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. Cast out this bond-woman - х 'aamaah (H519), maid-servant; Greek, paidiskee (G3814) (Galatians 4:22).] The term "bond-woman" or 'slave' refers to the original condition of Hagar. Nothing but the expulsion of both could now preserve harmony in the household. Abraham's perplexity was relieved by an announcement of the divine will, which, in everything however painful to flesh and blood, all who fear God and are walking in his ways, will, like him, promptly obey. This separation was a necessary step for the progressive development of the divine purpose, though brought about by natural causes, as in the earlier removal of Lot. Whether Abraham was then informed or not of the deeper reason for the separation, his own observant and reflecting mind must have perceived, from the mental bias of Ishmael, as well as the unmistakeable indications of the divine blessing pointing in another direction, that the promise was not destined to be fulfilled in that son, whose longer continuance, therefore, in the patriarch's household would be a source of continually increasing embarrassment. Besides, the subordination of all his desires, even of paternal affections, to the object of his high calling, was a part of the religious training to which Abraham was subjected; and his stedfastness in this trial to his natural feelings formed a new stage of advancement in that "faith which overcometh the world."
This story, as the apostle tells us, is "an allegory," symbolizing or illustrating the two covenants-the one the Mosaic law, which was productive of bondage, for Hagar is made a representative of mount Sinai in Arabia, and consequently of the literal Jerusalem; and the other the Gospel, the spiritual Jerusalem, the heavenly or Christian city, which is free from the law of bondage. In other words, Hagar and Sarah, while real personages, and standing to each other in the mutual relations of servant and mistress, were significant of two higher relations-namely, those of the ancient and the Christian churches. The 'persecution' by the son of the Egyptian was typical of the affliction of the Church-Abraham's spiritual seed-by an unbelieving world.