1 Chronicles 1:28 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם יִצְחָ֖ק וְיִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃ ס
BSAThe sonsbên [descendants, offspring] of AbrahamʼAbrâhâm [the father of faith, later name of Abram] [were] IsaacYitschâq [he laughs, son of promise] and IshmaelYishmâʻêʼl [God will hear, son of Hagar]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵי֙ | [the] sons of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| אַבְרָהָ֔ם | Abraham | Noun proper masculine |
| יִצְחָ֖ק | Isaac | Noun proper masculine |
| וְיִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃ ס | and Ishmael | Conjunction, noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. |
| KJV | The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael. |
| ASV | The sons of Abraham: Isaac, and Ishmael. |
| YLT | Sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. |
| WEB | The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. |
| BBE | The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. |
All translations agree on the identification of Abraham's sons.
The sentence has a main clause with a straightforward subject and predicate, clearly identifying Abraham's sons.


3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Barnes & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 1:28
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of Abrahamgenerated
1 Chronicles 1:28 presents a brief genealogy, noting that Abraham, a pivotal figure in biblical history, had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. This verse emphasizes the continuation of Abraham's lineage through these two sons, who are significant in their own right. The genealogical context serves to establish the heritage of the Israelites and their connections to other nations, as seen in the subsequent verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 17:19–21 | But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. |
| 2 | Genesis 21:2–5 | So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised. |
| 3 | Genesis 16:11–16 | The angel of the LORD proceeded: “Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction. |
| 4 | Genesis 21:9–10 | But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵי, be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'descendant' and can refer to a wide range of familial relationships, including grandsons and members of a tribe. Its use here highlights the direct lineage from Abraham, establishing a connection to both Isaac and Ishmael.
As a masculine plural construct, בְּנֵי indicates multiple descendants, reinforcing the idea of Abraham as a patriarch with significant offspring. This term is foundational in genealogical listings throughout the Old Testament.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The sentence is structured around a simple declarative statement with a noun phrase as the subject — בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם — followed by a predicate that identifies the sons. This straightforward construction emphasizes the relationship between Abraham and his sons.
The word order places Abraham's sons directly after his name, highlighting their significance in the genealogy.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the term used for 'sons' is υἱοὶ (huioi), which carries the same meaning as in the Hebrew. This choice maintains the familial connection while using a Greek term familiar to the Hellenistic audience.
The use of υἱοὶ reflects a consistent translation of familial terms, emphasizing the importance of lineage in both Hebrew and Greek contexts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 1:28 tells us that the sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael. This verse highlights Abraham's role as a father and the significance of his descendants, who play important roles in biblical history.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The sons of Abraham were Isaac, the son of promise, and Ishmael, the son of Hagar.
The name Isaac means 'he laughs' and signifies the joy of his birth as the promised son.
Abraham is significant as the father of faith and the patriarch of the Hebrew people, with a covenant relationship with God.
Isaac and Ishmael are half-brothers, both sons of Abraham but from different mothers, representing two distinct lineages.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to be a descendant of Abraham in today's context?
- How can understanding the lineage of Isaac and Ishmael affect our view of different cultures?
- In what ways do the stories of Isaac and Ishmael reflect God's promises?
- How can we learn from Abraham's role as a father in our own lives?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 1:28 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleVer. 28-34. The sons of Abraham,.... The famous and well known ancestor of the Jews; of Ishmael his firstborn, and his posterity; of his sons by Keturah; and of Isaac and his sons, an account is
Read John Gill on 1 Chronicles 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryEber, Peleg, Reu, of the Arabs in the present day.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIsaac and Ishmael - Isaac, though younger than Ishmael, is placed first, as the legitimate heir, since Sarah alone was Abraham’s true wife (compare the 1 Chronicles 1:36 note).
Read Albert Barnes on 1 Chronicles 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.
Tyndale line
The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham: Isaac, and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.
The sonnes of Abraham were Izhak, and Ishmael.
Strictly literal
The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.
Sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.
Sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham: Isaac, and Ishma'el.
The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
From the Latin
And the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ismahel.
Simplified
The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.
The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all four words matched in the Septuagint, confirming the accuracy of the genealogical record.
בְּנֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם יִצְחָ֖ק וְיִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃ ס
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 1:28
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
See SON, SONS.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word אַבְרָם (*Abram*) refers to the biblical figure later known as אַבְרָהָם (*Abraham*), meaning 'father of a multitude.' He is first mentioned in Genesis 11:26 as the son of Terah and is notable for being the patriarch of the Hebrew nation through God's covenant. The name reflects his role as a significant ancestor.
אַבְרָם n.pr.m. (id., Thes al. exalted father) Abram = אַבְרָהָם Abraham
base
H85 אַבְרָם Abram = אַבְרָהָם Abraham
85 'Abraham ab-raw-hawm'
contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be
populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of
Abram:--Abraham.
see HEBREW for 01
אַבְרָהָם (av.ra.ham) — Abraham.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.26;
son of: Terah (H8646);
brother of: Nahor (H5152H), Haran (H2039) and Sarah (H8283); married to Sarah (H8283), Hagar (H1904) and Keturah (H6989);
father of: Ishmael (H3458), Isaac (H3327), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); also called Abram at Gen.11.26--17.5; 2x
§ Abraham = "father of a multitude" or "chief of multitude"
friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God's elective covenant
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
a'-bra-ham:
I. NAME 1. Various Forms 2. Etymology 3. Association II. KINDRED III. CAREER 1. Period of Wandering 2. Period of Residence at Hebron 3. Period of Residence in the Negeb IV. CONDITIONS OF LIFE 1. Economic Conditions 2. Social Conditions 3. Political Conditions 4. Cultural Conditions V. CHARACTER 1. Religious Beliefs 2. Morality 3. Personal Traits VI. SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HISTORY OF RELIGION 1. In the Old Testament 2. In the New Testament 3. In Jewish Tradition 4. In the Koran VII. INTERPRETATIONS OF THE STORY OTHER THAN HISTORICAL 1. The Allegorical Interpretation 2. The Personification Theory 3. The Mythical Theory 4. The "Saga" Theory
I. Name.
1. Various Forms:
In the Old Testament, when applied, to the patriarch, the name appears as 'abhram, up to Ge 17:5; thereafter always as 'abhraham. Two other persons are named 'abhiram.…
Abraham
Father of a multitude, son of Terah, named (Gen. 11:27) before his older brothers Nahor and Haran, because he was the heir of the promises. Till the age of seventy, Abram sojourned among his kindred in his native country of Chaldea. He then, with his father and his family and household, quitted the city of Ur, in which he had hitherto dwelt, and went some 300 miles north to Haran, where he abode fifteen years. The cause of his migration was a call from God (Acts 7:2-4). There is no mention of this first call in the Old Testament; it is implied, however, in Gen. 12. While they tarried at Haran, Terah died at the age of 205 years. Abram now received a second and more definite call, accompanied by a promise from God (Gen.…
(father of a multitude) was the son of Terah, and founder of the great Hebrew nation. (B.C. 1996-1822.) His family, a branch of the descendants of Shem, was settled in Ur of the Chaldees, beyond the Euphrates, where Abraham was born. Terah had two other sons, Nahor and Haran. Haran died before his father in Ur of the Chaldees, leaving a son, Lot; and Terah, taking with him Abram, with Sarai his wife and his grandson Lot, emigrated to Haran in Mesopotamia, where he died. On the death of his father, Abram, then in the 75th year of his age, with Sarai and Lot, pursued his course to the land of Canaan, whither he was directed by divine command, (Genesis 12:5) when he received the general promise that he should become the founder of a great nation, and that all the families of the earth should be blessed in him. He passed through the…
Father of a multitude, Ge 17:4,5; the great founder of the Jewish nation. He was a son of Terah, a descendant of Shem, and born in Ur, a city of Chaldea, A.M. 2008, B. C. 1996, Ge 11:27,28. Here he lived seventy years, when at the call of God he left his idolatrous kindred, and removed to Haran, in Mesopotamia, Ac 7:2-4, accompanied by his father, his wife Sarai, his brother Nahor, and his nephew Lot. A few years after, having buried his father, he again removed at the call of God, with his wife and nephew, and entered the land of promise as a nomad or wandering shepherd. Sojourning for a time at Shechem, he built here, as was his custom, an alter to the Lord, who appeared to him, and promised that land to his seed. Removing…
יִצְחָק (Yitschaq) refers to Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, whose name means 'he laughs.' The entries indicate that he is a significant figure in the Old Testament, mentioned first in Genesis 17:19, and is the father of Jacob and Esau. The word is built from the root associated with laughter or mockery.
יִצְחָק 108, יִשְׂחָק 4 n.pr.m. Isaac, son of Abr. and Sarah (he laugheth)
base
H3327 יִצְחָק, יִשְׂחָק Isaac, son of Abr. and Sarah (he laugheth)
3327 Yitschaq yits-khawk'
from 6711; laughter (i.e. mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son
of Abraham:--Isaac. Compare 3446.
see HEBREW for 06711
see HEBREW for 03446
יִצְחָק (yits.chaq) — Isaac.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.17.19;
son of: Abraham (H0085) and Sarah (H8283);
half-brother of: Ishmael (H3458), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); married to Rebekah (H7259);
father of: Esau (H6215) and Israel (H3478)
§ Isaac = "he laughs"
son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
i'-zak:oIT- (CS:HebrewIT+`iruIT-/CS): Eldest son of Caleb (1Ch 4:15); probably to be read Ir, the syllable "-u" being the conjunction "and" belonging to the following word.
I. NAME
1. Root, Forms, Analogues
2. Implication
II. FAMILY AND KINDRED
1. Birth and Place in the Family
2. Relation to the Religious Birthright
3. Significance of Marriage
III. STORY OF LIFE
1. Previous to Marriage
2. Subsequent to Marriage
IV. BIBLICAL REFERENCES
1. In the Old Testament
2. In the New Testament
V. VIEWS OTHER THAN THE HISTORICAL
I. Name.
1. Root, Forms and Analogues:
This name has the double spelling, yitschaq, and yitschaq (Isaak), corresponding to the two forms in which appears the root meaning "to laugh"--a root that runs through nearly all the Semitic languages. In Hebrew both tsachaq and sachaq have their cognate nouns, and signify, in the simple stem, "to…
Isaac
Laughter. (1) Israel, or the kingdom of the ten tribes (Amos 7:9, 16).
(2.) The only son of Abraham by Sarah. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs (Gen. 21:1-3). He was circumcised when eight days old (4-7); and when he was probably two years old a great feast was held in connection with his being weaned.
The next memorable event in his life is that connected with the command of God given to Abraham to offer him up as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Gen. 22). (See ABRAHAM.) When he was forty years of age Rebekah was chosen for his wife (Gen. 24). After the death and burial of his father he took up his residence at Beer-lahai-roi (25:7-11), where his two sons, Esau and Jacob, were born (21-26), the former of whom seems to have been his favourite son…
(laughter), the son whom Sara bore to Abraham, in the hundredth year of his age, at Gerar. (B.C. 1897.) In his infancy he became the object of Ishmael’s jealousy; and in his youth the victim, in intention, of Abraham’s great sacrificial act of faith. When forty years old he married Rebekah his cousin, by whom, when he was sixty, he had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Driven by famine to Gerar, he acquired great wealth by his flocks but was repeatedly dispossessed by the Philistines of the wells which he sunk at convenient stations. After the deceit by which Jacob acquired his father’s blessing Isaac sent his son to seek a wife in Padan-aram; and all that we know of him during the last forty-three years of his life in that he saw that GOD, with a large and prosperous family, return to him at Hebron. (Genesis 36:27) before he died there, at…
Laughter, Ge 17:17 18:12 21:6, one of the patriarchal ancestors of the Hebrew nation and of Christ, son of Abraham and Sarah, B. C. 1896-1705. His history is related in Ge 21:1-34 24:1-28:22 35:27-29. He is memorable for the circumstances attending his birth, as a child of prophecy and promise, in the old age of his parents. Even in childhood he was the object of dislike to his brother Ishmael, son of the bondwoman; and in this, a type of all children of the promise, Ga 4:29. Trained in the fear of God to early manhood, he showed a noble trust and obedience in his conduct during that remarkable trail of faith which established Abraham as the "father of the faithful;" and in his meek submission to all the will of God…
The Hebrew word יִשְׁמָעֵאל (*Yishma'el*) means 'God will hear' and refers primarily to Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar. The entries detail various individuals named Ishmael, including a murderer of Gedaliah and several figures from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings or references.
יִשְׁמָעֵאל 48 n.pr.m. (Ēl heareth)
son of Abraham and Hagar
murderer of Gedaliah
in Benj.
in Judah
Jew with foreign wife
base
H3458 יִשְׁמָעֵאל . son of Abraham and Hagar
. murderer of Gedaliah
. in Benj.
. in Judah
. Jew with foreign wife
3458 Yishma`e'l yish-maw-ale'
from 8085 and 410; God will hear; Jishmael, the name of
Abraham's oldest son, and of five Israelites:--Ishmael.
see HEBREW for 08085
see HEBREW for 0410
יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yish.ma.el) — Ishmael.
A man of Arabia living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.16.11;
son of: Abraham (H0085) and Hagar (H1904);
half-brother of: Isaac (H3327), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744);
father of: Nebaioth (H5032), Kedar (H6938), Adbeel (H0110), Mibsam (H4017), Mishma (H4927), Dumah (H1746), Massa (H4854), Hadad (H2301), Tema (H8485), Jetur (H3195), Naphish (H5305), Kedemah (H6929) and Mahalath (H4258)
§ Ishmael = "God will hear"
1) son of Abraham and Sarah's handmaid Hagar and the progenitor of the Arabian peoples
2) son of Nethaniah and the murderer of Gedaliah
3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Azel a descendant of Saul through Meribbaal or Mephibosheth
4) a Judaite, father of Zebadiah
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculineHC/Npm
Ishmael
God hears. (1.) Abraham’s eldest son, by Hagar the concubine (Gen. 16:15; 17:23). He was born at Mamre, when Abraham was eighty-six years of age, eleven years after his arrival in Canaan (16:3; 21:5). At the age of thirteen he was circumcised (17:25). He grew up a true child of the desert, wild and wayward. On the occasion of the weaning of Isaac his rude and wayward spirit broke out in expressions of insult and mockery (21:9, 10); and Sarah, discovering this, said to Abraham, “Expel this slave and her son.” Influenced by a divine admonition, Abraham dismissed Hagar and her son with no more than a skin of water and some bread. The narrative describing this act is one of the most beautiful and touching incidents of patriarchal life (Gen. 21:14-16). (See HAGAR.)
(whom God hears). The son of Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian his concubine; born when Abraham was fourscore and six years old. (Genesis 16:15,16) (B.C. 1910.) Ishmael was the first-born of his father. He was born in Abraham’s house when he dwelt in the plain of Mamre; and on the institution of the covenant of circumcision, was circumcised, he being then thirteen years old (Genesis 17:26) With the institution of the covenant, God renewed his promise respecting Ishmael. He does not again appear in the narrative until the weaning of Isaac. At the great feast made in celebration of the weaning, "Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, mocking," and urged Abraham to cast him and his mother out. Comforted by the renewal of God’s promise to make of…
1. Ge 16:1-16 21:1-34, son of Abraham and Hagar, B. C. 1910. He was at first regarded as "the son of the promise;" but after the birth and weaning of Isaac he was driven from his father’s house, at the age of about seventeen, and took with his mother the way to Egypt her native land. Overcome with heat and thirst, and then miraculously relieved, he remained in the wilderness of Paran, took a wife from Egypt, and was the father of twelve sons, heads of Arab tribes. He seems to have become on friendly terms with Isaac, and to have attended at the bedside of their dying father. At his own death, he was one hundred and thirty-seven years old, Ge 25:9,17.
God that hears
