Introduction
Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar, Abraham's firstborn son, though the covenant promise is specifically carried forward through Isaac rather than him. God nonetheless promised that Ishmael too would father a great nation, a promise Genesis records as fulfilled through his twelve sons.
This article follows the biblical account in Genesis. Where later Jewish, Christian or Islamic tradition adds detail not found in the text itself, the article identifies it as such.
Family
- Father: Abraham
- Mother: Hagar
- Sons: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, Kedemah
- Siblings: Isaac, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah
Birth and promise
Before Ishmael's birth, an angel told the pregnant Hagar that her son would be "a wild ass of a man", with his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, yet living "at odds with all his kin". After his birth, and again at his expulsion with Hagar into the wilderness, God promised that Ishmael would become a great nation because he was Abraham's offspring.
Circumcision and expulsion
Ishmael was thirteen years old when Abraham circumcised him as part of the covenant sign, before Isaac's birth. After Isaac was born and weaned, tension in the household led to Hagar and Ishmael's expulsion, though God's provision preserved them in the wilderness.
Sons and death
Genesis 25:12-16 lists Ishmael's twelve sons, described as "princes" over their tribes and settlements, "from Havilah to Shur, opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria". Ishmael lived to 137 years, and the text records that he and Isaac buried their father Abraham together at Machpelah, suggesting some reconciliation between the half-brothers despite their earlier family conflict.