My guess would be:
The two failures - The wife and handmaiden of Abraham. The wife, unable to bare children; The handmaiden, boast of her youth and taunted Abraham's wife.
The others would admire: Abraham's children. Isaac by Sarah (wife) and Ishmael from Hagar (handmaiden).
The "payment": That could be the religious unrest there has been between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. Most notable would be the middle east problems.
That's my guess...
J
The two failures - The wife and handmaiden of Abraham. The wife, unable to bare children; The handmaiden, boast of her youth and taunted Abraham's wife.
The others would admire: Abraham's children. Isaac by Sarah (wife) and Ishmael from Hagar (handmaiden).
The "payment": That could be the religious unrest there has been between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. Most notable would be the middle east problems.
That's my guess...
J