Study Desk

Abram's wife Sarai had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.

Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family." And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.^[a]

So Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan 10 years.

He slept with^[b] Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she realized that she was pregnant, she treated her mistress with contempt.

Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for my suffering!^[c] I put my slave in your arms,^[d] and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the Lord judge between me and you."^(a)

Abram replied to Sarai, "Here, your slave is in your hands; do whatever you want with her." Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

The Angel of the Lord ^(b) found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.

He said, "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She replied, "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai."

Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, "You must go back to your mistress and submit to her mistreatment."^[e]

The Angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will greatly multiply your offspring,^(c) and they will be too many to count."

Then the Angel of the Lord said to her: You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael,^[f] for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction.

This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand will be against him; he will live at odds with^[g] all his brothers.^(d)

So she called the Lord who spoke to her: The God Who Sees,^[h] for she said, "In this place, have I actually seen^(e) the One who sees me?"^[i]

That is why she named the spring, "A Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."^[j] It is located between Kadesh and Bered.

So Hagar gave birth to Abram's son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son Hagar had.

Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, "I am God Almighty.^(a) Live in My presence and be blameless.^(b)

I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you greatly."

Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him:

"As for Me, My covenant is with you: you will become the father of many nations.^[a]

Your name will no longer be Abram,^[b] but your name will be Abraham,^[c] for I will make you the father of many nations.^(c)

I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you.

I will keep My covenant between Me and you, and your future offspring throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant^(d) to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.^(e)

And to you and your future offspring^(f) I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession,^(g) and I will be their God."

God also said to Abraham, "As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep My covenant.

This is My covenant, which you are to keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every one of your males must be circumcised.

You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and you.^[d](h)

Throughout your generations, every male among you at eight days old is to be circumcised.⁽ⁱ⁾ This includes a slave born in your house and one purchased with money from any foreigner. The one who is not your offspring,

a slave born in your house, as well as one purchased with money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.

If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."

God said to Abraham, "As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah^[e] will be her name.

I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her.^(j) I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed^(k) and said to himself, "Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?"

So Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael were acceptable to You!"^[f]

But God said, "No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac.^[g] I will confirm My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his future offspring.

As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will certainly bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will father 12 tribal leaders,^(l) and I will make him into a great nation.

But I will confirm My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."^(m)

When He finished talking with him, God withdrew^[h] from Abraham.⁽ⁿ⁾

Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all the slaves born in his house or purchased with his money—every male among the members of Abraham's household—and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, just as God had said to him.

Abraham was 99 years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised,

and his son Ishmael was 13 years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised.

On that same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.

And all the men of his household—both slaves born in his house and those purchased with money from a foreigner—were circumcised with him.