Genesis 25:6

6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

Genesis 25:6 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 25:6

But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had
These were Hagar and Keturah, though they are both called his wives, ( Genesis 16:3 ) ( 25:1 ) ; yet they were concubines; so Keturah, ( 1 Chronicles 1:32 ) ; they were, as some render the word, "concubine wives" F5; they were half wives or secondary ones: the Jewish writers say that they were espoused, but not by writing, as wives were; they were under the lawful wife, when there were any, and a kind of head servants in the family, and their children did not inherit; now the sons of the concubines of Abraham were Ishmael by Hagar, and the six above mentioned by Keturah: to these

Abraham gave gifts;
money, gold and silver, of which he had plenty: the Targum of Jonathan calls them substance and movable goods; by this it appears, that though he had sent Ishmael away without anything, yet he afterwards remembered him, and gave him a portion with the rest of the children of his, concubines:

and sent them away from Isaac his son;
that they might not be troublesome to him and his family; and that there, might be no contention among them about inheriting the land of Canaan given to him and his seed: and this Abraham did

while he yet lived;
or otherwise after his death a separation would not have been easily made; but his authority had weight with them: and they were sent by him

eastward, into the east country;
into Arabia, and the parts thereabout, which lay east from the place where Abraham was; these are the children of the east, mentioned along with the Midianites, who sprung from Keturah, ( Judges 6:3 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (Myvglyph) "concubinarum uxorum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Genesis 25:6 In-Context

4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.
6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.
7 This is the length of Abraham's life, one hundred seventy-five years.
8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.