Genesis 21:10-12

21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ¹  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. ²  21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ³  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ⁴  all that Sarah is telling ⁵  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ⁶ 

Romans 11:7-11

11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The ⁷  rest were hardened, 11:8 as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear,

to this very day.” ⁸ 

11:9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them;

11:10 let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see,

and make their backs bend continually.” ⁹ 

11:11 I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, ¹⁰  did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel ¹¹  jealous.

[21:10]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ⁶ 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.

[11:7]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[11:8]  ⁸ sn A quotation from Deut 29:4; Isa 29:10.

[11:10]  ⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 69:22-23.

[11:11]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “that they might fall.”

[11:11]  ¹¹ tn Grk “them”; the referent (Israel, cf. 11:7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.