Genesis 21:2

“Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which Elohim had spoken to him.”
Genesis 21:2 · direct translation from the Hebrew

Study it in the app

Sarah bears Isaac at the time God had saidFaithfulness

With the Hebrew beneath

Sarahשָׂרָהconceivedוַתַּהַרand boreוַתֵּלֶדa sonבֵּןto Abrahamלְאַבְרָהָםin his old age,לִזְקֻנָיוat the appointed timeלַמּוֹעֵדof whichאֲשֶׁרElohimאֱלֹהִיםhad spokenדִּבֶּרto him.אֹתוֹ

Explicit type · Galatians 4:22-24

Go to Galatians 4:22-24

Paul sums up the story of Abraham’s two sons, the son of the slave woman (Genesis 16:15) and the son of the free woman (21:2), and says that it is an allegory of two covenants.

The biblical author himself makes the connection, in these words:

ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα “these things are an allegory” (Galatians 4:24)

אַבְרָהָםavrahamH85ἈβραὰμAbraamG11“Abraham”

Genesis 21:2, word by word

Sarahשָׂרָהsara

Sarah

Sarah, the name God gave to Sarai, wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. It means "princess".

Where else “sara” appears

conceivedתַּהַרtahar

conceive

Become pregnant, conceive; figuratively, conceive a plan.

Where else “tahar” appears

and boreתֵּלֶדteled

bear

To bring a child into the world, giving birth after pregnancy.

Where else “teled” appears

a sonבֵּןben

son

The male born of a father and mother; in the plural, also sons and daughters.

Where else “ben” appears

to Abrahamאַבְרָהָםavraham

Abraham

Abraham, the name God gave to Abram; it sounds like "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5). The father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised the land and blessing for all the families of the earth.

Where else “avraham” appears

in his old ageזְקֻנָיzekunay

old age

Old age.

Where else “zekunay” appears

at the appointed timeמּוֹעֵדmoed

appointed time

A date fixed beforehand.

Where else “moed” appears

Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “elohim” appears

had spokenדִּבֶּרdiber

speak

To speak, say something; above all God to his people.

Where else “diber” appears

The context

1YHWH attended to Sarah as he had said, and YHWH did for Sarah as he had spoken.

2 · This verse (above)

3Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

Read all of Genesis 21

To study Genesis 21 in a group

1. What it says
What happened when Isaac was born, and what did Sarah say (vv. 1-7)?
2. What it means
What does it show about Elohim’s care that he heard the voice of the boy in the wilderness (vv. 17-19)?
3. How I live it
Whom that seems to be pushed aside can you give time and attention today?

How to use it