Genesis 25:1-23

I.                Abraham Remarries (Genesis 25:1-4)

A.     Genesis 25:1 – Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name [was] Keturah.

1.      Keturah - קטורה Qĕtuwrah, "incense"

2.      Keturah was likely a Canaanite servant from his own house.

·        Jasher 25:1 – And it was at that time that Abraham again took a wife in his old age, and her name was Keturah, from the land of Canaan.

3.      She must have been significantly younger than Abraham

4.      Abraham required Isaac to marry a wife from his own people, but he took a wife from among the Canaanites.  Likely a servant from among his household, we know from previous chapters that Abraham instructed his household in the ways of the Lord so its likely that Keturah was a believer in the Lord.

5.      Could this paint a picture that God after the marriage of His Son that He is unified to the nations not just one nation

B.     Genesis 25:2 – And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

1.      Zimran – זמרן Zimran, "musician"

2.      Jokshan – יקשן Yoqshan, "snarer"

3.      Medan – מדן Mĕdan, "contention"

4.      Midian – מדין Midyan, "strife"

·        Both Medan and Midian are mixed up with Ishmeal their half-brother in several places in scripture lending the reader to believe that they integrated with each other.

5.      Ishbak – ישבק Yishbaq, "he releases"

6.      Shuah – שוח Shuwach, "wealth"

C.     Genesis 25:3 – And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

1.      Jokshan

·        Sheba – שבא Shĕba', "seven" or "an oath", progenitor of a nation of southern Arabia, we are familiar with the Queen of Sheba who had a relationship with Soloman. See 1 Kings Chapter 10 and 2 Chronicles Chapter 9

·        Dedan – דדן Dĕdan, "low country"

o       Asshurim – אשורי 'Ashuwriy, "guided: blessed" or “steps”

o       Letushim – לטושם Lĕtuwshim, "hammered"

o       Leummim – לאמים Lĕ'ummiym, "peoples"

D.    Genesis 25:4 – And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these [were] the children of Keturah.

1.      Midian

·        Ephah – עיפה `Eyphah, "gloomy"

·        Epher – עפר `Epher, "a calf"

·        Hanoch –  חנוך Chanowk,"dedicated" also translated Enoch

·        Abida – אבידע 'Abiyda`,"my father knows"

·        Eldaah – אלדעה 'Elda`ah, "God has known"

II.             Abraham Dies (Genesis 25:5-11)

A.     Genesis 25:5 – And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

1.      As expected from his servant

2.      Obligated to do this as that is what was spoken to Rebekah to gain her hand in marriage

3.      Just as God the Father placed all that He has under the subjection of His Son Jesus

B.     Genesis 25:6 – 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.

1.      Concubines - פילגש piylegesh, concubine, paramour.  Interesting that Hagar and Keturah are referred to as concubines here, they are referred to as wives previously.

2.      Keturah was possibly Abraham’s concubine before he married her.

3.      Abraham blessed all of his sons with gifts, but clearly the majority of his wealth went to Isaac

C.     Genesis 25:7 – And these [are] the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

1.      175 years

2.      Isaac was 75 years old at Abraham’s death, he lives to be 180 or 105 more years

3.      Isaac was 60 years old when Esau and Jacob were born (Genesis 25:26) so they were 120 years old when he died

4.      Abraham was 160 years old when Jacob and Esau were born; they were 15 years old at Abraham’s death, Jacob/Israel lived to be 147 years old

5.      Shem is 565 years old, he lives to be 600 or 35 more years

6.      ~467 years after the flood

D.    Genesis 25:8 – 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.

1.      full - שבע sabea`, satisfied

2.      “gave up the ghost” - גוע gava`, to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die

3.      Note that the words “of years” were added by the translators, with this the meaning is somewhat lost in that even though 175 is full of years by today’s standards, it that day we are only a few generations of men living to 600 years old.  This word full is referring to the life that Abraham lived a satisfying life a “full” life.

4.      “gathered to his people” – Abraham, Ishmael – Genesis 25:17, Isaac -  35:29, Jacob 49:33, Aaron – Numbers 20:24, Moses - Deuteronomy 32:50

·        What does this phrase mean?

·        Does not mean buried with his people because only Sarah was buried at Machpelah. 

·        Hebrews 11:13-15 – These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.   But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

o       Abraham was gathered to his people in that BETTER country.

·        Matthew 22:32 - I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

o       If God is the God of the living and also the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that would be a good indication that Abraham is living and not dead.

·        Appears clear that there was a conceptual understanding of an afterlife and that the author communicates to us that there were communities gathering in some fashion after physical death.

E.     Genesis 25:9 – 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;

1.      Last time we see Isaac and Ishmael come together

2.      Ishmael is ~90 years old, Isaac is 75

3.      This was a 1-2 day journey, about half way to Moriah (Jerusalem)

F.     Genesis 25:10 – The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

1.      The first of the 3 patriarchal couples buried at Machpelah

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

1.      Back to the same well where Isaac was waiting for Rebekah after his mother’s death

2.      Lahairoi - באר לחי ראי Bĕ'er la-Chay Ro'iy, "well of the Living One seeing me"

III.          The Generations of Ishmael (Genesis 25:12-18)

A.     Genesis 25:12– Now these [are] the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:

B.     Genesis 25:13– 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,

1.      Nebajoth – נביות Nĕbayowth, "heights", people descended from 1 called the Nabateans with their capital at Petra

2.      Kedar – קדר Qedar, "dark" or “black skinned man”

3.      Adbeel – אדבאל 'Adbĕ'el,  "chastened of God"

4.      Mibsam – מבשם Mibsam, "sweet odour"

C.     Genesis 25:14– And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

1.      Mishma – משמע Mishma`, "a hearing"

2.      Dumah –דומה Duwmah,  "silence"

3.      Massa – משא Massa', "burden"

D.    Genesis 25:15– Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

1.      Hadar – חדר Chadar, "honour"

2.      Tema – תימא Teyma', "desert"

3.      Jetur – יטור Yĕtuwr, "enclosed"

4.      Naphish – נפיש Naphiysh, "refreshment"

5.      Kedemah – קדמה Qedĕmah, "original"

E.     Genesis 25:16– These [are] the sons of Ishmael, and these [are] their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.

1.      Note that Ishmael had 12 sons, like both Nahor, and the future Jacob

2.      Castles - טירה tiyrah, encampment, battlement

3.      Twelve – Denotes Governmental Perfection, the number or factor of all numbers connected with government: whether by tribes, apostles, measurements of time or things that have to do with heaven in heaven and earth.

F.     Genesis 25:17– 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.

1.      Isaac was about 122 years old when Ishmael died

2.      About 47 years after Abraham’s death

3.      Jacob and Esau would have been about 62 years old

4.      Note here that it does not say that Ishmael was “full” possibly indicating that though he seemed very old he did not go willingly or his life was lacking something

G.    Genesis 25:18– 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.

1.      Havilah – חוילה Chaviylah, "circle", a district in Arabia of the Ishmaelites named from the 2nd son of Cush; probably the district of Kualan, in the northwestern part of Yemen

2.      Shur – שור Shuwr, "wall", a place southwest of Palestine on the eastern border or within the border of Egypt; the Israelites passed through the wilderness of Shur after crossing the Red Sea

3.      Brethren - אח 'ach, brother, half-brother, relative, kinship, same tribe

IV.          The Generations of Isaac (Genesis 25:19-27)

A.     Genesis 25:19– And these [are] the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:

B.     Genesis 25:20– And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

1.      Syrian, by geography, we know neither Bethuel nor Laban were Syrian by birth

2.      Padanaram - פדן Paddan, "field"

C.     Genesis 25:21– And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she [was] barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

1.      Verse 26 shows that Isaac was 60 years old at the twins birth, she was barren for 20 years.  Isaac intreated the Lord for 20 years!

2.      Unlike his father Abraham and his son Jacob, Isaac never had a relationship with a hand-maid or concubine.  Isaac demonstrates his love for his wife in this way.

3.      Notice a trend, Sarah was barren and gave birth late in life, Rebekah is barren and conceives with prayer, later we see that Rachel, Jacob’s wife also has difficulty with conception.

D.    Genesis 25:22– And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

1.      When something seems out of sorts what does Rebekah do? Takes it to the Lord

2.      Do we take our questions to the Lord expecting an answer?

E.     Genesis 25:23– And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

1.      Romans 9:10-13 - And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac; (For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

·        Hated - μισέω miseō,

1) to hate, pursue with hatred, detest

2) to be hated, detested

2.      What nations did these two become?

·        Jacob à Israel

o       Is this the same Israel of today?

o       Partially, there is only two tribes represented today those being Judah and Benjamin, the other tribes were carried away by Assyria, never to return.

o       Judah/Benjamin were carried away by Babylon and returned to Judea under Cyrus of Persia in order to rebuild the temple.

·        Esau à Edom

·        What became of Edom?

·        Edom means red

3.      Did God really hate Esau before he was born?  Paul is referring to this passage here in Genesis for all but v. 13 in which he quotes the prophet Malachi:

·        Malachi 1:2-3 – I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? [Was] not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

·        Hated - שנא sane', to hate, be hateful

·        In this passage it makes no reference to Esau’s birth, but God is speaking of the nations that sprung from Jacob and Esau.

·        When taken in the appropriate context of what Paul is quoting it does not appear that the hate that God had for Esau was prior to his birth as many scholars suggest. 
·        Does not say God hated Esau while he was still in the womb, this  inference has been made by men.