]  ¹ tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.

[16:3]  ² tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3]  ³ sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.

[16:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4]  ⁵ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.

[16:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[16:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

[16:16]  ⁹ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.

[16:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”

[16:16]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.

[21:9]  ¹² tn Heb “saw.”

[21:9]  ¹³ tn The Piel participle used here is from the same root as the name “Isaac.” In the Piel stem the verb means “to jest; to make sport of; to play with,” not simply “to laugh,” which is the meaning of the verb in the Qal stem. What exactly Ishmael was doing is not clear. Interpreters have generally concluded that the boy was either (1) mocking Isaac (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) or (2) merely playing with Isaac as if on equal footing (cf. NAB, NRSV). In either case Sarah saw it as a threat. The same participial form was used in Gen 19:14 to describe how some in Lot’s family viewed his attempt to warn them of impending doom. It also appears later in Gen 39:14, 17, where Potiphar accuses Joseph of mocking them.

[21:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “drive out.” The language may seem severe, but Sarah’s maternal instincts sensed a real danger in that Ishmael was not treating Isaac with the proper respect.

[21:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and the word was very wrong in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.” The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) often refers to what is morally or ethically “evil.” It usage here suggests that Abraham thought Sarah’s demand was ethically (and perhaps legally) wrong.

[21:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “listen to her voice.” The idiomatic expression means “obey; comply.” Here her advice, though harsh, is necessary and conforms to the will of God. Later (see Gen 25), when Abraham has other sons, he sends them all away as well.

[21:12]  ¹⁸ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ¹⁹ tn Or perhaps “will be named”; Heb “for in Isaac offspring will be called to you.” The exact meaning of the statement is not clear, but it does indicate that God’s covenantal promises to Abraham will be realized through Isaac, not Ishmael.

[25:12]  ²⁰ sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).