Matthew Henry Commentary Genesis 21
Matthew Henry Commentary
Genesis 21
Matthew Henry Commentary
Genesis 21
"And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken. And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh. Every one that heareth will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned." — Genesis 21:1-8 (ASV)
Few under the Old Testament were brought into the world with such expectations as Isaac. He was in this a type of Christ, that Seed whom the holy God so long promised, and holy men so long expected. He was born according to the promise, at the set time of which God had spoken. God's promised mercies will certainly come at the time He sets, and that is the best time.
Isaac means “laughter,” and there was good reason for the name (Genesis 17:17; Genesis 18:13). When the Sun of comfort is risen upon the soul, it is good to remember how welcome the dawning of the day was. When Sarah received the promise, she laughed with distrust and doubt. When God gives us the mercies we began to despair of, we ought to remember with sorrow and shame our sinful distrust of His power and His promise when we were in pursuit of them.
This mercy filled Sarah with joy and wonder. God's favours to His covenant people are such as surpass their own and others' thoughts and expectations: who could imagine that He should do so much for those that deserve so little, even for those that deserve so ill? Who would have said that God should send His Son to die for us, His Spirit to make us holy, His angels to attend us? Who would have said that such great sins should be pardoned, such humble services accepted, and such worthless worms taken into covenant?
A short account of Isaac's infancy is given. God's blessing upon the nursing of children, and the preservation of them through the perils of the infant age, are to be acknowledged as remarkable instances of the care and tenderness of the Divine providence. See Psalm 22:9-10; Hosea 11:1–2.
"And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham`s sight on account of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed." — Genesis 21:9-13 (ASV)
Let us not overlook how this family matter instructs us not to rest in outward privileges or in our own deeds. 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 call them to account if they say or do wrong, even if their parents do not. Mocking is a great sin, and very provoking to God. And the children of promise must expect to be mocked.
Abraham was grieved that Ishmael misbehaved and that Sarah demanded such a severe punishment. But God showed him that Isaac must be the father of the promised Seed, and that therefore Ishmael should be sent away, lest he corrupt Isaac's behavior or try to usurp his rights. The covenant seed of Abraham must be a people by themselves, not mingled with those who were out of covenant. Sarah had little thought of this, but God turned her words to His good purpose.
"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 [gave her] the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot. For she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. 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. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand. For I will make him a great nation. 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. And God was with the lad, and he grew. And he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt." — Genesis 21:14-21 (ASV)
If Hagar and Ishmael had behaved well in Abraham's family, they might have continued there; but they were justly punished. By abusing privileges, we forfeit them. Those who do not know when they are well off will be made to know the worth of mercies when they lack them. They were brought to distress in the wilderness.
It is not said that the provisions were spent, or that Abraham sent them away without money. But the water was spent; and having lost their way, in that hot climate Ishmael was soon overcome with fatigue and thirst. God's readiness to help us when we are in trouble must not slacken, but quicken our efforts to help ourselves. The promise concerning her son is repeated, as a reason why Hagar should exert herself to help him.
It should engage our care and efforts for children and young people, to consider that we do not know what great use God has designed them for, and may make of them. The angel directs her to an immediate supply. Many who have reason to be comforted go mourning from day to day because they do not see the reason they have for comfort. There is a well of water near them in the covenant of grace, but they are not aware of it, until the same God who opened their eyes to see their wound, opens them to see their remedy.
Paran was a wild place, fit for a wild man, such as Ishmael. Those who are born after the flesh content themselves with the wilderness of this world, while the children of the promise aim for the heavenly Canaan, and cannot be at rest until they are there. Yet God was with the lad; his outward welfare was owing to this.
"And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest. 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. And Abraham said, I will swear. And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech`s servants had violently taken away. And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing. Neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day. And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech. And they two made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. Because there they sware both of them. So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. And [Abraham] planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days." — Genesis 21:22-34 (ASV)
Abimelech felt sure that the promises of God would be fulfilled to Abraham. It is wise to connect ourselves with those who are blessed by God, and we should repay kindness to those who have been kind to us. Wells of water are scarce and valuable in eastern countries.
Abraham took care to have his title to the well acknowledged, to prevent disputes in the future. Nothing more can be expected from an honest man than that he is ready to do right as soon as he knows he has done wrong. Abraham, being now in a good neighborhood, stayed a long time there.
There he made not only a constant practice but also an open profession of his religion. There he called on the name of the Lord as the everlasting God; probably in the grove he planted, which was his place of prayer. Abraham maintained public worship, in which his neighbors could join.
Good men should do all they can to make others so. Wherever we stay, we must neither neglect nor be ashamed of the worship of Jehovah.
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