Genesis 25:12-18

Genesis 25:12-18

[12] Now these are the generations  of Ishmael,  Abraham's  son,  whom Hagar  the Egyptian,  Sarah's  handmaid,  bare  unto Abraham:  [13] And these are the names  of the sons  of Ishmael,  by their names,  according to their generations:  the firstborn  of Ishmael,  Nebajoth;  and Kedar,  and Adbeel,  and Mibsam,  [14] And Mishma,  and Dumah,  and Massa,  [15] and Tema,  Jetur,  Naphish,  and Kedemah:  [16] These are the sons  of Ishmael,  and these are their names,  by their towns,  and by their castles;  twelve  princes  according to their nations.  [17] And these are the years  of the life  of Ishmael,  an hundred  and thirty  and seven  years:  and he gave up the ghost  and died;  and was gathered  unto his people.  [18] And they dwelt  from Havilah  unto Shur,  that is before  Egypt,  as thou goest  toward Assyria:  and he died  in the presence  of all his brethren. 

What does Genesis 25:12-18 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

"The last four toledot sections of the Book of Genesis follow a definite pattern: the lines in each generation that are not chosen lines are traced before the narrative returns to the chosen line." [1]
This section records God"s faithfulness to His promises to make Ishmael a great nation and to give him many descendants ( Genesis 16:10; Genesis 21:18). This is another of the10 family histories that Genesis records (see the outline in the introduction to these notes). There is probably an intentional parallel with the10 nations mentioned in the Table of Nations (ch10) suggesting that God would bless all the families of the earth through other special families.
These verses show that God fulfilled His promises regarding Ishmael ( Genesis 16:10-12; Genesis 17:20). Ishmael, like Nahor and Jacob, fathered12sons. Moses drew his personal history to a conclusion before he moved on to concentrate on his brother Isaac.
"The mention of "twelve tribal rulers" ... recalls the word of the Lord regarding the future of the line of Ishmael from Genesis 17:20, where it was promised that he too would be blessed and that "twelve rulers" ... would be born to him and become a great nation." [2]
The Ishmaelites lived in Arabia. Arabia lay to the southeast of Canaan and extended from the Euphrates River to the Red Sea. [3] Probably the Ishmaelites were once a confederation of tribes like the Israelites.
"The names of the twelve princes descending from Ishmael are applied not only to tribal divisions but also to geographical localities (cf. Genesis 25:16)." [4]
Ishmael died at137 years, having lived48 years after Abraham"s death. The writer probably included the fact that Ishmael lived "in defiance of all his relations" ( Genesis 25:18) to show the fulfillment of God"s prediction to Hagar (cf. Genesis 16:12). The bedouin-like Ishmaelites later had many conflicts with their more settled Israelite relations.
God is faithful to His promises to bless whom He has promised to bless.