Avraham’s and Ishmael’s Deaths
Background and Printed Text: Genesis 25:1-18
Genesis 25:1 And Father-Of-A-Crowd (Avraham) gathered. And he took a woman. And her name is Incensed (Keturah). 2And she childed to him Their-Ballad (Zimran) and He-Will-Lure-Them (Jokshan) and Their-Measure (Medan) and From-Their-Sufficiency (Midian) and He-Will-Leave-Alone (Ishbak) and He-Sank (Shuah). 3And He-Will-Lure-Them (Jokshan) childed Who-Came (Sheba) and Move-Deliberately (Dedan). And sons of Move-Deliberately (Dedan) were Their-Happiness (Asshurim) and Their-Sharpener (Letushim) and Folks (Leummim). 4And the sons of From-Their-Sufficiency (Midian) are Her-Tired-One (Ephah) and Dust (Epher) and Dedicated (Hanoch) and Father-Knew (Abida) and Mighty-One-Of-Knowledge (Eldaah). All these are sons of Incensed (Keturah).
5And Avraham gave all that is to him to Isaac. 6And Avraham gave gifts to the children of the concubines who are to Avraham. And he sent them from upon Isaac his son while he yet lives, eastward unto East Land.
7And these are the days of years of the lives of Avraham that he lived, 100 year and 70 year and five years. 8And he expired. And Avraham died in good hoariness, old and full. And he was gathered unto his peoples. 9And Isaac and Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) his sons entombed him unto cave of the Smiter-Distinguished (Machpelah) unto a field of Their-Dust (Ephron) son of He-Dazzled (Zohar) the Hot-One-ite (Hittite) who is upon the faces of Bitter-Causer (Mamre), 10the field that Avraham purchased from with the sons of Hot (Heth). He entombed Avraham there, and Princess his woman.
11And he was after Avraham died. And Elohim blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt with Well To-The-Lives Of-My-Seer.
12And these are the birthings of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) son of Avraham whom The-Sojourner (HaGar) the Egyptian, slave-woman of Princess, birthed to Avraham. 13And these are the names of the sons of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) in their names to their birthings. Firstborn of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael) is Fruitfulnesses (Nebajoth) and Dark (Kedar) and Mighty-One-Grieved (Adbeel) and From-Spice (Mibsam) 14and Proclaimer (Mishma) and Her-Silence (Dumah) and Burden (Massa), 15He-Sharpened (Hadar) and Desert (Tema), He-Will-Tour (Jetur), Re-Beinged (Naphish) and Eastward (Kedemah). 16These are the they: sons of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael). And these are their names in their courtyards and in their tiers, twelve Carriers to their folk. 17And these are years of the lives of Mighty-One-Will-Hearken (Ishmael): 100 year and 30 year and 7 years. And he expired. And he died. And he gathered unto his peoples. 18And they abode from Whirling (Havilah) unto Wall (Shur) that is upon the faces of Double-Adversity (Egypt), thy coming Wallward. He fell upon faces of all his brothers.
I. Avraham’s New Wife (verses 1-4)
Avraham desired a new wife. His choice was Keturah. She bore him six sons (daughters are not mentioned).
The Bible names many names. Those names are important.
One of the sons was named Midian. He is the father of the Midianites who later are a real problem to Israel.
Another son, Jokshan, will have two sons, Sheba and Dedan. This Sheba will become an important race and a location named after the race. The citizens of Sheba will have a queen who will be famous.
Dedan will also play a role in events later in history.
Questions
1. Why aren’t daughters always mentioned in the Bible when sons are being listed?
2. Why are names important in the Bible?
3. What information appears if the names from verse 1 through verse 4 are listed in order?
II. Avraham’s Favoritism (verses 5-6)
Avraham gave all that he had to Isaac (with the exception of gifts that he gave to children of the concubines).
Abraham also had concubines. (They are women to whom he is married, but who, by agreement, will not receive the highest status of a wife, and whose sons will not receive an inheritance with the wife’s or wives’ sons.) Avraham gave the concubines’ sons gifts, but that is all that they received from Avraham (besides training, love and rearing). When they were old enough, Avraham sent them away from Isaac. They journeyed eastward to East Land.
Questions
1. Was Avraham’s favoritism toward Isaac right? Was it fair?
2. Why would a woman desire to become a concubine?
3. Were those gifts that Avraham gave to the children of the concubines before he sent them away supposed to replace his love and affection?
4. What was in East Land?
5. Wasn’t Avraham concerned that they might become pagans, like so many in other locations, and forget the God of Avraham?
III. Avraham’s Age and Death (verses 7-10)
Avraham lived to be 175 years old. (That was not very old, considering how long Noah lived.) Yet it was a good old age for those times.
He expired (he breathed out his last breath). He had much gray hair, he was old, and full (of years).
After his death, he was gathered unto his peoples (those awaiting him in Sheol).
Both Isaac and Ishmael worked together to bury him in the same cave (Machpelah) where Princess (Sarah) was already placed. (Yehovah made sure that the text again explained that Avraham was the legitimate holder of that land by purchase.)
Questions
1. What does hoariness mean?
2. The text says that Avraham died “old and full.” Does that mean that he died after eating a good meal?
3. What does “gathered unto his peoples” mean?
4. Where is Sheol?
5. What is Sheol?
6. Is being in Sheol boring?
7. When Avraham was gathered unto his peoples, was he gathered on the Paradise side of Sheol or on the Torments side?
8. Why does the text use the word peoples instead of people?
9. Do all Black people have the same culture, and are they from one race?
10. Which two sons put Avraham in a tomb?
IV. Isaac (verse 11)
The next event was after Avraham died. Yehovah specially wrote that Elohim blessed Isaac. The well that Hagar named was his place of residence.
Questions
1. 1. What happens when Elohim blesses someone?
2. Why did Isaac choose to live by the well that HaGar named?
V. Ishmael’s Greatness (verses 12-18)
Yehovah now switches over to a description of Ishmael and his greatness. His firstborn is Nebajoth (the “j” is always pronounced like a “y” in the King James Bible). He then has eleven other sons, forming twelve tribes (like Jacob will later do).
At that time, a man moving into a new area would build a house. He might have slaves and cattle. Then, if he prospered, others would come to live around him, working for him, and a town would be born. If he greatly prospered, large buildings would be built. The town would be named after this man. This happened to Ishmael’s sons. Thus, Ishmael had no monetary disadvantage by living away from his father. Yehovah blessed him.
Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. He also breathed his last and died. He was gathered unto his peoples in Sheol.
Ishmael’s sons lived in locations from Havilah (the place of the gold in the Garden of Eden) to a city (called Shur, or Wall) facing Egypt.
When Ishmael died, he fell upon faces of all his brothers (meaning that his entire family was present). He apparently dropped dead.
Questions
1. Why does the Bible give all this information about Ishmael, since he is not in the main line that the Bible will continue to describe?
2. Was Ishmael a Believer at his death?
3. Why did Yehovah bless Ishmael if he wasn’t a believer in Yehovah?
4. Why would a city be named Wall?
5. What is so important about this city facing Egypt?
6. What does “he fell upon faces of all his brothers” mean?