Genesis 25:18

18 And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite to Egypt, as one goes towards Assyria. He settled before the face of all his brethren.

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 Ishmael, and these are their names, in their hamlets and their encampments -- twelve princes of their peoples.
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael: a hundred and thirty-seven years; and he expired and died, and was gathered to his peoples.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite to Egypt, as one goes towards Assyria. He settled before the face of all his brethren.
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot Isaac.
20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or 'died.' Lit. 'fell;' and see ch. 16.12.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.