Genesis 21:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

NIV: Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

NASB: Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

CSB: Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink.

NLT: Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.

Hagar and Ishmael were lost in the wilderness, out of water, and seemed likely to die. They were cast out of Abraham's family at the demand of Abraham's wife, Sarah (Genesis 21:9–10). Hagar had given up any hope of surviving, and walked some distance away from her son, so that she wouldn't have to watch him waste away (Genesis 21:15–16).

Then, an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. God had heard Ishmael's voice. The angel tells her not to give up yet. Ishmael will still become a great nation. This promise is the reason Abraham was willing—though heartbroken—to send them away (Genesis 21:11–13). Even when things look bleak, God's promises are still intact.

Here, God provides water. Just as He did when Hagar was pregnant (Genesis 16:7–13), the Lord demonstrates His intent to protect her son, Ishmael. Hagar suddenly sees a well she did not see before. She fills the skin Abraham gave to her, and she gives water to Ishmael.

Genesis 21:8–21 describes the painful departure of Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham's life. Now that Isaac is born, Sarah furiously demands that Abraham cast them out. He is greatly displeased, but is told by God that Ishmael will be protected and blessed. So Abraham obeys the Lord and sends them into the wilderness. God steps in and saves the mother and child. He renews his promise to make Ishmael a great nation in his own right. Ishmael grows up in the wilderness, eventually marrying an Egyptian woman.

The Lord did as He had promised. Sarah, now 90 years old, gives birth to Isaac, the long-awaited child. Her joy sours, though, over a fear that Isaac might have to share an inheritance with Ishmael. In obedience to the Lord, who promises to safeguard Ishmael, Abraham sends him and his mother, Hagar, into the wilderness. God rescues them and renews His promise to make Ishmael a great nation in his own right. Meanwhile, Abimelech, king of Gerar, approaches Abraham to make a permanent treaty between them and their descendants. The agreement includes Abraham's possession of a well, at a place which will become known as Beersheba.

In the prior chapter, Abraham managed to get Sarah back from Abimelech, following his own deception and God's intervention. Here, Abraham and Sarah finally conceive a natural child. Isaac, the long-awaited child of the promise, is born. In obedience to God, Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away. Abimelech approaches Abraham to make a treaty, giving Abraham a permanent home in a place that becomes known as Beersheba. In the following chapter, God will test Abraham's faith and obedience, in one of Scripture's ultimate examples of trust.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/7/2024 5:56:48 AM