Hebrew Sacred History

Synopsis: Because Abram and Sarai have grown old without bearing children, Abram, at Sarai’s suggestion, weds a servant girl, Hagar, whose pregnancy makes her proud and infuriates Sarai, even though it was Sarai’s idea.

[Genesis 16: 1] Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. [2] Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. [3] Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his [secondary] wife. [4] He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

[5] Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant to your embraces, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May the Lord judge between me and you.”

[6] But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she ran away.

[7] The Lord’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur. [8] He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where did you come from? Where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.”

[9] The Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.” [10] The angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, that they will be an uncountable multitude.” 11 The Lord’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your troubles. [12] Ishmael will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will live opposed to all of his brothers.” …

[15] Hagar bore a son for Abram, and Abram indeed called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. [16] Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Extract 4: Abram’s Circumcision (Covenant 2b)

Dramatis Personae

Synopsis: God appears again to Abram and once again promises land, but this time extracts a cost: all Abram’s male descendants must be circumcised to show their participation in the compact.

Ethnographic Clarification: Circumcision consists of cutting off the skin that normally folds over the business end of the male organ —the “foreskin”— leaving the glans penis permanently exposed.

Today this operation is routinely performed on newborn boys in many countries and is justified by the view that it reduces the buildup of bacteria under the foreskin (because it has been removed) and that it is associated with lower rates of disease (including paraphimosis, which occurs exclusively in uncircumcized males), but especially venereal disease. Opponents argue that it reduces joy in intercourse.

Among Jews, circumcision is still performed (by a specialist called a mohel מוֹהֵל‬) and continues to be a sign of religious dedication. It is my understanding that in ancient Canaan some herding groups did and some did not practice circumcision, and thus its presence or absence was easily taken as a marker of ethnic identification, although not always an unambiguous one.

Earliest Christians were divided on whether converts had to be circumcised before becoming Christians. (In the end it was decided that they did not.) The commemoration of Jesus’ circumcision eight days after his birth remained a feast day in the calendar of the Catholic church until 2006.

[Genesis 17: 1] When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk with me always and be blameless. [2] I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

[3] Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, [4] “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. [5] Your name will no more be called Abram [‘high father’], but your name will be Abraham [‘father of a multitude’], for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. [6] I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. [7] I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. [8] I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”

[9] God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. [10] This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. [11] You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you. [12] He who is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. [13] He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. [14] The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai [‘mockery’], but her name shall be Sarah [‘princess’]. [16] I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”

[17] Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?” [18] Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”

[19] God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac [‘he laughed’]. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. [20] As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. [21] But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”

[22] When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. [23] Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money: every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. [24] Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. [25] Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. [26] In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. [27] All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Hebrew Sacred History (3-4)

Extract 3: Ishmael: Son of a Slave

Dramatis Personae

Extract 4: Abram’s Circumcision (Covenant 2b)

Dramatis Personae