Ishmael, the firstborn son of Abraham, holds a significant place in biblical history. He was born to Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, Abraham's wife, as recorded in Genesis 16. Ishmael's birth was a result of Sarah's impatience for God's promise of a son, leading her to offer Hagar to Abraham. Ishmael's life and legacy are intertwined with the covenantal promises made to Abraham, though he himself was not the child of promise through whom the covenant would be established.

The narrative of Ishmael's life is primarily found in the Book of Genesis. After the birth of Isaac, the son promised by God to Abraham and Sarah, tensions arose between Sarah and Hagar, leading to Hagar and Ishmael's departure from Abraham's household (Genesis 21:8-21). Despite this separation, God promised to make Ishmael into a great nation, a promise that was fulfilled as he became the father of twelve princes and a great nation (Genesis 17:20; 21:18).

The account of Ishmael's death is briefly mentioned in Genesis 25:17-18. The Berean Standard Bible states: "Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers."

Ishmael's death marks the end of his personal narrative in the biblical text, but his legacy continued through his descendants, who played a significant role in the history of the region. The phrase "gathered to his people" suggests a peaceful passing and a reunion with his ancestors, a common expression in the Old Testament indicating death.

Ishmael's life and death are significant in understanding the broader narrative of God's dealings with Abraham and his descendants. While Ishmael was not the child through whom the covenant would be fulfilled, God's promises to him were honored, and his lineage continued to impact the history of the Near East. His account serves as a testament to God's faithfulness and the complexity of human relationships within the unfolding plan of divine providence.Genesis 25:17,18
And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered to his people.
Nave's Topical Index

Of Abraham's Obedience and Faith, which were Proved by the ...
... shall thy seed be called," when God calls Ishmael also his ... promised to him by her:
"Shall a son be born ... is ninety years old, bear?" [947] Then Abraham bought a ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 32 of abrahams obedience and.htm

What is Meant by Abraham's Marrying Keturah after Sarah's Death.
... And yet, if Hagar and Ishmael, as the apostle teaches us, signified the ... And Abraham
died when he was 175 years old, so that he left his son Isaac seventy ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 34 what is meant by.htm

The Death of Abraham
... following verse: 'And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him ... in the field of Ephron,
the son of Zohar ... It conveys dimly and veiledly that Abraham was buried, and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the death of abraham.htm

Abraham --The Father of the Faithful.
... good wishes, yet the little lad Ishmael, the son of Hagar ... a loaf of bread; for God
had told Abraham to do ... do, and He would take care of little Ishmael, and make ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter iii abrahamthe father of.htm

Chapter xxv
... 11. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son,
and Isaac ... must be a brief treatment of the descendants of Ishmael; but a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxv.htm

Abraham's Offering up his Son Isaac
... But what does God say to Abraham? ... whom thou lovest." If it must be a son, and not
a beast, that must be offered, why will not Ishmael do, the son of the bond ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/abrahams offering up his son.htm

From Abraham to Egypt.
... (10) Abraham and Ishmael die and ... Abraham is called or appointed of God to be the
head of a ... Isaac is an only son, is offered in sacrifice, has secured for him a ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter iv from abraham to.htm

Consecration to God --Illustrated by Abraham's Circumcision
... Immediately after God's appearing to Abraham, his consecration was manifest, first,
in his ... are saved too; and if you have a son, an Ishmael, concerning whom ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 14 1868/consecration to godillustrated by abrahams.htm

Here Beginneth the Life of Isaac
... had taken tofore, that was Melech, daughter of Ishmael, son of Abraham ... The land that
I gave to Abraham and Isaac I ... to Ephrath, in which place Rachel bare a son. ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the life of.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... Concerning The Death Of Abraham. ... The Jews, And Slew Jehoiakim, And Made Jeholachin
His Son King ... Which Gedaliah Was A Little Afterward Slain By Ishmael; And How ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Who was Ishmael in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who are the descendants of Ishmael? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Abraham banish Ishmael (Genesis 21:14)? | GotQuestions.org

Ishmael: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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