New English Translation
Genesis 21:9
9But Sarah noticed the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking.
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 went on to say, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!” 8The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah noticed the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. 10So she said to Abraham, “Banish that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!” 11Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son.
Read all of Genesis 21Genesis 21:9 word by word
וַתֵּ֨רֶא שָׂרָ֜ה אֶֽת־בֶּן־הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָ֥ה לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם מְצַחֵֽק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 21:9
- Genesis 16:3So after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to her husband to be his wife.
- Genesis 17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes; I will make him into a great nation.
- Genesis 16:1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.
- 2 Kings 2:23He went up from there to Bethel. As he was traveling up the road, some young boys came out of the city and made fun of him, saying, “Go on up, baldy! Go on up, baldy!”
- 2 Chronicles 30:10The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.
- 2 Chronicles 36:16But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets. Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.
- Nehemiah 4:1(3:33) Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews,
- Job 30:1“But now they mock me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I disdained too much to put with my sheep dogs.
- Psalms 22:6But I am a worm, not a man; people insult me and despise me.
- Psalms 42:10My enemies’ taunts cut into me to the bone, as they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
- Psalms 44:13You made us an object of disdain to our neighbors; those who live on our borders taunt and insult us.
- Proverbs 20:11Even a young man is known by his actions, whether his activity is pure and whether it is right.
- Lamentations 1:7Jerusalem remembers, when she became a poor homeless person, all her treasures that she owned in days of old. When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, none of her allies came to her rescue. Her enemies gloated over her; they sneered at her downfall. ח (Khet)
- Galatians 4:22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
- Hebrews 11:36And others experienced 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
In the dictionaries
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
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