Genesis 25:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre,

NIV: His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite,

NASB: Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre,

CSB: His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hethite.

NLT: His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

KJV: And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;

NKJV: And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite,

Genesis 23 describes in detail Abraham's acquisition of the cave of Machpelah immediately following the death of Sarah. Now Isaac and Ishmael reunite to bury Abraham's body in that cave alongside Sarah.

Abraham had sent away Ishmael, along with his mother Hagar. Ishmael was 16 or so and Isaac was around two (Genesis 21:8–14). Now the step-brothers would be somewhere around 89 and 75, respectively. Ishmael's presence at Abraham's burial may imply there was some contact between Isaac and his birth family over the years. Despite this meeting to honor their father, God's prophetic remarks about Ishmael would prove true (Genesis 16:11–12). His descendants would become the enemies of Israel.

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 5/12/2024 2:57:02 AM