†. Gen 25:11a . . After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son
Isaac.
With the death of Abraham, the covenant torch is passed on to the next
patriarch. The promises now shift into Isaac's possession and it becomes his
responsibility to take over as the family priest too.
†. Gen 25:11b . . And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi.
So did everyone else from Abraham's camp now that Isaac is the new
godfather. All of Abraham's servants, all his livestock, all the camels, all
everything; the whole shebang is Isaac's and follows Isaac wherever Isaac
tells them to go. You know, it's very difficult to forget Hagar while the Bible
continues to mention a very sacred spot dear to her own heart. But this is
the very last mention of Beer-lahai-roi. It's as if Abraham's era is closing and
now we move forward into Isaac's.
†. Gen 25:12 . .This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom
Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's slave, bore to Abraham.
Never once is Hagar listed as one of Abraham's wives. She was Sarah's
slave; and nothing more. Genesis gives Ishmael's line only passing mention
because the real focus lies along the covenant line. So we won't follow
Ishmael's exploits after listing his progeny.
†. Gen 25:13-16 . .These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by
their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the first-born of
Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad,
Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedmah. These are the sons of Ishmael
and these are their names by their villages and by their
encampments: twelve chieftains of as many tribes.
Twelve tribes; just as God had foretold in Gen 17:20. These twelve
"encampments" were little more than nomadic tent communities as
compared to the more permanent fortified towns and hamlets that were
common in the Canaan of Isaac's day.
†. Gen 25:17 . .These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one
hundred and thirty-seven years; then he breathed his last and died,
and was gathered to his kin.
Wasn't Abraham Ishmael's kin? Yes he was, but only by blood, not by law.
When Abraham emancipated Hagar, he automatically forfeited Ishmael as a
legal son. The case of a slave mother is different than that of a concubine
and ancient laws regarding the offspring of a slave woman and her male
owner permitted the slave owner to disown a child by emancipating the
mother.
Disowning Ishmael wasn't Abraham's idea; no, it was Sarah's because she
didn't want to split Abraham's estate and share it with a child not hers.
Ishmael would have inherited the lion's share because he was legally the
firstborn. I say legally because a child born out of wedlock between a slave
and her owner is not automatically the slave owner's son unless the owner
takes part in naming the child, thereby effecting a legal and binding
adoption-- and that, according to Gen 15:16, is exactly what Abraham did
when Ishmael was born.
So when Ishmael was "gathered to his kin" it wasn't to Abraham's clan but
to his own; the Ishmael line. However, Abraham remained Ishmael's
biological father whether Ishmael was legally his son or not. You can never
change who sired you. Your genetic origin is impossible to reverse or alter.
†. Gen 25:18 . .They dwelt from Havilah, by Shur, which is close to
Egypt, all the way to Asshur; they camped alongside all their
kinsmen.
The "they" in this verse are the kin of verse 17 unto whom Ishmael was
gathered.
Even though Ishmael's line isn't actually legal kin to Abraham's progeny, the
line is still related to the other boys by blood and therefore genetic kinsman.
The expression "all the way to Asshur" is probably better rendered "as you
go to Asshur" or "on the way to Asshur" -- ancient Assyria, now modern day
Iraq. The Ishmaelites lived along the main caravan route leading from Egypt
to Assyria; which would be very advantageous if you were into international
trading, which they were (cf. Gen 37:25-28).
The precise locations of the Havilah and Shur of verse 18 are unknown;
although it's fairly safe to assume that Havilah (sandy), and Shur delineated
a region stretching from portions of modern day Jordan and Saudi Arabia,
past Elat, across the northern Sinai Peninsula, and on over to Suez. In the
time of Saul, Ishmael's territory was controlled by a people called
Amalekites. (1Sam 15:7)
Cont.
/
Isaac.
With the death of Abraham, the covenant torch is passed on to the next
patriarch. The promises now shift into Isaac's possession and it becomes his
responsibility to take over as the family priest too.
†. Gen 25:11b . . And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi.
So did everyone else from Abraham's camp now that Isaac is the new
godfather. All of Abraham's servants, all his livestock, all the camels, all
everything; the whole shebang is Isaac's and follows Isaac wherever Isaac
tells them to go. You know, it's very difficult to forget Hagar while the Bible
continues to mention a very sacred spot dear to her own heart. But this is
the very last mention of Beer-lahai-roi. It's as if Abraham's era is closing and
now we move forward into Isaac's.
†. Gen 25:12 . .This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom
Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's slave, bore to Abraham.
Never once is Hagar listed as one of Abraham's wives. She was Sarah's
slave; and nothing more. Genesis gives Ishmael's line only passing mention
because the real focus lies along the covenant line. So we won't follow
Ishmael's exploits after listing his progeny.
†. Gen 25:13-16 . .These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by
their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the first-born of
Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad,
Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedmah. These are the sons of Ishmael
and these are their names by their villages and by their
encampments: twelve chieftains of as many tribes.
Twelve tribes; just as God had foretold in Gen 17:20. These twelve
"encampments" were little more than nomadic tent communities as
compared to the more permanent fortified towns and hamlets that were
common in the Canaan of Isaac's day.
†. Gen 25:17 . .These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one
hundred and thirty-seven years; then he breathed his last and died,
and was gathered to his kin.
Wasn't Abraham Ishmael's kin? Yes he was, but only by blood, not by law.
When Abraham emancipated Hagar, he automatically forfeited Ishmael as a
legal son. The case of a slave mother is different than that of a concubine
and ancient laws regarding the offspring of a slave woman and her male
owner permitted the slave owner to disown a child by emancipating the
mother.
Disowning Ishmael wasn't Abraham's idea; no, it was Sarah's because she
didn't want to split Abraham's estate and share it with a child not hers.
Ishmael would have inherited the lion's share because he was legally the
firstborn. I say legally because a child born out of wedlock between a slave
and her owner is not automatically the slave owner's son unless the owner
takes part in naming the child, thereby effecting a legal and binding
adoption-- and that, according to Gen 15:16, is exactly what Abraham did
when Ishmael was born.
So when Ishmael was "gathered to his kin" it wasn't to Abraham's clan but
to his own; the Ishmael line. However, Abraham remained Ishmael's
biological father whether Ishmael was legally his son or not. You can never
change who sired you. Your genetic origin is impossible to reverse or alter.
†. Gen 25:18 . .They dwelt from Havilah, by Shur, which is close to
Egypt, all the way to Asshur; they camped alongside all their
kinsmen.
The "they" in this verse are the kin of verse 17 unto whom Ishmael was
gathered.
Even though Ishmael's line isn't actually legal kin to Abraham's progeny, the
line is still related to the other boys by blood and therefore genetic kinsman.
The expression "all the way to Asshur" is probably better rendered "as you
go to Asshur" or "on the way to Asshur" -- ancient Assyria, now modern day
Iraq. The Ishmaelites lived along the main caravan route leading from Egypt
to Assyria; which would be very advantageous if you were into international
trading, which they were (cf. Gen 37:25-28).
The precise locations of the Havilah and Shur of verse 18 are unknown;
although it's fairly safe to assume that Havilah (sandy), and Shur delineated
a region stretching from portions of modern day Jordan and Saudi Arabia,
past Elat, across the northern Sinai Peninsula, and on over to Suez. In the
time of Saul, Ishmael's territory was controlled by a people called
Amalekites. (1Sam 15:7)
Cont.
/
