This passage is often misinterpreted as divine endorsement of favoritism, cruelty toward stepchildren, or justification for family division and expulsion without compassion, ignoring the context of God's prior promise to bless Ishmael abundantly as a great nation and the unique role of Isaac in the covenant; others erroneously apply it to modern divorce or inheritance disputes, or misuse it to promote ethnic superiority of Isaac's descendants over Ishmael's, fostering division contrary to the Bible's overarching theme of God's inclusive blessings.
Genesis 21:12
King James Version (1769)
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
God directs Abraham to obey Sarah's insistence on sending away Hagar and Ishmael, assuring him not to grieve because the promised covenant lineage and seed will be through Isaac alone, underscoring divine sovereignty in designating the specific line for the fulfillment of His promises despite Abraham's emotional attachment to his firstborn son.