Ishmael
The name Ishmael means “God that hears”
Summary
Profile
Ishmael was Abraham’s first son, born to Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant. The boy was born near Hebron when Abraham was eighty-six years old (Genesis 13:18; 16:16). God promised to make a great nation from the childless Abraham (Genesis 12:2). God assured him he would have a son as his heir (15:4). Ishmael was born when Abraham tried to fulfill God’s promise by human means (see Genesis 16:1–16; Galatians 4:23). But God would still achieve his purposes through Sarah (see Genesis 17:15–18:15; 21:1–7).
God said Sarah would have a son to fulfill the promise (Genesis 17:15–16). Abraham asked God to accept Ishmael (17:17–18). Ishmael was not the promised son because God's special agreement (covenant) would be with Isaac (Genesis 17:19). Still, God blessed Ishmael and made him the father of a great nation (Genesis 17:20–21).
When Ishmael was thirteen, he was circumcised as part of God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:9–14, 23–27). At Isaac's weaning celebration, when Ishmael was about seventeen, he mocked Isaac (Genesis 21:9). As a result, Abraham sent Ishmael and Hagar away with supplies. An angel of God helped Hagar survive in the wilderness, and Ishmael became a hunter. He settled in the wilderness of Paran and married an Egyptian woman (Genesis 21:20–21). Ishmael helped bury Abraham (Genesis 25:9–10). He gave his daughter Mahalath in marriage to Esau (28:9). Abraham died at age 137 (25:17). His twelve sons are listed in Genesis 25:13–15.
Paul mentioned Ishmael to encourage the Galatians to trust in God instead of the law (see Galatians 4:21–31). Those who rely on the law will not inherit the kingdom, just as the slave woman's son did not inherit with the free woman's son (Galatians 4:30).
Passages for Further Study
Genesis 16:11–16; Genesis 17:18–26; 21:8–21; 25:9–18; 28:9; Galatians 4:21–31
Events
- Birth of Ishmaelc. 1910 BC
- Lifetime of Ishmaelc. 1910 BC
- Death of Ishmaelc. 1773 BC
Glossary entries
Family members
Alternative names
- יִשְׁמָעֵאלIshmael
- יִשְׁמְעֵאלִיIshmael
- יִשְׂרְאֵלִיIshmael
Mentions
Includes 10 verses that refer to Ishmael without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.
- 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.
- And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.
- Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.
- And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!”
- 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 him into a great nation.
- On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or purchased with his money—every male among the members of Abraham’s household—and he circumcised them, just as God had told him.
- …and his son Ishmael was thirteen;
- Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day.
- His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.
- This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
- These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
- These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes.
- Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.
- Genesis 25:18Referred to, not namedIshmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
- Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.
- …and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
- And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
- Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
- So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
- Meanwhile, Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, where an Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
- Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (For the enemies had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)
- Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.
- The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
- These are their genealogies: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
- Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
- Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
- Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.
- …the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,
- Psalm 83:8Referred to, not namedEven Assyria has joined them, lending strength to the sons of Lot. Selah
- Psalm 83:9Referred to, not namedDo to them as You did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon,
- Psalm 83:11Referred to, not namedMake their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
- Psalm 83:12Referred to, not named…who said, “Let us possess for ourselves the pastures of God.”
- Psalm 83:13Referred to, not namedMake them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind.
- Psalm 83:15Referred to, not named…so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm.
- Psalm 83:16Referred to, not namedCover their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD.
- Psalm 83:17Referred to, not namedMay they be ever ashamed and terrified; may they perish in disgrace.
- Psalm 83:18Referred to, not namedMay they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.