Birth of Ishmael
1970 BC
📖 About This Event
The birth of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham, occurred when Abraham was 86 years old—thirteen years after God's call and ten years before the covenant of circumcision. Sarah, who was barren, grew impatient with God's promise and devised a plan: she gave her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abraham as a secondary wife, a common practice in the ancient Near East. Hagar conceived, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. Sarah dealt harshly with Hagar, and Hagar fled into the wilderness. But the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water and told her to return to Sarah, promising, 'I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.' Hagar bore Abraham a son, and Abraham called his name Ishmael, meaning 'God hears.'
Ishmael's birth represents a failure of patience and trust on the part of both Abraham and Sarah. They attempted to fulfill God's promise through human means rather than waiting for God's timing. The tension between Hagar and Sarah, and later between Ishmael and Isaac, has been interpreted typologically by the Church. St. Paul, in Galatians 4:21-31, draws an allegory: Hagar represents Mount Sinai and the old covenant of slavery, while Sarah represents the Jerusalem above, the free woman and the new covenant of grace. Ishmael, born according to the flesh, persecutes Isaac, born according to the Spirit, and Paul applies this to the relationship between the old and new covenants.
Yet God's mercy extends to Ishmael as well. God promised to make him a great nation, and the Arab peoples traditionally trace their descent from Ishmael. The Catholic Church honors all peoples as children of God, and the promise to Ishmael demonstrates that God's blessing is not limited to one line. Key Scripture: Genesis 16; Galatians 4:21-31; CCC 59-60