Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 21:10 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 10. 10Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Sarah demands that Abraham drive out the enslaved woman and her son because she refuses to let Hagar's son inherit with Isaac. The verse makes inheritance explicit and uses status language that exposes Hagar's unequal position.
Read It With
- Genesis 21:8–21
Read verses 9–13. Sarah's observation precedes the demand; Abraham grieves because Ishmael is his son; God distinguishes Isaac's called line while promising a nation from Ishmael. Reading verse 10 alone can make Sarah's demand the passage's final moral word.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Sarah's speech explains the practical issue she wants resolved: Hagar's son must not share Isaac's inheritance.
Read Genesis 21:8–10 together
Why these verses belong together: Isaac's feast supplies the setting, Sarah's ambiguous observation supplies the trigger, and her inheritance statement supplies the explicit rationale for expulsion.
Verse 8. 8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
Verse 9. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Verse 10. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
Follow the Context
- Isaac grows, is weaned, and is celebrated at a great feast (21:8).
- Sarah sees Hagar's son metsaheq—an ambiguous action—and demands the expulsion of the enslaved woman and her son so that he will not inherit with Isaac (21:9–10).
- Abraham is deeply distressed because Ishmael is his son; God tells him to comply, identifies Isaac as the called seed, and promises a nation from Hagar's son because he too is Abraham's seed (21:11–13).
- Abraham sends Hagar and the boy away with food and water; the water runs out in the wilderness and Hagar weeps at the prospect of the boy's death (21:14–16).
- God hears the boy, calls Hagar by name, tells her not to fear, renews the nation promise, opens her eyes to a well, and she gives him water (21:17–19).
- God remains with the boy as he grows in the wilderness, becomes a bowman, lives in Paran, and receives an Egyptian wife through his mother (21:20–21).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“Cast out”
In plain language: Drive away or expel.
Sarah demands a severe household separation, not a voluntary relocation.
Why it matters: The action should not be softened when assessing its human cost.
How certain? very strong“shall not be heir”
In plain language: Will not share the inheritance.
Sarah explicitly identifies succession and inheritance as her concern.
Why it matters: This stated reason must control interpretation more than invented motives.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
Sarah's demand does not prove every later accusation about Ishmael.
Calling Hagar a bondwoman does not make enslavement morally good or make her disposable.
This verse does not authorize expelling children, dependents, immigrants, enslaved people, or abuse victims without protection and provision.
What Remains True
Inheritance and belonging conflicts must not erase the humanity, family ties, or safety of people with less power.
How It Can Shape Life
- Handle inheritance, custody, and household separation through truthful, lawful arrangements that protect vulnerable people rather than reducing them to obstacles.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 21:10's contribution to Genesis 21:8–21. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 21:8–21 — Hagar and Ishmael Are Sent Away but PreservedSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, narrative sequence, family relations, wilderness crisis, promises, growth, and canonical reception.
Exact location: Genesis 21:8–21 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 16; 17:18–21; 21:1–7, 22–34; 22; 25:9, 12–18; and Galatians 4:21–31
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Weaning, ambiguous conduct, enslavement, expulsion, inheritance, sonship, distress, hearing, age-flexible nouns, opened eyes, and bowman wording.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 21:8–21; lemmas and morphology for gamal, metsaheq, amah, garash, zera, qara, ra'a, shama, yeled, na'ar, paqach, and roveh qashshat
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Weaning context, metsaheq alternatives, Abraham's distress, Isaac's called seed, verse 14 syntax, cast language, bowshot, Hagar and boy voices, Ishmael wordplay, opened eyes, Paran, and Egyptian wife.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 21 and translator notes 15–39, especially notes on 21:8–20
Open NET Genesis 21 ↗