Ishmael (Genesis 16:1–16; Genesis 17:18–21; Genesis 17:23–27; Genesis 21:8–13; Genesis 21:14–21; Genesis 25:9; Genesis 25:12–18; Genesis 28:9; Genesis 36:3; 1 Chronicles 1:28–31; Galatians 4:22–31)

Son of Abraham and Hagar

The son of Abram and Hagar the Egyptian, named by the angel of the LORD before his birth, circumcised at thirteen, sent into the wilderness with his mother after Isaac was weaned, where God heard the voice of the lad; he became an archer in Paran, fathered twelve princes, and died at a hundred and thirty-seven.

Ishmael is first spoken of before he is born. Sarai gave her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abram to be his wife, and when Hagar fled from Sarai, the angel of the LORD found her and said, “thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath heard thy affliction” (Genesis 16:11). “Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bare, Ishmael” (Genesis 16:15).

When God promised Abraham a son by Sarah, Abraham said, “Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!” (Genesis 17:18). God answered, “as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him” (Genesis 17:20), and said that his covenant would be with Isaac. Ishmael was circumcised at thirteen years old. At the feast when Isaac was weaned, Sarah saw the son of Hagar “mocking” (Genesis 21:9) and asked that he and his mother be cast out; Abraham sent them away, the water in the bottle was spent, and “God heard the voice of the lad” (Genesis 21:17). “And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer” (Genesis 21:20). Genesis never records a word spoken by Ishmael.

Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham together in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 25:9). Genesis lists his twelve sons, “twelve princes according to their nations” (Genesis 25:16), and records that he died at a hundred and thirty-seven. Esau took a daughter of Ishmael as a wife (Genesis 28:9; 36:3). No New Testament passage names Ishmael, but Paul writes of “the son by the handmaid” (Galatians 4:23) and says, “as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit” (Galatians 4:29).

Weaknesses

• Mocking

Themes

• Named before birth
• Blessed, yet not the covenant son
• Sent away
• God hears the lad
• Twelve princes

Named before his birth (Genesis 16:7–14)

The angel of the LORD finds Hagar at a fountain in the wilderness, sends her back to her mistress, and names her unborn son Ishmael.

Named before his birth

Sarai dealt hardly with Hagar, “and she fled from her face” (Genesis 16:6). “And the angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness” (Genesis 16:7), and told her, “Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands” (Genesis 16:9).

“Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath heard thy affliction. And he shall be as a wild ass among men; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his brethren” (Genesis 16:11-12).

Hagar “called the name of Jehovah that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth” (Genesis 16:13).

Born to Abram (Genesis 16:15–16)

Hagar bears Abram a son and Abram calls his name Ishmael, when Abram is fourscore and six years old.

Oh that Ishmael might live (Genesis 17:15–22)

When God promises that Sarah will bear a son, Abraham asks for Ishmael’s life; God says he has blessed Ishmael and will make him a great nation, but the covenant is with Isaac.

Oh that Ishmael might live

God told Abraham that Sarah would bear a son. “And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!” (Genesis 17:18).

“And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac” (Genesis 17:19-21).

Circumcised at thirteen (Genesis 17:23–27)

Abraham takes Ishmael his son and all the males of his house and circumcises them on the selfsame day, as God had said.

Mocking at the weaning feast (Genesis 21:8–13)

On the day Isaac is weaned, Sarah sees the son of Hagar mocking and asks Abraham to cast out the handmaid and her son; God tells Abraham to hearken to her.

Mocking at the weaning feast

“And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking” (Genesis 21:8-9). The text gives the one word and says no more of what he did, or why.

Sarah said, “Cast out this handmaid and her son: for the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son” (Genesis 21:10-11).

“And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed” (Genesis 21:12-13).

God hears the voice of the lad (Genesis 21:14–21)

Hagar and the child are sent away with bread and water; when the water is spent God hears the lad, opens Hagar’s eyes to a well, and is with him as he grows into an archer in Paran.

God hears the voice of the lad

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away” (Genesis 21:14). “And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs” (Genesis 21:15).

“And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 21:17-18). “And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water” (Genesis 21:19).

“And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt” (Genesis 21:20-21).

Buries Abraham with Isaac (Genesis 25:7–10)

Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham in the cave of Machpelah.

His sons and his death (Genesis 25:12–18)

Genesis lists the twelve sons of Ishmael, princes according to their nations, and records that he died at a hundred and thirty-seven and was gathered unto his people; he abode over against all his brethren.

Hagar (Genesis 16:11; Genesis 21:14–21)

His mother, the Egyptian handmaid, who was sent away with him and took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Abraham (Genesis 16:15–16; Genesis 17:18; Genesis 17:23–26; Genesis 21:14)

His father, who said of him, “Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!” (Genesis 17:18), circumcised him, and sent him away.

Sarah (Genesis 21:9–10)

Abraham’s wife, who saw the son of Hagar mocking and asked that the handmaid and her son be cast out.

Isaac (Genesis 17:19–21; Genesis 25:9)

Abraham’s son by Sarah, with whom God established his covenant; the two buried their father together.

Esau (Genesis 28:9; Genesis 36:3)

Went unto Ishmael and took his daughter Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife; Genesis 36:3 lists Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth, among Esau’s wives.

God (Genesis 16:11; Genesis 17:20; Genesis 21:17–20)

Heard the affliction of Hagar, blessed Ishmael, and “heard the voice of the lad” (Genesis 21:17).

Major sections

• Genesis 16:1–16
• Genesis 17:15–27
• Genesis 21:8–21
• Genesis 25:9–18

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