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In this chapter we have, I. Isaac, the child of promise born into Abraham's family (Gen 21:1-8). II. Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, cast out of it (Gen 21:9-21). III. Abraham's league with his neighbour Abimelech (Gen 21:22-32). IV. His devotion to his God (Gen 21:33).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 21 This chapter gives an account of the conception, birth, circumcision, and weaning of Isaac, Gen 21:1; of the mocking of Ishmael, and of the casting out of him and his mother from Abraham's house, at the request of Sarah, which, though grievous to Abraham, he complied with at the direction of God, Gen 21:9; of the provision Abraham made for their departure, and of the supply they met with in the wilderness from God, where Ishmael was brought up, and where he married, Gen 21:14; and of a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech, king of Gerar, Gen 21:22; and of Abraham's planting a grove, and calling on the name of the Lord, Gen 21:33; and the chapter is closed with this observation, that Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days, Gen 21:34.

And Abraham was an hundred years old when son Isaac was born unto him. So that this was years after his departure from Haran, and coming into the land of Canaan, for then he was seventy five years of age, Gen 12:4; and this exactly agrees with the account of Demetrius, as related by Polyhistor, an Heathen writer (o), who makes Isaac to be born just twenty five years from Abraham's coming into the land of Canaan, and who must be now an hundred years old, being ninety nine at the time the Lord appeared unto him, and promised him a son at the set time the next year, Gen 17:1. This is observed, both to show the wonderful favour to Abraham, and the faithfulness of God in the exact performance of his promise: according to Bishop Usher (p), Isaac was born A. M. 2108, and before Christ 1896, and probably at Beersheba, see Gen 21:33. (o) Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 21. p. 425. (p) Annales Vet. Test. p. 9.

Let us ask the Lord lest, in accordance with the apostle’s word, even with us, “when Moses is read the veil be upon” our “heart.” For it has been read that Abraham begot a son, Isaac, when he was a hundred years old. “And Sarah said, ‘Who will announce to Abraham that Sarah nurses a child?’ ” “And then,” the text says, “Abraham circumcised the child on the eighth day.” Abraham does not celebrate his son’s birthday, but he celebrates the day of this weaning “and makes a great feast.”6Why? Do we think that it is the Holy Spirit’s intention to write stories and to narrate how a child was weaned and a feast was made, how he played and did other childish things? Or should we understand by these things that he wishes to teach us something divine and worthy that the human race might learn from the words of God?

And he circumcised him on the eighth day, as God had commanded him when he was a hundred years old. Just as Isaac was indeed born during the time of the Old Testament, yet by his very birth he designates the heirs of the New Testament, so the circumcision by which he was consecrated is indeed a sacrament of the Old Testament, but it was foreshadowed in the figure of the grace of the New Testament, by which the world was to be cleansed in Christ from all filth of sin, death, and mortality. For at that time circumcision freed the faithful from the bond of original transgression; yet it was given as a type of the higher grace, by which the entire kingdom of sin and death was to be destroyed by the passion and resurrection of the Lord; in the image of which we also are absolved from all sins in baptism, and on the last day, renewed from all corruption and mortality of flesh and soul, we will reach eternal life; where, as the Lord said, the sons of the resurrection neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven; for they can no longer die (Mark 12:25). And because the Lord rose again from the dead on the eighth day, that is, after the Sabbath, we also hope to rise again in the eighth age; for there are six ages of this world, the seventh is the Sabbath rest of souls in another life, the eighth itself is of our resurrection and the universal judgement; therefore, it was rightly commanded that circumcision be performed on the eighth day. But the fact that Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born and his son of the promise was circumcised, most fittingly corresponds to the perfection of that same promise. For since a hundred is a perfect number, which is especially evidenced by the fact that it passes from the left hand to the right; therefore, it mystically pertains to heavenly and perpetual goods, Isaac is rightly born into this, who by his birth born miraculously to aged parents, would designate the heirs not of a temporal and lowly kingdom, but of the eternal kingdom in the heavens, in which indeed as a sacrament, Noah’s ark was built over a hundred years, and Abraham dwelt a hundred years in the land of promise, and Isaac, sowing in Gerar, found a hundredfold in that very year, and the court of the tabernacle is a hundred cubits long; and in the parable of the gospel seed, the good ground produced a hundredfold fruit, and the Lord promises a hundredfold in this time and, moreover, eternal life to those who leave their own: in all of these, the number one hundred either designates the joys of eternal life or the good works by which one attains these.

Isaac is born according to the promise, Gen 21:1-3; and is circumcised when eight days old, Gen 21:4. Abraham's age, and Sarah's exultation at the birth of their son, Gen 21:5-7. Isaac is weaned, Gen 21:8. Ishmael mocking on the occasion, Sarah requires that both he and his mother Hagar shall be dismissed, Gen 21:9, Gen 21:10. Abraham, distressed on the account, is ordered by the Lord to comply, Gen 21:11, Gen 21:12. The promise renewed to Ishmael, Gen 21:13. Abraham dismisses Hagar and her son, who go to the wilderness of Beer-sheba, Gen 21:14. They are greatly distressed for want of water, Gen 21:15, Gen 21:16. An angel of God appears to and relieves them, Gen 21:17-19. Ishmael prospers and is married, Gen 21:20, Gen 21:21. Abimelech, and Phichol his chief captain, make a covenant with Abraham, and surrender the well of Beersheba for seven ewe lambs, Gen 21:22-32. Abraham plants a grove, and invokes the name of the everlasting God, Gen 21:33.

And Abraham circumcised his son - See note on Gen 17:10, etc.

BIRTH OF ISAAC. (Gen 21:1-13) the Lord visited Sarah--The language of the historian seems designedly chosen to magnify the power of God as well as His faithfulness to His promise. It was God's grace that brought about that event, as well as the raising of spiritual children to Abraham, of which the birth of this son was typical [CALVIN].

Birth of Isaac. - Jehovah did for Sarah what God had promised in Gen 17:6 (cf. Gen 18:14): she conceived, and at the time appointed bore a son to Abraham, when he was 100 years old. Abraham gave it the name of Jizchak (or Isaac), and circumcised it on the eighth day. The name for the promised son had been selected by God, in connection with Abraham's laughing (Gen 17:17 and Gen 17:19), to indicate the nature of his birth and existence. For as his laughing sprang from the contrast between the idea and the reality; so through a miracle of grace the birth of Isaac gave effect to this contrast between the promise of God and the pledge of its fulfilment on the one hand, and the incapacity of Abraham for begetting children, and of Sarah for bearing them, on the other; and through this name, Isaac was designated as the fruit of omnipotent grace working against and above the forces of nature. Sarah also, who had previously laughed with unbelief at the divine promise (Gen 18:12), found a reason in the now accomplished birth of the promised son for laughing with joyous amazement; so that she exclaimed, with evident allusion to his name, "A laughing hath God prepared for me; every one who hears it will laugh to me" (i.e., will rejoice with me, in amazement at the blessing of God which has come upon me even in my old age), and gave a fitting expression to the joy of her heart, in this inspired tristich (Gen 21:7): "Who would have said unto Abraham: Sarah is giving suck; for I have born a son to his old age." מלּל is the poetic word for דּבּר, and מי before the perfect has the sense of - whoever has said, which we should express as a subjunctive; cf. Kg2 20:9; Psa 11:3, etc.