What Can We Learn from the Ishmaelites in the Bible?
- Lori Stanley Roeleveld Contributing Writer
- Updated May 29, 2024
Who were the Ishmaelites, and what, if anything, can we learn from them? Does God only teach lessons through the Israelites who descended from Abraham and Sarah’s promised son, Isaac, or does He also speak through the children of Abraham’s first son?
Who Founded the Ishmaelites?
The Ishmaelites are a tribe descending from Ishmael, Abraham’s first son, born of Sarah’s Egyptian servant girl, Hagar.
Abraham and Sarah had spent decades hoping and praying for a child, but none came. When they were well past childbearing age, God promised Abraham that his offspring would outnumber the stars (Genesis 15:1-6). In Genesis 16, however, we read that since Sarah had been unable to conceive, she determined the best course was to have Hagar lie with Abraham. If Hagar bore a child, Sarah would claim that child as her own, a form of surrogacy. The Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archeology suggests there’s evidence that this practice was common in Mesopotamian cultures.
When Hagar conceived, she treated Sarah badly. Sarah returned the favor by treating Hagar poorly. Hagar wasn’t willing to suffer abuse, so she ran away into the wilderness. Unfortunately, the wilderness was not safe for her or her unborn child.
The Lord spoke with Hagar in the wilderness. A unique story in Genesis 16: 9-12 explains what happened when God spoke to Hagar (here as translated in the ESV):
“The angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Return to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel of the Lord also said to her, ‘I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.’ And the angel of the Lord said to her,
‘Behold, you are pregnant
and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
his hand against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.’”
There is no record that Hagar suffered further maltreatment when she returned to Abraham and Sarah. It’s possible that she recounted her meeting with the angel of the Lord (since her child was indeed called Ishmael), and knowing that this child had a promised future influenced her and Sarah to behave differently.
When Ishmael was 14, things changed. Isaac, the child God had promised, was born to Abraham and Sarah. As Isaac grew older, Sarah worried about the threat Ishmael posed to Abraham’s second-born, and she asked Abraham to send Ishmael away. Abraham was reluctant to part with his first-born son, but God told him to listen to Sarah and promised He would make a nation of Ishmael (Genesis 21:12-13).
We learn in Genesis 21:20-21 that “God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.”
Did Ishmael and Isaac Meet Again as Adults?
The record is silent on whether or not Ishmael ever visited with Abraham or his brother as they both grew, but we do know the brothers came together to bury Abraham when he died.
Sarah pre-deceased Abraham when she was 127. He buried her east of Mamre in a cave in Machpelah’s field, which he had purchased from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23). This is where the brothers also laid Abraham to rest.
Genesis 25:9 records that Isaac and Ishmael buried their father in the cave of Machpelah. Since Abraham was 175 when he died and 100 when Isaac was born, it makes sense that Isaac was around 75 or 76, and Ishmael was closing in on 90. This is the only record we have of them meeting as adults, but they were both of an age where they would have maturity and plenty of warriors to offer each other protection.
Where Did the Ishmaelites Settle?
Isaac was the son of promise, and the Israelites derived from Isaac’s son, Jacob (later named Israel), and his 12 sons. Abraham, however, had Ishmael by Hagar, and twelve tribes came from his twelve sons.
Genesis 25:13-15 lists the names of Ishmael’s 12 sons as: “Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.” Ishmael and his sons lived from Havilah to Shur—east of Egypt, toward Assyria.
The Ishmaelites were likely nomadic, as were many tribes in this desert area.
Abraham also had children with a wife named Keturah after Sarah’s death. However, while he was living, he sent all of these sons by Keturah away from Isaac so they could also live in the East. One of Keturah’s sons is named Midian, and it seems likely that the Ishmaelites and Keturah’s children met and intermarried. The terms Ishmaelites and Midianites are often used interchangeably in Old Testament accounts, as in Genesis 39:1, which suggests they share similar traits, traditions, and territory.
Did the Ishmaelites Ever Fight the Israelites?
The politics and tensions of the Middle East were as complex in ancient times as they are today. Many nations derive their lineage from Abraham, but while the Israelites remained together, the others were scattered and often intermarried. Just as individuals were known by more than one name (Gideon was also known as Jerubbaal, Jacob was known as Israel), so were tribes and nations.
In Judges 6, we learn that the people of the land of Midian were oppressing the Israelites. God raised Gideon to lead an army against them. God kept reducing the size of Gideon’s army until it was only 300 warriors, so when they defeated the Midianites, Israel could not claim to have defeated them under their own power. It would be clear the Living God saved them.
In Judges 8:24, the defeated tribe is identified as Ishmaelites because of their gold earrings—apparently not a common practice in Israel. The Israelites asked Gideon to rule them, but he insisted that God rule them. He requested that they give him all the gold earrings they collected from the Ishmaelites and the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple garments, which were their spoils of war. This gives us a peek into Ishmaelite culture. Judges 8:28 says that Gideon had subdued the people of the land of Midian, and they “raised their heads no more,” meaning they were no longer a threat to Israel at that time.
What Lessons Can We Take from the Ishmaelites?
The Old Testament does not mention a definitive final ending for the Ishmaelites, but we can learn much from their beginning.
First, God remains at work even when people stray from His plan. Sarah and Abraham involved Hagar in what God said He would handle. In the aftermath, all three of them behaved badly, but God not only kept His promise but also made an additional promise to Hagar regarding her son. Human decisions certainly made life more complicated and difficult for everyone, but God continued to work.
Second, God keeps His promises. God didn’t just say words to Hagar to get her to return to Abraham and Sarah; He followed through and created nations from Hagar’s son. God’s Word can always be trusted, and He follows through on His promises.
Finally, while Ishmael was a detour for Abraham and Sarah, God still provided for Him. God knew Ishmael in Hagar’s womb, called him by name, and determined his future. He knows us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139), no matter the circumstances of our conception or birth. He calls us by name and determines a plan for our future that we will find as we seek Him.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/Elena-studio
This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul.
4 Things You May Not Know About Abraham in the Bible
20 Facts You May Not Know About Moses from the Bible
Who Was Mary Magdalene in the Bible?
Who Were the 12 Disciples of Jesus?
Who Was Isaiah & Why Was He Important?
