Genesis 25:14

14 And Mishma and Dumah and Massa,

Genesis 25:14 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 25:14

And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa.
] Of Mishma and Massa, and of their posterity, there is not anything said elsewhere, unless the Masani, Ptolemy ^F16 places near Arabia Felix, came from Massa. Dumah seems to be the same Isaiah speaks of in ( Genesis 21:11 ) ; and in Arabia Deserta, where some of Ishmael's posterity settled, is a place called Dumaetha, by Ptolemy ^F17, which perhaps had its name from this son of his. The Targum of Jonathan translates these three names,

``hearing, silence, and patience;''

which the Jews use as a proverb, when they would signify that there are some things to be heard and not spoken of, and to be patiently borne. If Ishmael had in view to teach such lessons by the names he gave his children, he will seem to be a better man than he is usually thought to be.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Georaph. l. 16. p. 528. 534. 536.
F17 lbid.

Genesis 25:14 In-Context

12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, whose mother was Hagar the Egyptian, the servant of Sarah:

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their generations: Ishmael's first son was Nebaioth; then Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam

14 And Mishma and Dumah and Massa,

15 Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:

16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names in their towns and their tent-circles; twelve chiefs with their peoples.