Genesis Chapter 21
Showing all 34 verses for Genesis Chapter 21.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. "
"The LORD paid attention to Sarah just as he had said he would, and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised."
God finally keeps the promise Sarah had waited on for decades, doing 'as he had spoken.' Hold on to hope even when a promise from God has taken far longer than you expected; delay was never the same thing as denial.
"For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. "
"Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at exactly the time God had said it would happen."
Isaac arrives at 'the set time,' exactly when God had said he would. Trust that God's timing, even when it stretches far past your own patience, is never actually late; it is precise, even when it feels achingly slow to you.
"And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. "
"Abraham named his newborn son, the one Sarah had borne him, Isaac."
Abraham simply obeys the instruction he'd already been given, naming his son Isaac. Let obedience be your steady response even to instructions given long before, not just to fresh, dramatic ones; faithfulness often looks like following through on what you already know to do.
"And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. "
"When Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, exactly as God had commanded him to do."
Abraham circumcises Isaac exactly as commanded, continuing the pattern of prompt obedience. Let your faith be marked by consistent, practical follow-through, not just moments of high emotion; steady obedience in small things matters as much as big declarations.
"And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. "
"Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born."
Abraham's age at Isaac's birth, a hundred years old, underlines just how far beyond natural means this gift really was. When you receive something good that you know you couldn't have produced yourself, let it strengthen rather than inflate your sense of who deserves the credit.
"And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. "
"Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.""
Sarah's laughter has changed completely, from private disbelief to open, shared joy. Let your own doubt, when God proves faithful, transform into joy you're glad to share with others rather than something you keep quietly to yourself.
"And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. "
"She added, "Who would ever have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse a child? Yet I have given him a son in his old age.""
Sarah marvels that anyone would have believed she could nurse a child in her old age. Don't be afraid to keep marvelling at what God has done in your life, even long after the initial miracle; ongoing gratitude keeps wonder alive.
"And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. "
"The child grew, and on the day he was weaned, Abraham held a great feast."
Abraham throws a great feast simply to celebrate his son reaching a milestone. Take time to genuinely celebrate the good, ordinary milestones in the lives of people you love; joy doesn't need to wait for the extraordinary.
"And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. "
"But Sarah saw the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham — Ishmael — mocking."
Sarah notices Ishmael mocking Isaac during what should have been a joyful celebration. Painful tension can surface even in genuinely happy moments; don't be surprised when old rivalries or hurts resurface right alongside real joy.
"Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. "
"So she said to Abraham, "Get rid of this slave woman and her son. This slave woman's son will not share the inheritance with my son Isaac.""
Sarah's demand to send Hagar and Ishmael away is harsh, but it's aimed at protecting Isaac's place in God's promise. Even reasonable concerns can be voiced in ways that cause real pain to others; try to hold your own legitimate needs alongside genuine compassion for those affected by your decisions.
"And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. "
"This was extremely painful for Abraham, because Ishmael was his son too."
Abraham is deeply grieved at the thought of losing his son Ishmael. Let yourself feel the real grief of a hard, necessary decision rather than suppressing it; love for someone doesn't disappear just because circumstances are forcing you apart.
"And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. "
"But God said to Abraham, "Don't be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your family line will be carried forward."
God reassures Abraham and confirms that Sarah's request, though painful, aligns with His actual plan. When a hard decision troubles you deeply, seek God's peace about it rather than only trusting your own instinct about what feels kind in the moment.
"And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. "
"But I will also make the son of the slave woman into a great nation, because he too is your child.""
God promises that Ishmael, too, will become a great nation because he is Abraham's son. Trust that God's care extends generously beyond the one path you can see clearly; He has good plans even for the parts of a story that feel like loss to you.
"And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. "
"Early the next morning, Abraham took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, placing them on her shoulder, along with the boy, and sent her away. She left and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba."
Abraham obeys immediately and provides what he can for Hagar and Ishmael's journey, even though his heart is breaking. Obedience and grief aren't opposites; you can act faithfully on a hard decision while still feeling the full weight of what it costs you.
"And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. "
"When the water in the skin ran out, she put the boy down under one of the bushes."
Hagar reaches the point of placing her child under a bush, believing he is about to die. Even in your lowest, most hopeless moment, you are not actually outside the reach of God's awareness and care, however it may feel in that instant.
"And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. "
"Then she went and sat down some distance away, about a bowshot off, saying to herself, "I can't watch the child die." As she sat there, she broke down and wept."
Hagar walks away because she cannot bear to watch her son die, weeping bitterly. It's alright to be honest about the depth of your despair; naming your grief openly, even through tears, is not a lack of faith but a very human cry that God hears.
"And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. "
"God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called out to Hagar from heaven, "What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid — God has heard the boy crying, right where he is."
God hears the boy's cries and immediately reassures Hagar not to be afraid. When you feel forgotten in your distress, trust that God is actively listening, even to cries you think no one else can hear.
"Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. "
"Get up, lift the boy up and hold him by the hand, because I will make him into a great nation.""
The angel tells Hagar to rise and hold her son, reminding her of God's promise for his future. In your darkest moment, let God's past promises steady you enough to get back up and take the next practical step forward.
"And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. "
"Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the water skin and gave the boy a drink."
God opens Hagar's eyes to a well of water that was there all along. Ask God to open your eyes to the provision that may already be near you, even when despair has made it impossible to see clearly.
"And God was with the lad; and he grew, and in the wilderness, and became an archer. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became a skilled archer."
God stays with Ishmael as he grows up in the wilderness. Even a path that looks like exile or hardship from the outside can still be a path where God is genuinely present with you, step by step.
"And he in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"He settled in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother found him a wife from Egypt."
Ishmael builds an independent life and family, cared for by his mother even in a foreign land. However far your circumstances have taken you from where you expected to be, there is still real life, purpose, and family to build there.
"And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: "
"Around that time, Abimelech, along with Phichol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do."
Abimelech openly acknowledges that God is clearly with Abraham. Let your life be lived with enough consistency and integrity that even people outside your own faith can recognise God's presence in it.
"Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. "
"So now, swear to me here, in God's name, that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. Just as I have treated you fairly, you must treat me and this land fairly too.""
Abimelech asks Abraham to swear a lasting oath of kindness towards his family. Consider what kind of legacy of trustworthiness you're building, one that people would still want to rely on for their children and grandchildren.
"And Abraham said, I will swear. "
"Abraham replied, "I swear it.""
Abraham's answer is simple and immediate: 'I will swear.' Let your word be reliable enough that a simple, direct 'yes' from you carries genuine weight with the people around you.
"And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. "
"But Abraham also complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had seized by force."
Abraham doesn't let the covenant-making stop him from raising a real grievance about a stolen well. You can pursue peace and hold people accountable for genuine wrongs at the same time; reconciliation doesn't require pretending problems don't exist.
"And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. "
"Abimelech said, "I have no idea who did this. You never told me about it, and I hadn't heard anything about it until today.""
Abimelech responds honestly that he hadn't known about the issue until that very day. Give people the benefit of genuine ignorance when it's plausible, rather than assuming the worst intentions behind every wrong you encounter.
"And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. "
"Then Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and cattle, and the two of them made a formal agreement together."
Abraham and Abimelech formalise their peace with a tangible exchange of gifts. Let your reconciliation with others be backed by real, practical commitment, not just words; actions help seal what agreements alone can leave uncertain.
"And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. "
"Abraham then set seven female lambs apart from the rest of the flock."
Abraham sets aside seven lambs deliberately, preparing to make a specific point. Sometimes clarity requires a deliberate, visible gesture rather than assuming your intentions are already understood; don't be afraid to make your meaning unmistakable.
"And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? "
"Abimelech asked him, "What is the meaning of these seven lambs you've set apart?""
Abimelech asks directly what the seven lambs mean rather than guessing or assuming. When something puzzles you about another person's actions, asking directly is usually wiser and kinder than silently assuming you already know the answer.
"And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. "
"Abraham replied, "Accept these seven lambs from me as proof — a witness — that I am the one who dug this well.""
The lambs become a witness, a form of proof, that Abraham dug the well himself. Look for honest, tangible ways to settle disputes clearly, so that peace between you and others rests on something solid rather than lingering doubt.
"Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. "
"That is why the place was called Beersheba — because that is where the two of them swore their oath."
The place is named Beersheba to permanently mark the oath they swore there. Consider marking the significant commitments and resolutions in your own life in ways that help you remember and honour them long afterwards.
"Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. "
"So they made a formal agreement at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, got up and returned to the land of the Philistines."
Abimelech and his commander depart peacefully once the covenant is settled. A well-made peace allows both sides to part ways in genuine goodwill, rather than lingering suspicion; aim for agreements that leave both people at rest.
"And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. "
"Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God."
Abraham plants a tree and calls on the name of the everlasting God, even while living in a foreign land. Let your worship and devotion to God remain steady no matter where life has placed you, rather than depending on familiar or comfortable surroundings.
"And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days. "
"Abraham lived in the land of the Philistines for a long time."
Abraham continues to live as a sojourner, a temporary resident, in the land he was promised. You can hold confidently to a promise for your future while still living faithfully and patiently in the 'not yet' of your present circumstances.