Genesis 25:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

NIV: This is the account of the family line of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.

NASB: Now these are the records of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave woman, bore to Abraham;

CSB: These are the family records of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's slave, bore to Abraham.

NLT: This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant.

KJV: Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:

NKJV: Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.

Genesis 25, coming at the end of Abraham's life and the beginning of God's blessing on and through Isaac, takes some time to establish the genealogies of all of Abraham's sons. The verses following this one will describe the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son with Hagar. Hagar had been Sarah's Egyptian handmaid until, at Sarah's urging, Abraham had married her in hopes of finally producing an heir. The pregnancy that resulted, however, led to pain for all involved and not to the child of promise, as they had hoped (Genesis 16; 21:9–21).

Still God blessed Ishmael in many ways, as He seems to have done for all the sons of Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3).

Genesis 25:1–18 adds details before describing the deaths of Abraham and then Ishmael. Abraham has taken another wife, other than Sarah, and has six sons with her. He gives them gifts but sends them all away to the east. Isaac will be his sole true heir. Still, when Abraham dies and is buried at the age of 175, Ishmael joins Isaac for the funeral. Ishmael's 12 sons are listed, along with a description of the region their tribes settled in. Finally, Ishmael dies, as well, at the age of 137.

Genesis 25 is packed with information. Abraham marries another wife, most likely before Sarah died, and has six sons with her. Abraham dies at the age of 175 and is buried by both Isaac and Ishmael at the family-owned cave where Sarah was buried. Ishmael's 12 sons are listed, along with the region their tribes settled in, to the east of what would later become Israel. And, finally, God grants Isaac's prayer for Rebekah to become pregnant by giving the couple twins: the feuding Jacob and Esau.

The previous chapter tells the story of how Abraham's servant found a wife for Isaac from among Abraham's people. This chapter rushes to fill in the details of the end of Abraham's life before beginning the story of Isaac's years as patriarch. Abraham marries another woman and has six sons with her, eventually sending them all away from Isaac. Abraham dies and is buried with Sarah. Ishmael's 12 sons are listed, and then his death is recorded, as well. Finally, Isaac's twin boys are born in response to his prayer to the Lord.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/3/2024 7:27:13 PM