Genesis 25:18

18 His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt stretching toward Assyria. They often attacked the descendants of his brothers.

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.

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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 were Ishmael's sons, and these are the names of the tribal leaders listed according to their settlements and camps.

17 Ishmael lived one hundred thirty-seven years and then breathed his last breath and died.

18 His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt stretching toward Assyria. They often attacked the descendants of his brothers.

19 This is the family history of Isaac. Abraham had a son named Isaac.

20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, who came from Northwest Mesopotamia. She was Bethuel's daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean.