Genesis 25:18

18 Yishma'el's sons lived between Havilah and Shur, near Egypt as you go toward Ashur; he settled near all his kinsmen.

Genesis 25:18 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 25:18

And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur
That is, the posterity of Ishmael, whose country reached from one place to the other; not from India to Chaluza, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; but the extent is that vast desert of Arabia, which eastward was called the wilderness of Havilah, and westward the wilderness of Shur; so that they inhabited it from east to west: that [is] before Egypt, as thou goest to Assyria;
which last place was over against Egypt, and bordered on that part where lies the way to the land of Assyria: [and] he died in the presence of all his brethren;
they being present when he died, or in peace with them, in all prosperity along with them: but since his death is spoken of before, and here the situation of his posterity, the words may be read, "it fell ^F25 in the presence of his brethren"; his lot, or the habitation of his posterity fell by lot between his brethren the Egyptians on one side of him, and the Israelites on the other; or between the sons of Keturah on the east, and the posterity of Isaac on the west.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F25 (lpn) "cecidit habitatio ipsi", Schmidt; "cecidit sors ejus", Aben Ezra, Kimchi, Ben Gersom, and Ben Melech.

Genesis 25:18 In-Context

16 These are the sons of Yishma'el, and these are their names, according to their settlements and camps, twelve tribal rulers.

17 This is how long Yishma'el lived: 137 years. Then he breathed his last, died and was gathered to his people.

18 Yishma'el's sons lived between Havilah and Shur, near Egypt as you go toward Ashur; he settled near all his kinsmen.

19 Here is the history of Yitz'chak, Avraham's son. Avraham fathered Yitz'chak.

20 Yitz'chak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, the daughter of B'tu'el the Arami from Paddan-Aram and sister of Lavan the Arami, to be his wife.