MPV Commentary

1. The Lord visited Sarah—This event highlights God's power and faithfulness to His promise. It was God's grace that brought about this miraculous birth, as well as the spiritual children He raised up in Abraham, of which Isaac's birth is a type.

3-4. Abraham named his son Isaac and circumcised him, acknowledging God in the name given by divine command (compare Genesis 17:19) and dedicating the child to Him through the covenant seal (compare Genesis 17:10-12).

8. As children are typically suckled for two or three years in Eastern cultures, Isaac was weaned at this time. Abraham then held a great feast, a customary celebration in Eastern countries where relatives and friends gather to mark significant life events. In this case, Isaac, dressed in the symbolic robe signifying his birthright, was formally introduced as heir of the tribe.

9. Sarah saw Ishmael, her son with Hagar, mocking Isaac. This behavior likely stemmed from Ishmael's awareness of the change in his prospects and possibly resentment towards Abraham's new son (Galatians 4:29).

10. Sarah told Abraham to cast out this bondwoman, recognizing that only their expulsion could maintain harmony in the household. Abraham was relieved by a divine announcement, which guided him to promptly obey God's will, even when it involved painful decisions for flesh and blood. This event is seen as an allegory (Galatians 4:24) and marks the beginning of four hundred years of affliction for Abraham's descendants at the hands of the Egyptians.

12. In everything Sarah has said, this incident is recorded in Scripture (Galatians 4:30).

13. God also promised to make a nation from the son of the bondwoman, thus using even family conflict to bring about two extraordinary peoples.