Rabbi Offers Unconventional Interpretation of 'Son of the Handmaid'

Rabbi Yoel ben Nun has proposed a novel interpretation of the biblical figure referred to as 'the son of the handmaid' in the Book of Genesis. Traditionally understood to be Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, Rabbi ben Nun suggests the child sent into the desert with Hagar was actually Ishmael's son, and therefore Hagar's grandson. This interpretation stems from the apparent discrepancy between Ishmael's age at the time of the events and the description of 'the son of the handmaid' as a young child.

According to the traditional timeline, Ishmael was already a teenager when Isaac was born and a young man by the time Isaac was weaned. Rabbi ben Nun argues that the biblical text describes a small child, carried by his mother or holding her hand, which does not align with Ishmael's age. The verse stating 'she cast the child under one of the bushes' (Genesis 21:15) clearly depicts a young child, he notes.

Rabbi ben Nun posits that 'the son of the handmaid' was born to Hagar from another woman present in Abraham's household, possibly one of Ishmael's sons like Nebaioth or Kedar. He suggests that Ishmael himself was already an adult, engaged in his own pursuits. Hagar, Ishmael's mother, then became the caretaker for this young grandson, referred to as 'the son of the handmaid.' This child, he proposes, was playing with Isaac, which angered Sarah, who perceived him as a threat to Isaac's future.

While Sarah initiated Abraham's marriage to Hagar and the birth of Ishmael, she was concerned about this 'son of the handmaid' inheriting alongside Isaac. Rabbi ben Nun interprets God's affirmation of Sarah's concerns as leading to the banishment of this child and Hagar, with a promise that he too would become a great nation but would not inherit with Isaac. The child's survival in the desert, with Hagar finding a well, is attributed to God hearing his cries, possibly due to his father Ishmael's name. The narrative then shifts to the angel intervening to save Isaac from the altar, highlighting the miraculous survival of both children, though only Isaac remained in the land.