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

7And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son in his old age.” 8And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking Isaac. 10Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be an heir with my son Isaac!” 11The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son Ishmael.

Genesis 21:9 word by word

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

• Now Sarahשָׂרָהώârâh · SarahH8283
• sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Hagarהָגָרhâgâr · HagarH1904
• the Egyptianמִצְרִיmitsrîy · EgyptianH4713
• whomאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• she had borneיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• to Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• mockingצָחַקtsâchaq · to laughH6711

Cross-references for Genesis 21:9

• Genesis 16:3And so after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave woman, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.
• Genesis 17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.
• Genesis 16:1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not borne him a child, but she had an Egyptian slave woman whose name was Hagar.
• 2 Kings 2:23Now he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the road, some young boys came out from the city and ridiculed him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!”
• 2 Chronicles 30:10So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed at them with scorn and mocked them.
• 2 Chronicles 36:16but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against His people, until there was no remedy.
• Nehemiah 4:1Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry, and he mocked the Jews.
• Job 30:1“But now those who are younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I refused to put with the dogs of my flock.
• Psalms 22:6But I am a worm and not a person, A disgrace of mankind and despised by the people.
• Psalms 42:10As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
• Psalms 44:13You make us an object of reproach to our neighbors, Of scoffing and ridicule to those around us.
• Proverbs 20:11It is by his deeds that a boy distinguishes himself, If his conduct is pure and right.
• Lamentations 1:7In the days of her affliction and homelessness Jerusalem remembers all her treasures That were hers since the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the adversary And no one helped her. The adversaries saw her, They laughed at her ruin.
• Galatians 4:22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.
• Hebrews 11:36and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, 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