Abraham’s family included two distinct maternal lines. Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, was born to Hagar, the Egyptian servant of his wife, Sarah, an arrangement Sarah initiated to provide Abraham with an heir while she remained infertile. Ishmael was the firstborn son, raised as Abraham’s successor.
The dynamic shifted dramatically with the miraculous birth of Isaac to Sarah in her old age, fulfilling a divine promise. Isaac was designated as the exclusive channel for the covenant God had established with Abraham. Both boys lived together for a time, but the tension between the two potential heirs—one born naturally and one of promise—eventually escalated. This familial discord provided the stage for the incident that would forever divide the two branches of Abraham’s lineage.
The Scene of the Conflict
The incident occurred during a feast Abraham held to celebrate Isaac’s weaning. Since Isaac was weaned around age two or three, Ishmael, born 14 years earlier, would have been an adolescent, likely between 16 and 19 years old. The celebration solidified Isaac’s status as the recognized heir.
At this feast, Sarah observed an action by Ishmael that greatly upset her. The biblical text records that Sarah “saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking” Isaac, prompting her immediate and severe reaction. Sarah’s response was a demand for total separation: “Drive out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac”. This reaction was so intense that it was “very grievous” to Abraham, who loved both his sons.
Varying Interpretations of the Mockery
The precise nature of Ishmael’s offense is difficult to determine because the Hebrew verb used in Genesis 21:9, mĕṣaḥēq (or tzachaq), carries a broad range of meanings. As an intensive Piel participle, it is generally translated as “mocking,” “scoffing,” or “making sport”. This ambiguity has led to various interpretations of Ishmael’s action, moving from simple play to a more serious transgression.
Innocent Play
One view suggests Ishmael was engaged in an innocent or simple jest, merely “playing” with his younger half-brother. This interpretation emphasizes the verb’s non-intensive meaning, which is used elsewhere in the Old Testament to describe laughter or simple play. If this were the case, Sarah’s reaction would seem overprotective, rooted in maternal jealousy and fear over Isaac’s inheritance. However, the severity of the ultimate consequence—expulsion—suggests the action was more offensive than harmless sibling rivalry.
Malicious Mockery
A second, more widely accepted interpretation holds that Ishmael was engaged in malicious mockery or persecution. The intensive Piel form of the verb strongly supports a scornful or derisive connotation, suggesting hostility and an intent to belittle Isaac’s position. This interpretation is affirmed by the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul refers to the incident using the Greek word diōkō, which means “persecution,” systematic harassment, or oppression. This suggests Ishmael was actively tormenting Isaac over his status as the child of promise and heir.
Profane Act
A third view suggests Ishmael’s action was a profane act, perhaps attempting to undermine the divine covenant. While not explicitly stated as idolatry, the verb tzachaq appears in other contexts to describe inappropriate behavior, such as the Israelites’ unrestrained play during the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32:6). This reading suggests Ishmael’s mockery was not merely personal but was directed at the sacred nature of Isaac’s birth and the covenantal promise he represented.
The Stakes of Inheritance and Covenant
Regardless of the precise nature of Ishmael’s action, the conflict was fundamentally about the preservation of the divine covenant and the exclusive line of inheritance. According to Near-Eastern custom, Ishmael, as Abraham’s firstborn son, possessed a legal claim to the main inheritance and headship of the clan. His presence and action, however interpreted, represented a direct threat to Isaac’s status as the son of the promise.
God had previously declared that the covenant would be established exclusively through Isaac, not Ishmael. When Sarah demanded the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, Abraham was distressed, but God intervened to affirm Sarah’s decision. God commanded Abraham to “do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named”. This divine instruction secured Isaac’s position as the sole heir, overriding the customary law of primogeniture.
The expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael was a necessary, albeit painful, act to protect the integrity of the covenant line. It was not merely a consequence of sibling rivalry but a theological division that ensured the promised lineage would be separate and distinct. While Abraham grieved the loss of his son, he obeyed the divine command, sending Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness the following morning.