And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
20. as for Ishmael, I have heard thee ] This verse contains the reply to Abraham’s spoken words in Gen 17:18. “I have heard thee” contains a reference to the meaning of the name “Ishmael” = “God hears.” See note on Gen 16:11.
twelve princes ] Recorded in Gen 25:13-16. As in the family of Israel, so also in that of Ishmael, the number “twelve” symbolizes the distribution and organization of a people under responsible leaders, and represents ancient usage.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 20. Twelve princes shall he beget, &c.] See the names of these twelve princes, Ge 25:12-16. From Ishmael proceeded the various tribes of the Arabs, called also Saracens by Christian writers. They were anciently, and still continue to be, a very numerous and powerful people. “It was somewhat wonderful, and not to be foreseen by human sagacity,” says Bishop Newton, “that a man’s whole posterity should so nearly resemble him, and retain the same inclinations, the same habits, and the same customs, throughout all ages! These are the only people besides the Jews who have subsisted as a distinct people from the beginning, and in some respects they very much resemble each other
1. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are descended from Abraham, and both boast of their descent from the father of the faithful.
2. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are circumcised, and both profess to have derived this ceremony from Abraham.
3. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, had originally twelve patriarchs, who were their princes or governors.
4. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, marry among themselves, and in their own tribes.
5. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are singular in several of their customs, and are standing monuments to all ages of the exactness of the Divine predictions, and of the veracity of Scripture history.
We may with more confidence believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ishmael when we see them verified in their posterity at this day. This is having, as it were, ocular demonstration for our faith.” See Bp. Newton’s Second Dissertation on the Prophecies, and See Clarke on Ge 16:12.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Have heard thee, to wit, in part, or so far as is here expressed; and probably, as to the chief blessing of the covenant, to wit, the forgiveness of his sins, and eternal life, as the Hebrew doctors and some others collect from Gen 25:17, and from other considerations.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee, c, Took notice of his prayer for him, and accepted of and would answer him, and did, as follows:
behold, I have blessed him determined in his mind to bless him, promised to bless him, Ge 16:10; had blessings laid up and in reserve for him:
and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; as he did, many of the Arabian nations, the Hagarenes, Saracens, and Turks, all springing from him:
twelve princes shall he beget; whose names are given, Ge 25:13; and their number there exactly agrees with this prophecy. Melo s, the Heathen writer above mentioned, says, that Abraham, of his other wife, the Egyptian servant (that is, Hagar), begat twelve sons, which he mistakes for twelve sons of Ishmael, his son by Hagar; and, adds he, these going into Arabia, divided the country among them, and were the first that reigned over the inhabitants of it; hence down to our times the kings of the Arabians have twelve names like to those. So the Saracens were divided into twelve tribes, of which there were so many “phylarchi”, or governors; and the Turks also are divided into the same number of tribes t. And
I will make him a great nation; as the nation of the Turks especially is; and the Turkish empire is frequently called in Jewish writings the kingdom of Ishmael, as the Arabic language is called the Ishmaelitish language.
s Apud. Euseb. ut supra. (Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 19. p. 421.) t Vid. Vales. Not. in Ammian. Marcellin. l. 24. p. 283.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
20. And as for Ishmael. He here more clearly discriminates between the two sons of Abraham. For in promising to the one wealth, dignity, and other things pertaining to the present life, he proves him to be a son according to the flesh. But he makes a special covenant with Isaac, which rises above the world and this frail life: not for the sake of cutting Ishmael off from the hope of eternal life, but in order to teach him that salvation is to be sought from the race of Isaac, where it really dwells. We infers however, from this passage, that the holy fathers were by no means kept down to earth, by the promises of God, but rather were borne upwards to heaven. For God liberally and profusely promises to Ishmael whatever is desirable with respect to this earthly life: and yet He accounts as nothing all the gifts He confers on him, in comparison with the covenant which was to be established in Isaac. It therefore follow, that neither wealth, nor power, nor any other temporal gift, is promised to the sons of the Spirit, but an eternal blessing, which is possessed only by hope, in this world. Therefore, however we may now abound in delights, and in all good things, our happiness is still transient, unless by faith we penetrate into the celestial kingdom of God, where a greater and higher blessing is laid up for us.
It is however asked, whether Abraham had respect only to this earthly life when he prayed for his son? For this the Lord seems to intimate, when he declares that he had granted what Abraham asked, and yet only mentions the things we have recorded. But it was not God’s design to fulfill the whole wish of Abraham on this point; only he makes it plain that he would have some respect to Ishmael, for whom Abraham had entreated; so as to show that the fathers prayer had not been in vain. For he meant to testify that he embraced Abraham with such love, that, for his sake, he had respect to his whole race, and dignified it with peculiar benefits.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
20. Ishmael, I have heard Allusion to the meaning of the name, God will hear . See Gen 16:11, note .
Twelve princes See Gen 25:12-16.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 17:20. As for Ishmael, I have heard thee, &c. The Lord is pleased to repeat to Abraham what he had promised Hagar before concerning Ishmael; namely, that he would make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; see notes on ch. Gen 16:10. He is pleased, more particularly, to add, twelve princes shall he beget: a very extraordinary circumstance, as the Bishop of Bristol observes; but it was punctually fulfilled; and Moses hath given us the names of these twelve princes, or heads of tribes, ch. Gen 25:12-16. Strabo frequently mentions the Arabian phylarchs, as he denominates them, or rulers of tribes: and Melo, quoted by Eusebius, relates, that “Abraham, of his AEgyptian wife, begat twelve sons, (he should have said one son, who begat twelve sons,) who, departing into Arabia, divided the region between them, and were the first kings of the inhabitants; whence, even to our days, the Arabians have twelve kings of the same names as the first;” and ever since, the people have been governed by phylarchs, and have lived in tribes, and still continue to do so, as Thevenot and other modern travellers testify.
I will make him a great nation This is repeated twice or thrice; and it was accomplished as soon as, in the regular course of nature, it could be accomplished. His seed, in process of time, grew up into a great nation, and such they continued for several ages, and such they continue to this day. They might indeed emphatically be styled a great nation, when the Saracens had made those rapid and extensive conquests, and erected one of the largest empires that ever was in the world. Who, continues the Bishop, can fairly lay all these particulars concerning Ishmael together, and not perceive the hand of God, in that whole affair, from the beginning to the end? None but God could describe so exactly the genius and manners, not only of a single person before he was born, but of a whole people, from the first founder of the race to the present time. It was somewhat wonderful, and not to be foreseen by human sagacity, that a man’s whole posterity should so nearly resemble him, and retain the same inclinations, the same habits, the same customs, throughout all ages. These are the only people, besides the Jews, who have subsisted as a distinct people from the beginning; and in some respects they very much resemble each other. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are descended from Abraham, and both boast of their descent from that father of the faithful. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are circumcised, and both profess to have derived that ceremony from Abraham. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, had originally twelve patriarchs, or heads of tribes, who were their princes or governors. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, marry among themselves, and in their own tribes. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are singular in several of their customs, and are standing monuments to all ages of the exactness of the Divine predictions, of the veracity of Scripture history. We may, if possible, with more confidence, believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ishmael, when we see them verified in their posterity at this day. This is having, as it were, ocular demonstration for our faith.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
Abraham made haste and delayed not. See Psa 119:60 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 17:20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Ver. 20. And us for Ishmael, I have heard thee. ] Faithful prayer may have anything at God’s hands. It is but ask and have, with Abraham. As Zedekiah said to his courtiers glossingly, God saith to his servants seriously, The King can deny you nothing. Let this encourage us to pray for ourselves and children; for by prayer we may take out of God’s treasury, plentiful mercy for ourselves and ours.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I have heard. Showing the subject of Abraham’s prayer.
exceedingly. Figure of speech Epizeuxis (greatly greatly).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I have blessed: Gen 16:10-12
twelve: Gen 25:12-18
and I: Gen 21:13, Gen 21:18
Reciprocal: Gen 1:28 – General Gen 13:16 – General Gen 16:15 – Ishmael Gen 17:6 – nations Gen 21:9 – Sarah Gen 21:20 – God Gen 25:16 – twelve Gen 48:19 – I know it Lev 26:9 – make you Psa 107:38 – He blesseth Rom 4:17 – I have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 17:20. As for Ishmael, I have heard thee; I have blessed him That is, I have many blessings in store for him. 1st, His posterity shall be numerous: I will multiply him exceedingly. 2d, They shall be considerable: twelve princes shall he beget. We may charitably hope that spiritual blessings also were bestowed upon him, though the visible church was not brought out of his loins.