Who Were Abraham’s Sons? : In this section of the Bible, we get to know Abraham’s sons and the significance of their lineage. By looking into the Bible, we gain insights and context for a better understanding of the subject. It is noteworthy that Abraham’s sons often reaped the consequences of their father’s impatience.
Many of us know the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, where God tests Abraham’s faith in Him against his love for his son. However, Abraham also had another son named Ishmael. Initially, Abraham was meant to have only Isaac, but due to his impatience with God’s promise, he could no longer wait for the miracle. So, he and his wife devised a plan to have a child through another means. Before we learn more about Abraham’s sons, let’s first delve into his background and significance in the Bible.
Read more: What was the story of Abraham in the Bible?
فرست محتوا
Who is Abraham in the Bible?
God had a plan for Abraham and his sons to settle them in the land of Canaan (also known as the Promised Land and the Holy Land). This region, located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, was suitable for God’s chosen people, who were to be a model for the nations of the world (Deuteronomy 4:5-8).
After arriving in the Promised Land, God assured Abraham that He would give this land to Abraham’s sons (Genesis 12:7). “And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants (Abraham’s sons) forever'” (Genesis 13:14-15).
God continued, “And I will make your descendants (Abraham’s sons) as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered” (Genesis 13:16). He called him “the father of a multitude of nations” and said, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you” (Genesis 17:6).
The Unification Church notes: “At that time, these prophecies seemed absurd to Abraham because Sarah, his wife, was barren. Her barrenness played a significant role in the development of the modern Middle East.”
God promised Abraham and his sons in Genesis 15:4 that he would have an heir: “One who will come from your own body.” In her impatience, Sarah told Abraham to take her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and bear a child through her. This occurred “after Abraham had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 16:1-3).
Ishmael, One of Abraham’s Sons
“So he went into Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes” (Genesis 16:4). Fearing Sarah’s wrath, Hagar fled after becoming pregnant.
However, a heavenly message reached Hagar, instructing her to return. This message encouraged her that her son (one of Abraham’s sons) would have many descendants, although they would be in conflict with other families and nations. Genesis 16:10-12 states: “The angel added, ‘I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.'”
The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
Regarding the prophecy about Ishmael, the book “The Middle East in Bible Prophecy” states: “The divine prophetic words to Hagar still hold great significance today. The prophecy that Ishmael would be ‘a wild donkey of a man’ is not meant as an insult. The wild donkey was considered the noblest of desert creatures, often sought by hunters. This prophecy refers to how Ishmael’s sons would emulate the lifestyle of the wild donkey, living freely and nobly in the desert.
‘His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him’ also refers to this independent lifestyle. Ishmael’s descendants have always resisted foreign domination.”
Isaac, Another Son of Abraham
Fourteen years after Ishmael’s birth, God gave Abraham another son, born to his wife Sarah and considered Ishmael’s half-brother. God instructed Abraham to name their son Isaac (meaning laughter), as Abraham and Sarah laughed in disbelief when they heard the news in their old age. Isaac would bring joy and happiness to his parents (Genesis 17:17-19; Genesis 18:10-15; Genesis 21:5-6). Isaac later had a son named Jacob (also known as Israel), who became the father of the Israelites. Thus, the children of Ishmael and Isaac are cousins.
After Isaac’s birth, Sarah’s jealousy towards Hagar and Ishmael intensified, leading her to demand their departure from their home. Genesis 21:8-13 states: “So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.’
And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.
