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Genesis 21 Bible study: As he had said
The LORD did for Sarah exactly as he had said, and Isaac was born when Abraham was one hundred. When Hagar and her son were sent away, God heard the boy, opened Hagar's eyes to a well and was with him as he grew. At Beersheba, the well of the oath, Abraham called on the LORD, the Everlasting God.
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“The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had spoken.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“Hagar was the one who wept, but God heard the voice of the boy.”
Is that in Genesis 21, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
As he had said
Three times in two verses the text says the promise was kept exactly: "The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had spoken. Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him" (21:1-2). Abraham names him Isaac and circumcises him at eight days old (as commanded in 17:19 and 17:12), "as God had commanded him" (21:3-4). Abram had been seventy-five when he left Haran (12:4); he is one hundred now (21:5). Sarah says, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me" (21:6).
Where it leads to Jesus
Named through Isaac
Genesis 21:12leads toRomans 9:7-8
"Your offspring will be named through Isaac." Hebrews quotes it when Abraham offers Isaac, and Paul quotes it to show that "it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs".
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Genesis 21
That was a taste
The rest of Genesis 21 is waiting in Favor
- "Cast out this servant and her son"
- God heard the boy
- The well of the oath
- Two sons in Galatians
- The Everlasting God
- 12 questions as you read
- 7 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Genesis 21 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
פָּקַדpaqadsay pa-KAD
Brown-Driver-Briggs gives "attend to, visit, muster, appoint", including "pay attention to, observe (with care, practical interest)". Its first appearance in the Bible is "The LORD visited Sarah as he had said" (21:1). At the end of Genesis Joseph's last words say it twice over: "God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (50:24), and again, "God will surely visit you" (50:25). Each "surely visit" is the verb doubled in Hebrew.
For your group
Genesis 21 Bible study questions
- 1Abram was seventy-five when he left Haran and one hundred when Isaac was born. What helps you keep trusting a promise of God that is taking a long time?
- 2"God heard the voice of the boy" in the wilderness. When have you known God heard you when no one else did?
- 3Sending his son away was "very grievous" to Abraham, yet God told him to listen to Sarah. How do you handle it when following God is painful?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Genesis 21 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read Genesis 21 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Genesis 21 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home