The Meaning of Genesis 21:12 Explained

Genesis 21:12

KJV: And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

YLT: and God saith unto Abraham, 'Let it not be wrong in thine eyes because of the youth, and because of thy handmaid: all that Sarah saith unto thee -- hearken to her voice, for in Isaac is a seed called to thee.

Darby: And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because of thy handmaid: in all that Sarah hath said to thee hearken to her voice, for in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee.

ASV: And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And God  said  unto Abraham,  Let it not be grievous  in thy sight  because of the lad,  and because of thy bondwoman;  in all that Sarah  hath said  unto thee, hearken  unto her voice;  for in Isaac  shall thy seed  be called. 

What does Genesis 21:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 21:8-21 - Hagar And Ishmael Cast Out
Poor Hagar! She thought that she had given Abraham his heir, but now she found herself and her boy outcasts on the desert waste. The water was soon spent, she little dreamed that a fountain was so near. Cry to God, He will open fountains in the middle of your deserts. Beneath their sad lot a divine purpose was running. God said, "Let it not be grievous in thy sight." This is the teaching of Scripture: that our lives are being ordered and our steps prepared. All we need to be anxious about is the finding of the path. Let us ask God to open our eyes to see the fountains beside us, and the way before us. And after all, was not the wilderness a better training-ground for the lad than the comparative luxury of Abraham's tent? "He became an archer." Isaac would have been the better for a touch of the desert-life. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, gives the inner significance of this incident in Galatians 5:1. See also John 8:36. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 21

1  Isaac is born, and circumcised
6  Sarah's joy
8  Isaac is weaned
9  Hagar and Ishmael sent away
15  Hagar in distress
17  The angel relieves and comforts her
23  Abimelech's covenant with Abraham at Beersheba

What do the individual words in Genesis 21:12 mean?

But said God to Abraham not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the boy or because of your maidservant all whatever has said to you Sarah listen to her voice for in Isaac will be reckoned your seed
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־ אַבְרָהָ֗ם אַל־ יֵרַ֤ע בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ עַל־ הַנַּ֣עַר וְעַל־ אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ כִּ֣י בְיִצְחָ֔ק יִקָּרֵ֥א לְךָ֖ זָֽרַע

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  But  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֱלֹהִ֜ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אַבְרָהָ֗ם  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
יֵרַ֤ע  let  it  be  displeasing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙  in  your  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
עַל־  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַנַּ֣עַר  of  the  boy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.
וְעַל־  or  because 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ  of  your  maidservant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  whatever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תֹּאמַ֥ר  has  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלֶ֛יךָ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
שָׂרָ֖ה  Sarah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׂרָה  
Sense: wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac.
שְׁמַ֣ע  listen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּקֹלָ֑הּ  to  her  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
בְיִצְחָ֔ק  in  Isaac 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
יִקָּרֵ֥א  will  be  reckoned 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לְךָ֖  your 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
זָֽרַע  seed 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.