וְיִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בְּנ֔וֹ בֶּן־שְׁלֹ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָ֑ה בְּהִ֨מֹּל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ׃
E Ismael su hijo era de trece años cuando fué circuncidada la carne de su prepucio.
Ramban
‘METZACHEIK’ (MAKING SPORT). This refers to worshipping idols, murder and sexual immorality. He [Ishmael] quarrelled with Isaac about inheritance, saying, “I am the first-born and will take a double portion.”322Deuteronomy 21:17. They then went into the field, and Ishmael took his bow and shot arrows at Isaac, just as you say, As a madman who casteth firebrands, arrows and death, so is the man who deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, Am I not in sport?323Proverbs 26:18-19. It is from Sarah’s complaint to Abraham — for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir, etc.324Verse 10 here. — that you learn [that they were quarrelling about the inheritance]. All this is Rashi’s language.
Here too,325See above, 19:24, where Ramban criticizes Rashi in a similar manner. Hence the word “too.” the Rabbi303Rashi. writes all the different opinions, [mentioned in the following]: “We have been taught:326Tosefta Sotah 6:6. A part thereof is mentioned in Rosh Hashanah 18b. Rabbi Shimon the son of Eleazar said, ‘There are four interpretations of Rabbi Akiba which I interpret differently, and my interpretation seems more acceptable than his. Rabbi Akiba interpreted: “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport. Making sport is but a designation for idolatry, etc.” But I say Heaven forbid that such be in the house of the righteous one! Is it possible that he, of whom it was written, For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household, etc.,327Above, 18:19. will have in his household idolatry, sexual immorality, and murder? Making sport mentioned here is but a designation for the inheritance. When Isaac was born and everyone rejoiced, Ishmael said to them, “Fools, I am the first-born, and I take a double portion.” From the complaint of our mother Sarah to Abraham you learn [that making sport refers to the inheritance]. And my interpretation seems more acceptable than that of Rabbi Akiba.’”
The expression of the Rabbi,303Rashi. “that Ishmael quarrelled with Isaac about the inheritance,” also does not appear correct for if so, this must have happened much later when Isaac was grown up, and Ishmael would then have been too big for his mother to carry him on her shoulder.328See Verse 14 here. Our Rabbis have also said329Yalkut Shimoni Genesis, 95: “Ishmael was seventeen years old when he left his father’s house.” Isaac was then three years of age (see Note 330). See also the note in my Hebrew commentary, p. 123. that Ishmael was seventeen years old [at the time he left his father’s house]. If so, this happened at the time when Isaac was weaned,330At the time of Isaac’s birth, Ishmael was fourteen years old. (He was thirteen at his circumcision (17:25), and a year later Isaac was born.) Now since Ishmael was seventeen when he left his father’s house, Isaac was three years old at the time, at which age he was weaned (Verse 8). [and Isaac was thus too young for Ishmael to quarrel with him about the inheritance].
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said in line with the literal interpretation of Scripture that metzachek means “playing,” as is normal for every boy, and she was jealous of him because he was bigger than her son.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that this event took place on the day that Isaac was weaned,331Verse 8 here. and Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac or the great feast. It is for this reason that the verse says, And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian — rather than Ishmael — making sport. Similarly, she said, Cast out this bondwoman and her son,324Verse 10 here. for she said: “The slave who mocks his master is deserving of death or stripes, but I want only that you cast him out from before me, and that he should in no way inherit your belongings together with my son, who is the son of the mistress.” She also told Abraham to cast out his mother, as the boy was unable to leave her for he would die if he were to leave his mother.332See further, 44:22.
Here too,325See above, 19:24, where Ramban criticizes Rashi in a similar manner. Hence the word “too.” the Rabbi303Rashi. writes all the different opinions, [mentioned in the following]: “We have been taught:326Tosefta Sotah 6:6. A part thereof is mentioned in Rosh Hashanah 18b. Rabbi Shimon the son of Eleazar said, ‘There are four interpretations of Rabbi Akiba which I interpret differently, and my interpretation seems more acceptable than his. Rabbi Akiba interpreted: “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport. Making sport is but a designation for idolatry, etc.” But I say Heaven forbid that such be in the house of the righteous one! Is it possible that he, of whom it was written, For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household, etc.,327Above, 18:19. will have in his household idolatry, sexual immorality, and murder? Making sport mentioned here is but a designation for the inheritance. When Isaac was born and everyone rejoiced, Ishmael said to them, “Fools, I am the first-born, and I take a double portion.” From the complaint of our mother Sarah to Abraham you learn [that making sport refers to the inheritance]. And my interpretation seems more acceptable than that of Rabbi Akiba.’”
The expression of the Rabbi,303Rashi. “that Ishmael quarrelled with Isaac about the inheritance,” also does not appear correct for if so, this must have happened much later when Isaac was grown up, and Ishmael would then have been too big for his mother to carry him on her shoulder.328See Verse 14 here. Our Rabbis have also said329Yalkut Shimoni Genesis, 95: “Ishmael was seventeen years old when he left his father’s house.” Isaac was then three years of age (see Note 330). See also the note in my Hebrew commentary, p. 123. that Ishmael was seventeen years old [at the time he left his father’s house]. If so, this happened at the time when Isaac was weaned,330At the time of Isaac’s birth, Ishmael was fourteen years old. (He was thirteen at his circumcision (17:25), and a year later Isaac was born.) Now since Ishmael was seventeen when he left his father’s house, Isaac was three years old at the time, at which age he was weaned (Verse 8). [and Isaac was thus too young for Ishmael to quarrel with him about the inheritance].
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said in line with the literal interpretation of Scripture that metzachek means “playing,” as is normal for every boy, and she was jealous of him because he was bigger than her son.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that this event took place on the day that Isaac was weaned,331Verse 8 here. and Sarah saw Ishmael mocking Isaac or the great feast. It is for this reason that the verse says, And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian — rather than Ishmael — making sport. Similarly, she said, Cast out this bondwoman and her son,324Verse 10 here. for she said: “The slave who mocks his master is deserving of death or stripes, but I want only that you cast him out from before me, and that he should in no way inherit your belongings together with my son, who is the son of the mistress.” She also told Abraham to cast out his mother, as the boy was unable to leave her for he would die if he were to leave his mother.332See further, 44:22.
Rashi
'ואברם בן שמנים שנה וגו AND ABRAM WAS FOURSCORE AND SIX YEARS OLD etc. — This is written to Ishmael’s credit, pointing out that he was thirteen years old when he was circumcised (see Genesis 17:25) and yet he raised no objection.
Siftei Chakhamim
To let us know that he was thirteen years old ... For Avraham was 99 when he circumcised Yishmael, and he was 86 when Yishmael was born. You might ask: [If the reason is as Rashi says,] why is it expressly written, “And his son Yishmael was 13 years old when he circumcised...” (17:25)? The answer is: Scripture repeats it to emphasize that Yishmael circumcised himself because of Hashem’s mitzvah, not from fear of his father who obliged him to do it. But the Mahara’i answers: We would not know from v. 17:25 that Yishmael was a full 13 years old, which is the age of attaining maturity, [for it could mean he was just over 12, and thus still a minor,] and that is why he did not resist. But the verse here makes the point clear.