The term "Ishmaelite" refers to the descendants of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maidservant. The narrative of Ishmael's birth and his subsequent role in biblical history is primarily found in the Book of Genesis.

Biblical Origin and Genealogy

Ishmael was born to Abraham and Hagar as a result of Sarah's barrenness and her decision to give Hagar to Abraham as a concubine. Genesis 16:11-12 records the angel of the LORD's prophecy concerning Ishmael: "You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

Ishmael is considered the progenitor of the Ishmaelites, a group of nomadic tribes mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Genesis 25:13-16 lists the names of Ishmael's twelve sons, who became tribal leaders: "These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes."

Historical and Cultural Context

The Ishmaelites are often associated with the Arabian tribes and are considered to have played a significant role in the trade routes of the ancient Near East. They are depicted as traders and merchants, as seen in the account of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers. Genesis 37:25-28 describes how Joseph's brothers sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites: "As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt... So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt."

Religious and Theological Significance

In the biblical narrative, Ishmael's account is intertwined with themes of God's providence and the fulfillment of His promises. Despite being sent away from Abraham's household, God promised to make Ishmael into a great nation. Genesis 21:17-18 recounts God's reassurance to Hagar: "God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, 'What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.'"

The Ishmaelites are often seen as a symbol of God's mercy and faithfulness, as He provided for Ishmael and his descendants despite the circumstances of his birth. The relationship between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham's son with Sarah, is complex and marked by both conflict and coexistence, reflecting broader themes of sibling rivalry and reconciliation in the biblical narrative.

References in Later Scriptures

The Ishmaelites are mentioned in various other biblical texts, often in the context of their interactions with the Israelites. In Judges 8:24 , Gideon requests gold earrings from the spoils of war, noting that the Ishmaelites wore gold earrings. This reference highlights the cultural and economic interactions between the Israelites and the Ishmaelites.

Throughout the Bible, the Ishmaelites serve as a reminder of God's overarching plan and the diverse ways in which His promises are fulfilled across generations.Ishmaelite

(decendant of Ishmael). [ISHMAEL]

1. (n.) A descendant of Ishmael (the son of Abraham and Hagar), of whom it was said, His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him.

2. (n.) One at enmity with society; a wanderer; a vagabond; an outcast.

3. (n.) See Ismaelian.

4927. Mishma -- an Ishmaelite, also a Simeonite
... 4926, 4927. Mishma. 4928 . an Ishmaelite, also a Simeonite. Transliteration:
Mishma Phonetic Spelling: (mish-maw') Short Definition: Mishma. ...
/hebrew/4927.htm - 6k

3459. Yishmeeli -- descendant of Ishmael
... of Ishmael NASB Word Usage Ishmaelite (2), Ishmaelites (6). Ishmaelite. Patronymically
from Yishma'e'l; a Jishmaelite or descendant of Jishmael -- Ishmaelite. ...
/hebrew/3459.htm - 6k

4017. Mibsam -- a son of Ishmael, also a Simeonite
... Mibsam. From the same as besem; fragrant; Mibsam, the name of an Ishmaelite and
of an Israelite -- Mibsam. see HEBREW besem. 4016, 4017. Mibsam. 4018 . ...
/hebrew/4017.htm - 6k

2316. Chadar -- Hadar
... Word Origin a scribal error for Hadar, qv. Hadar Another form for cheder; chamber;
Chadar, an Ishmaelite -- Hadar. see HEBREW cheder. 2315, 2316. ...
/hebrew/2316.htm - 5k

2301. Chadad -- a son of Ishmael
... Word Origin from chadad Definition a son of Ishmael NASB Word Usage Hadad (2). Hadad.
From chadad; fierce; Chadad, an Ishmaelite -- Hadad. see HEBREW chadad. ...
/hebrew/2301.htm - 6k

3501. Yithra -- father of Amasa
... Ithra. By variation for yithrah; Jithra, an Israelite (or Ishmaelite) -- Ithra.
see HEBREW yithrah. 3500, 3501. Yithra. 3502 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3501.htm - 6k

179. Obil -- overseer of David's camels
... Obil (1). Obil. Probably from 'abal; mournful; Obil, an Ishmaelite -- Obil.
see HEBREW 'abal. 178, 179. Obil. 180 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/179.htm - 6k

The Nations of the South-East
... or Arabia. The Ishmaelite tribes, in fact, spoke dialects in which Canaanitish
and Arabic elements were mingled together. They are ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter iii the nations of.htm

The Avenging of the Saviour.
... There went forth a certain man from Jud??a, by name Nathan the son of Nahum; for
he was an Ishmaelite who went from land to land, and from sea to sea, and in ...
/.../unknown/the avenging of the saviour/the avenging of the saviour.htm

Chapter xxxvi
... bore the names, "Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite," and "Basemath, the
daughter of Elon the Hittite," whereas in Genesis 28:9 the Ishmaelite wife was ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvi.htm

Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
... beginning of the year 750"bc4] of Herod [This man was born at Ascalon, bc71, and
died at Jericho, ad4. His father was an Edomite, and his mother an Ishmaelite ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xiii eastern wise-men or magi.htm

John the Baptist's Person and Preaching.
... 15). Its Ishmaelite inhabitants were conquered by Aristobulus, king of Jud??a,
bc100, and forced by him to accept the Jewish faith. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xvii john the baptists person.htm

Imperial Caesar
... "Here is the Roman commissary!". "Ill-fathered son of an Ishmaelite!" a Tyrian said
to this jester. "That you should make sport of Judea's humiliation!". ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter vii imperial caesar.htm

Jabez
... This child or youth starts out with all things against him. He is likely
to grow up into an Ishmaelite if he grows up at all. He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/jabez.htm

The Shepherd of Pella
... charity. She saw that he had the straight serious features of the Ishmaelite,
but lacked the fierce yet wondering gaze of the Arab. ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter iii the shepherd of.htm

Letter xvi. Charity.
... lovely, in the character of man"a grumbling, growling misanthrope, who is never
pleased with anybody, nor satisfied with anything"an Ishmaelite, whose hand ...
/.../a practical directory for young christian females/letter xvi charity.htm

Ishmaelite (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Ishmaelite (3 Occurrences). ... (BBE). 1 Chronicles 2:17 Abigail
bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. ...
/i/ishmaelite.htm - 7k

Ish'maelite (3 Occurrences)
Ish'maelite. Ishmaelite, Ish'maelite. Ishmaelites . ... (See RSV). 1 Chronicles
2:17 And Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite. ...
/i/ish'maelite.htm - 7k

Obil (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A keeper of camels, an Ishmaelite who was "over
the camels" in the time of David (1 Chronicles 27:30). Int. ...
/o/obil.htm - 7k

Jether (8 Occurrences)
... The captives would be taken to Orpah, Gideon's home, and slain there. (3) Father
of Amasa (1 Kings 2:5, 32); he was an Ishmaelite according to 1 Chronicles 2 ...
/j/jether.htm - 11k

Amasa (13 Occurrences)
... is the son of Abigail, the sister of Zeruiah and David, and Ithra, an Israelite;
but another source, 1 Chronicles 2:17, calls his father Jether the Ishmaelite. ...
/a/amasa.htm - 13k

Abigail (18 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Father (ie, "leader") of the dance, or "of joy.". (1.)
The sister of David, and wife of Jether an Ishmaelite (1 Chronicles 2:16, 17). ...
/a/abigail.htm - 17k

Ish'mael (40 Occurrences)
Ish'mael. Ishmael, Ish'mael. Ishmaelite . Multi-Version Concordance Ish'mael
(40 Occurrences). ... (See RSV). Ishmael, Ish'mael. Ishmaelite . Reference Bible
/i/ish'mael.htm - 18k

Kedar (11 Occurrences)
... Of the Ishmaelite tribes, Kedar must have been one of the most important, and thus
in later times the name came to be applied to all the wild tribes of the ...
/k/kedar.htm - 13k

Nabathaeans
... Jerome, Quaeat in Genesis 25:13, following the hint of Josephus (Ant., I, xii, 4),
asserts they were identical with the Ishmaelite tribe of Nebaioth, which is ...
/n/nabathaeans.htm - 11k

Nebaioth (5 Occurrences)
... Genesis 28:9; 36:3). (2.) The name of the Ishmaelite tribe descended from the
above (Genesis 25:13, 18). The "rams of Nebaioth" (Isaiah ...
/n/nebaioth.htm - 9k

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