The firstborn son of Abraham through Hagar, and the traditional ancestor of many Arab peoples. Though not the child of promise, God blessed Ishmael abundantly, promising he would father twelve princes and become a great nation. He was circumcised alongside Abraham and was present at his father’s burial. Ishmael lived 137 years and his twelve sons became the heads of twelve tribal nations.
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.Genesis 17:20 · Berean Standard Bible
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. He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees…
Sarai grows impatient with God's timing and takes matters into her own hands. The consequences ripple across centuries — but God sees the woman everyone else overlooks.
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.
God changes Abram's name to Abraham — father of many. A permanent sign marks his body and his descendants forever.
But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son, and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!” Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through…
The promised son arrives — and Sarah laughs again, this time with joy. But the arrival of one son means the departure of another.
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, 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. Ishmael lived a total of…
Abraham dies. Isaac and Rebekah have twins who struggle before they're even born. The younger will carry the promise — and buy it for a bowl of stew.
Ishmael doesn't appear in the direct line from Adam to Jesus, but stands one step from it through Abraham, who does. See the whole line.
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