Yitschaq The Child Of The Promise

At the time foretold by YAHWEH when HE appeared at the Oak of Mamre, that is, a year after the strange visit of the unknown man accompanied by his two servants, Sarah, despite her age, gave birth to Yitschaq. The name Yitschaq is a shortened form of the expression Ishq-EI meaning 'may Almighty smile' or 'may Almighty be kind'. With this unexpected offspring of the patriarch we are undoubtedly in the context of laughter, or at least of smiling. Abraham had been unable to prevent himself laughing when YAHWEH told him of the coming birth of an heir. Later at the Oak of Mamre, hearing the prophecy promising her a son despite her great age, Sarah in her unbelief laughed also. But the laughter was not yet finished. Shortly after the birth of this miracle-child Sarah exclaimed: 'YAHWEH has given me cause to laugh; all those who hear of it will laugh with me.' Yitschaq, 'may YAHWEH smile', seems to have pleased both Yahwistic and Elohistic writers who are fond of repeating this play on words in which the oriental mind once more shows us its marked taste for puns. So Sarah's child had been born, the child of the free woman. But it must not be forgotten that there was also in Abraham's tent a child of Hagar, the slave girl.

Hagar And Her Son Ishmael Dismissed (Bereshith 21:8-20)

The day on which the child Yitschaq was weaned was one of great rejoicing. And it was general except for Sarah who appears always to have been quick to take offence; she had no room in her heart for the Egyptian concubine whom nevertheless she herself had chosen for her husband and who some years previously had given birth to Ishmael. Delaying no longer, Sarah informed Abraham of her feelings and suggested to him the decision that ought to be taken: 'Drive away that slave girl and her son this slave girl's son is not to share the inheritance with my son Yitschaq.' And the Scriptures adds this greatly distressed Abraham because of his son.

Previously, Sarah had behaved so harshly towards Hagar the Egyptian, when she was pregnant before the birth of Ishmael, that in peril of her life she had fled to the desert. But on YAHWEH's advice she had soon returned to the camp. In these somewhat dramatic circumstances Abraham seems to have said nothing about the harsh treatment which his legitimate wife meted out to his concubine, then soon to give birth to Ishmael. But now, when Sarah proposed to banish Hagar and her son to the desert we find Abraham hesitating, unable to decide. Almost it seems he rebelled. What is the explanation of these two different ways of reacting to events which were very similar? The reason for it is that Abraham here is acting in accordance with Sumerian law. So long as a concubine had no children, according to this law, she retained her status as a slave, and so was subject to the legitimate wife. If the slave-concubine took it into her head to act as a rival to her mistress the latter could get rid of her as she liked. In her ill-treatment of Hagar, who had not yet given birth but was already pregnant by compelling her, through continual scolding, in very desperation to flee to the desert Sarah remained entirely within the law. Abraham, when questioned by Sarah about the differences which had arisen between the two women, answered his wife, saying of the slave-concubine: Your slave girl is at your disposal treat her as you think fit (Bereshith 16:6). This of course was all quite legal at the time, but now Sarah seemed on the point of doing something illegal. She began by asking Abraham to drive Hagar and her son out of the tribe, so that Ishmael would be deprived of his legitimate rights of inheritance after the patriarch's death. Such an action would have been in plain contradiction to the articles of the Mesopotamian code. Sarah spoke in the heat of the moment. Abraham, however, was well aware of the law and we have a clear picture of the patriarch's embarrassment when his wife asked him to act in violation of the law and against justice. Ishmael indeed, we must not forget was the child who had been properly legitimized by the fact that his birth took place under special circumstances. Sarah's Egyptian slave gave birth 'on the lap' of the wife; legally speaking he thereby became Sarah's son. Consequently, in regard to the succession, he was Isaac's equal in every way.

In this case, to cut him off with no indemnity whatever would have been a formal infraction of the law of Ur which Abraham had come to know during his time in the delta region of the Euphrates. It can be understood therefore why it required the express order of YAHWEH for the patriarch to accede to the request of his wife. Unexpectedly YAHWEH intervened in this family matter to give a decision which at first sight at least seems somewhat unexpected. Do not distress yourself on account of the boy and your slave girl said YAHWEH. Grant Sarah all she asks of you, for it is through Yitschaq that your name will be carried on. But the slave girl's son I will also make into a nation, for he is your child too (Bereshith 21:2-13).

Thus YAHWEH announced HIS plan. It was necessary, no doubt for the internal formation of the Chosen People that Yitschaq, the son of the free woman, the child of pure Hebrew blood, should stand alone at the origin of the Yisraelite community. 'Do not distress yourself on account of the boy': YAHWEH had spoken. Abraham, always faithful, always placing his entire trust in the words of YAHWEH, obeyed in all simplicity.

Then occurred the dramatic action, so simple in its literary expression and yet so powerfully described that in reading it we almost feel that we are eye witnesses. Rising early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water and, giving them to Hagar, he put the child on her shoulder and sent her away. Hagar, the Scriptures tells us, wandered off into the wilderness of Beersheba. A glance at the map shows that this oasis is on the edge of the Negeb, a desolate, unfriendly, savage and uncultivated region, a land of thirst or even of death for the solitary traveler without provisions or the means to make a camp, walking over the sand or the stony steppe.

Such an expedition could not go on for very long. When the skin of water was finished she abandoned the child under a bush. Then she went and sat down at a distance, about a bow shot away, saying to herself, 'l cannot see the child die'. So she sat at a distance and the child wailed and wept (Bereshith 21:15-16). Sarah's plan seemed about to succeed, but YAHWEH comforted Hagar: 'Do not be afraid, for YAHWEH has heard' the boy's cry where he lies. Come, pick up the boy and hold him safe, for I will make him into a great nation.' Then YAHWEH opened Hagar's eyes and she saw a well, so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink (Bereshith 21:17-19). Thus for the moment they were saved.

As he had promised to Abraham YAHWEH watched over the mother and child. The latter grew up and remained in the desert and became a bowman. He made his home in the wilderness of Paran 2 and his mother chose him a wife from Egypt. 3

After this we hear little more of Ishmael, at least in the Scriptures. We may well imagine that the two lonely figures were picked up and accepted by another wandering clan in the wilderness of Sinai. Ishmael appears for the last time, on this occasion at the side of his half brother Yitschaq, at the burial of his father Abraham in the cave of Machpelah.

1 Another play on words in a proper name; Ishma el means, in fact, 'may YAHWEH hear'.

 2 The desert of Paran (or Pharan) is situated in the north-western part of the peninsula of Sinai at about 125 miles from the oasis of Beersheba.

3 For the second time, thus, Ishmael's Egyptian blood was mixed with Hebrew blood. From this twofold origin, according to oriental tradition, were to spring the Ishmaelite Arabs, who shared the characteristics of both peoples.

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