Genesis 21:9

Genesis 21:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
• New International Version (NIV)But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.

Context of Genesis 21:9

7She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” 8So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son, 10and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!” 11Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael.

Genesis 21:9 word by word

וַתֵּ֨רֶא שָׂרָ֜ה אֶֽת־בֶּן־הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָ֥ה לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם מְצַחֵֽק׃Read the interlinear

• But Sarahשָׂרָהώârâh · SarahH8283
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• saw thatרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• whomאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• Hagarהָגָרhâgâr · HagarH1904
• the Egyptianמִצְרִיmitsrîy · EgyptianH4713
• had borneיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• to Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• was mockingצָחַקtsâchaq · to laughH6711

Cross-references for Genesis 21:9

• Genesis 16:3So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.
• Genesis 17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
• Genesis 16:1Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
• 2 Kings 2:23From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
• 2 Chronicles 30:10And the couriers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and mocked them.
• 2 Chronicles 36:16But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.
• Nehemiah 4:1Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
• Job 30:1“But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to put with my sheep dogs.
• Psalms 22:6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
• Psalms 42:10Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
• Psalms 44:13You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us.
• Proverbs 20:11Even a young man is known by his actions— whether his conduct is pure and upright.
• Lamentations 1:7In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands she received no help. Her enemies looked upon her, laughing at her downfall.
• Galatians 4:22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
• Hebrews 11:36Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

Commentaries on Genesis 21:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Mocking - What was implied in this mocking is not known. St. Paul, Galatians 4:29, calls it persecuting; but it is likely he meant no more than some species of ridicule used by Ishmael on the occasion, and probably with respect to the age of Sarah at Isaac's birth, and her previous barrenness. Jonathan ben Uzziel and the Jerusalem Targum represent Ishmael as performing some idolatrous rite on the occasion, and that this had given the offense to Sarah…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-34Verses 1-34 - The Birth of Isaac 7. מלל mı̂lēl “speak,” an ancient and therefore solemn and poetical word. 14. חמת chêmet “bottle,” akin to חמה chāmâh “surround, enclose,” and הוּם chûm “black. באר שׁבע beêr -sheba‛ Beer-sheba, “well of seven.” 22. פיכל pı̂ykol Pikhol, “mouth or spokesman of all.” 23. נין nı̂yn “offspring, kin;” related: “sprout, flourish.” נכד neked “progeny,” perhaps “acquaintance,” cognate with נגד ngd “be before” (the eyes) and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-13Verses 9-13 Let us not overlook the manner in which this family matter instructs us not to rest in outward privileges, or in our own doings. And let us seek the blessings of the new covenant by faith in its Divine Surety. Ishmael's conduct was persecution, being done in profane contempt of the covenant and promise, and with malice against Isaac. God takes notice of what children say and do in their play; and will reckon with them, if they say or do amiss…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9The feast for Isaac’s weaning probably happened when he was three. Ishmael was around 17 years old at that time (16:16). Sarah saw Ishmael mocking her son, Isaac. The verb metsakheq (“mocking”) is related to the word for “laughter.” This theme (21:6) becomes negative because of Ishmael’s mocking.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Sarah saw the son of Hagar ... mocking--Ishmael was aware of the great change in his prospects, and under the impulse of irritated or resentful feelings, in which he was probably joined by his mother, treated the young heir with derision and probably some violence (Ga 4:29).Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 21:9

• Children
• Concubinage
• Cruelty
• Envy
• Inheritance
• Ishmael
• Malice
• Mocking
• Polygamy
• Sarah
• Scoffing
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Egyptian
• Hagar
• Sarah
• Sarah; Sarai
• Abraham, Abram
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Call
• Cast
• Everlasting

Commentaries on Genesis 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings