Abraham’s Death – Genesis 25:1-18

My son-in-law has been doing research on his and our family through Ancestry.com.  Our fascination with our families, our ancestors, stems from the very beginning of time with the promise to Adam and Eve that the seed of the woman would strike the head of the serpent.  Moses is tying up his story of Abraham, tying up loose but important ends, as he writes to the people of Israel as they travel towards Canaan to take control of it.

[1] Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. [2] She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. [3] Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. [4] The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. [5] Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. [6] But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

[7] These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. [8] Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. [9] Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, [10] the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. [11] After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

[12] These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. [13] These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, [14] Mishma, Dumah, Massa, [15] Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. [16] These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. [17] (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) [18] They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen. (Genesis 25:1–18, ESV)

Abraham likely took this wife (a concubine [v.6], a secondary wife) before Sarah died and had these children after Isaac.  The Zondervan llustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the Old Testament says of concubines: “The children of concubines did not have the status of legitimate heirs. A concubine typically brought no dowry and her children had the status of servants or slaves in the household. They were part of the inheritance rather than recipients of it. Here Abraham sends these children away, thus removing them from any presumed position of privilege; yet at the same time he gives them freedom and gifts. Giving gifts of moveable property (rather than land) would be a typical procedure used to consolidate the chief heir’s inheritance. For Abraham to provide this for these sons is unusual generosity.”  Abraham sends his children to other areas outside the land so there is no competition with Isaac.

Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham in the cave he purchased for burying Sarah.  They are united in honoring their father.  After Abraham’s death, Yahweh begins blessing Isaac as the inheritor of the promise that through Abraham all nations of the earth would be blessed.

Moses finishes explaining who Ishmael’s descendants are, 12 princes who form 12 tribes, as Jacob/Israel will.  Though we are in the habit of saying these are the ancestors of the Arabian people, they may or may not be, though they do dwell in some the lands many Arab people do today.  In fulfillment of Yahweh’s prophecy about Ishmael, Moses informs us that he “settled over against all his kinsmen.”

Israel will meet some of these descendants when they reach Canaan and during their time in that land.  They will alternately be friends and enemies.