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.
Parallel translations
- WEB They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.
- BSB Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
- NKJV (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.
- NASB They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt going toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives.
- NLT Ishmael’s descendants occupied the region from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. There they lived in open hostility toward all their relatives.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ishmael's descendants settle across a wide region, living in tension with their kindred.
Overview
The Ishmaelites spread from Havilah to Shur, fulfilling the promise of a great nation. The note that he lived 'opposite all his relatives' recalls the angel's word that Ishmael would dwell in conflict with his kin. This both confirms God's prophecy and marks the separateness of his line from Isaac's.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Gen 16:12And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
- Gen 20:1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
- Gen 13:10And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
- Gen 21:21And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
- 2 Kgs 23:29In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
- Isa 19:23–24In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.
- Gen 14:10And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
- Gen 2:11The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
- Ps 78:64Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
- 1 Sam 15:7And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
- Gen 10:29And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
- Gen 10:7And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
- Gen 21:14And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 25:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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