Abraham’s Other Descendants

Genesis 25:1-18

Isaac married and moved to Lahairoi about ten years after Sarah died. Abraham had apparently maintained contact with his son, Ishmael during the intervening years but there was no meaningful relationship with Hagar. After more than ten years alone, Abraham decided to remarry.

“Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.” (Genesis 25:1-4)

Abraham lived forty five years after Sarah’s death and had six son’s by his wife, Keturah,, and lived to see many of his grandchildren. The best known of this group is Midian, the father of the Middianites.

“And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.” (Genesis 25:5-6)

Isaac was the son God had promised, and of Abraham’s beloved first wife Sarah. Most of God’s promises were for Isaac, although some applied to the other descendants simply because they were Abraham’s children. Abraham avoided future squabbles over how his estate was to be divided by dividing it among his children before his death. As the promised son, the son of his beloved Sarah, and the one who oversaw his father’s business, Isaac received the bulk of the estate, but Ishmael and each of Keturah’s sons received a large bequest.

“And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.” (Genesis 25:7-10)

A hundred years after moving to Canaan, Abraham died, having established a strong presence in the land. He was buried by Isaac and Ishmael, in the cave he had purchased as a burying place for Sarah forty five years before, having had a long and full life. The focus of God’s blessing then turned to Isaac.

“And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.” (Genesis 25:11)

Although the primary focus shifted to Isaac, God did not forget his promise to Abraham about Ishmael.

“Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 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, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.” (Genesis 25:12-16)

Hagar had taken an Egyptian woman to be Ishmaels wife according to Genesis 21:21. She produced twelve sons, each of which formed a tribe of their own. They lived in an area stretching from the edge of Egypt across the Sinai to the north western region of the Arab peninsula, fulfilling God’s prophecy that they would live in the wilderness. Several Arab tribes still trace their lineage back to Ishmael.

Some modern day Palestinians claim Abraham as their predecessor while others claim to be descended from the Philistines or Canaanite tribes.. It is probable that they are the results of the intermingling of Keturah’s descendants and the Philistine and Canaanite tribes.

“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. 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.” (Genesis 25:17-18)

Relationships between Ishmael, Isaac and Keturah’s sons seem to have been fairly amicable, with all the brothers gathering at his deathbed. Ishmael lived about twenty nine years after Abraham died, so Isaac’s sons, Jacob and Esau, were about forty five when he died.