Genesis 25:12
in Genesis 25This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
KJV
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
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This verse in Genesis 25
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThese are the generations of Ishmael - The object of the inspired writer seems to be to show how the promises of God were fulfilled to both the branches of Abraham’s family. Isaac has been already referred to; God blessed him according to the promise. He had also promised to multiply Ishmael, and an account of his generation is introduced to show how exactly the promise had also been fulfilled to him.
This site's exposition
This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael
on Genesis 25:12-16
Ishmael gets a toledot of his own, the Hebrew heading that opens the account of a man's line, and Missler reads the whole book by its eleven headings. Twelve princes are named, as God promised Abraham at 17:20. The branch outside the covenant closes before the chosen line goes on, as Cain's did before Seth.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son,.... Or the genealogy of his posterity; and which is given to show that the Lord was not unmindful of his promise made to Abraham, concerning the multiplication of his seed, Gen 16:10, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham; see Gen 16:1.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
- Section XI. - Isaac - LII. History of Ishmael 13. נבית nebāyot, Nebajoth, “heights.” קדר qēdār, Qedar, “black.” אדבאל 'adbe'ēl, Adbeel, “miracle of God?” מבשׂם mı̂bśām Mibsam, “sweet odor.” 14. משׁמע mı̂shma‛, Mishma‘, “hearing.” דוּמה dûmâh, Dumah, “silence.” משׂא maśā', Massa, “burden.” 15. חדר chădar, Chadar, “chamber;” or חדד chădad, Chadad, “sharpness;” תימא tēymā', Tema. יטוּר yeṭûr, Jetur, “enclosure,” akin to טוּר ṭûr, “a wall,” and טירה ṭı̂yrâh, “a wall.” נפישׁ nāpı̂ysh, Naphish, “breathing.” קדמה qēdemâh, Qedemah, “before, eastward.” 16. חצר chātsēr, “court, village, town.” According to custom, before the history of the principal line is taken up, that of the collateral branch is briefly given. Thus, Cain’s history is closed before Sheth’s is commenced; Japheth and Ham are before Shem; Haran and Nahor before Abram. And so the sons of Keturah are first dismissed from the pages of history, and then Ishmael. Gen 25:12 The present passage begins with the formula, “and these are the generations,” and forms the eighth document so commencing. The appearance of a document consisting of seven verses is clearly against the supposition that each of these documents is due to a different author. The phrase points to a change of subject, not of author. Gen 25:13-16 Nebaioth - Isa 60:7 is preserved in the Nabataei inhabiting Arabia Petraea, and extending far toward the East. “Kedar” Isa 21:17 appears in the Cedrei of Pliny (H. N. 5, 12) who dwell east of Petraea. “Adbeel Mibsam,” and “Mishma are otherwise unknown. The last is connected with the Μαισαιμενεῖς Maisaimeneis of Ptol. (v. 7, 21). “Dumah” Isa 21:11 is probably Δούμεθα Doumetha (Ptol. vi. 19, 7) and Domata (Plin. H. N. 6, 32) and Dumat el-Jendel in Nejd and the Syrian desert. “Massa” may be preserved in the Μασανοὶ Masanoi of Ptolemy (v. 19, 2), northeast of Duma. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
I.e., near that place, or perhaps because it was not a city, 181 See above,:14, for the origin of the name “the well of Lahai-roi,” and there it expressly says that it was by a fountain of water in the wilderness. It was thus not a city.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֛לֶּה | veeleh | and these | H428 → | 746 times |
| תֹּלְדֹ֥ת | toledot | [are] [the] accounts of | H8435 → | 39 times |
| יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל | yishmael | Ishmael | H3458 → | 48 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֑ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָלְדָ֜ה | yaldah | she bore | H3205 → | 496 times |
| הָגָ֧ר | hagar | Hagar | H1904 → | 12 times |
| הַמִּצְרִ֛ית | hamitzrit | the Egyptian | H4713 → | 70 times |
| שִׁפְחַ֥ת | shifchat | [the] maidservant of | H8198 → | 63 times |
| שָׂרָ֖ה | sarah | Sarah | H8283 → | 38 times |
| לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃ | leavraham | to Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
וְאֵ֛לֶּהand these
veelehH428 →746 times
תֹּלְדֹ֥ת[are] [the] accounts of
toledotH8435 →39 times
יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אלIshmael
yishmaelH3458 →48 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אַבְרָהָ֑םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָלְדָ֜הshe bore
yaldahH3205 →496 times
הָגָ֧רHagar
hagarH1904 →12 times
הַמִּצְרִ֛יתthe Egyptian
hamitzritH4713 →70 times
שִׁפְחַ֥ת[the] maidservant of
shifchatH8198 →63 times
שָׂרָ֖הSarah
sarahH8283 →38 times
לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃to Abraham
leavrahamH85 →175 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 17:20As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make…
it leads to
- Genesis 21:18
Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 21:13
But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
- Genesis 16:10–12
Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”
- Genesis 21:18
Through
Genesis 21:13But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”
it leads to
- Genesis 25:12–18
This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 17:20
As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make…
- Genesis 16:10
Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”
- Genesis 25:12–18
Through
Psalms 83:6the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 5:10
During the days of Saul they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated at their hands, and they occupied the homes of the Hagrites throughout the region east of Gilead.
- 2 Chronicles 20:1
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.
- 1 Chronicles 5:10
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsHagarSarah's Egyptian servant and mother of Ishmael; the first person to name God — “Thou God seest me” (El Roi, 16:13).
- PersonPatriarchsIshmaelAbraham's son by Hagar — blessed and made a great nation, but not the covenant heir; Paul's figure of the flesh (Gal 4:21–31).
- PersonPatriarchsAbrahamCalled out of Ur, the father of all who believe, justified by faith, and the friend of God through whose seed all nations are bles…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Chuck Missler, The Book of Genesis and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).