By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Christian TrendsChristian Trends
  • Home
  • Editorial
    EditorialShow More
    Freedom With Direction
    4 Min Read
    Excommunication, a Culture of Correction
    4 Min Read
    “Games” in the Arena
    5 Min Read
    Our Future is Open in God of Hope
    5 Min Read
    Plug The Gaps In Character
    4 Min Read
  • Cover Story
    Cover StoryShow More
    The Promise, Power, And Gift of Pentecost
    5 Min Read
    “Back to Church” in the Post-Pandemic Context
    10 Min Read
    The Wailing Wall of Nature – The Christian’s Call for Creation Care!
    10 Min Read
    Movies and Christians: A Conversation About Culture
    14 Min Read
    The Real Influencers
    10 Min Read
  • Sections
    SectionsShow More
    Challenging Sexual Double Standards: Judah vs. Joseph
    2 Min Read
    The Living Church in a Flat World
    7 Min Read
    Opportunities Gained and Lost
    9 Min Read
    Rediscovering the Local Church: Seeds of Change from the Pandemic
    8 Min Read
    Being a Church (Part 1/2)
    9 Min Read
  • ShopNew
  • Contact
Reading: What did Ishmael Do Wrong to Isaac?
Share
0

No products in the cart.

Notification Show More
Aa
Christian TrendsChristian Trends
0
Aa
  • Cover Story
  • Inspiration
  • Logos
  • Gleanings
  • Culture
  • Direction
  • Perspective
Search
  • About
    • About Christian Trends
  • Categories
    • Cover Story
    • Editorial
    • Spotlight
    • Logos
    • In Question
    • Culture
    • Perspective
    • Direction
    • Inspiration
    • Reflection
    • Roots
    • Health and Wellness
    • Family
    • Creative Space
    • Millennial Musings
    • Take It Easy
    • Gleanings
    • Reviews
    • CTrends Blogs
  • Bookmarks and Preferences
    • Customize Interests
    • My Bookmarks
    • My account
  • More From CTrends
    • Shop
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund and Returns Policy
  • Contact
© Christian Trends. All Rights Reserved. 2023
Christian Trends > Sections > Roots > What did Ishmael Do Wrong to Isaac?
Roots

What did Ishmael Do Wrong to Isaac?

By Craig Keener Published April 29, 2020
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

What provoked Sarah to ask Abraham to send away Hagar and Ishmael in Gen 21:10? The text tells us only that Sarah saw Hagar’s son doing something (I leave “something” ambiguous for the moment, since the verb has a range of meaning). The term might mean “laughing,” since a few verses (and a few years) earlier Sarah has announced that everyone will laugh with her, sharing her joy (21:6).

But if the verb has anything to do with Sarah’s reaction (that is, if Sarah is not simply reacting to seeing Ishmael at the feast for Isaac’s weaning), it may suggest something more malevolent. Maybe instead of laughing with Sarah he was laughing at Isaac.

It is reasonable to suppose, then, that Ishmael is taunting from a position of superiority, and that possibly Genesis employs a euphemism here for some sexual innuendo.

More Read

Challenging Sexual Double Standards: Judah vs. Joseph
Dreams and Destiny: The Lord Is in Control
Judah’s Punishment in Genesis 38
Sleeping with a Prostitute (Part 2)
Sleeping with a prostitute(Part 1)

This was a feast for Isaac’s weaning; he was past the most physically dangerous period of infancy. If Isaac was weaned around age two, Ishmael would now be a young man of about sixteen. Because Paul, like most ancient Jewish interpreters, understood “play” negatively here (Gal 4:29–30), I will explore some of the negative possibilities. (I borrow this material from my forthcoming Galatians commentary, which at the time of this post is merely a rough draft, which will also incorporate my present study on this passage.)

The verb that can be translated as innocently as “play” in Genesis also has other meanings in less innocent contexts. It can mean to scorn or mock, or treat lightly; historically some interpreters have inferred this, viewing this as ridicule opposing God’s promise (so e.g., Calvin). Perhaps Ishmael showed contempt as his mother once had for Sarah (Gen 16:3); perhaps, given Sarah’s strict response in 21:10, his disdain included Isaac’s birthright (so the Reformer Rudolf Gwalther). (At least later in life, Ishmael became hostile toward many people; 16:12.)

Negatively, the verb does refer to Abraham (Gen 17:17) and Sarah (Gen 18:12–15) laughing at God’s promise. Most negatively, Lot’s sons-in-law laughing at his warning from God, leading to their destruction (Gen 19:14). The typical Greek translation of Gen 21:9 uses the word paizô. This verb can be positive, but also applies to young men competing and dying in 2 Sam 2:14 and to the abuse of Samson in Judg 16:25. In the Pentateuch this verb appears only at Gen 26:8—Isaac caressing Rebekah—and Exod 32:6. Paul seems to interpret the latter passage sexually in 1 Cor 10:7, his only use of the Greek term.

Whatever the specific action that raised the concern at this point, Sarah’s primary concern is Isaac’s line being Abraham’s heir

The masculine singular piel participle of this verb, however, the form here, appears only three times in the OT, all within five chapters of this verse. One is for Lot’s sons-in-law, noted above (19:14); the other is Isaac fondling his wife (26:8). The other biblical uses, also in the piel, are these: Gen 39:14, 17, where it claims that a foreign slave “made sport” of Potiphar’s household by trying to rape his wife; Exod 32:6, where it may (as just noted) have sexual connotations; and Judg 16:25, where Samson’s Philistine captors summon him as foreign slave to “entertain” them. It is reasonable to suppose, then, that Ishmael is taunting from a position of superiority, and that possibly Genesis employs a euphemism here for some sexual innuendo.

Physical molestation is highly unlikely at a public feast (Gen 21:8). (Some scholars find a euphemism for sexual activity in Gen 9:22, possibly for voyeurism; but the writer of Genesis was also capable of being much less euphemistic, as in 19:31–36.) It is not impossible, however, that the adolescent Ishmael, still learning social propriety, could have taunted his just-weaned half-brother as sexually inferior or finally graduating from seeking his mother’s breast.

Whatever the specific action that raised the concern at this point, Sarah’s primary concern is Isaac’s line being Abraham’s heir (21:10; cf. 21:12). The next two posts will explore this concept, including the propriety of Abraham sending Hagar and Ishmael away.

Craig Keener February 17, 2023 April 29, 2020
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Print
Share
Avatar photo
By Craig Keener
Craig Keener is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary and author of The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (revised edition, InterVarsity, 2014).
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

Trending

Editorial
Vayikra—An Inspired Life Worth Living!
Finny Philip
Cover Story
The Promise, Power, And Gift of Pentecost
Jacob Cherian
Health and Wellness
Shared Pages: Life Similarities with Paris Hilton
Shilpa Waghmare
Logos
Did Jesus Cleanse the Temple?
Jacob Cherian
The Voyage
The Triune Creator – A Short Review
Charles Christian

Find Us on Socials

More Reads

Roots

Challenging Sexual Double Standards: Judah vs. Joseph

Craig Keener Craig Keener 2 Min Read
Roots

Dreams and Destiny: The Lord Is in Control

Craig Keener Craig Keener 4 Min Read
Roots

Judah’s Punishment in Genesis 38

Craig Keener Craig Keener 7 Min Read
Show More

Subscribe to the Newsletter

And get updates about latest articles, podcasts and much more.

Find Us on Socials

© Christian Trends. All Rights Reserved. 2023
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund and Returns Policy
  • Contact
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

Register Lost your password?