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Isaac and Ishmael at Abraham's Death

Upon Abraham's death at 175 years of age, his sons Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, alongside his wife Sarah [7, 8]. This event is recorded in Genesis 25:9, stating, "And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre" [11]. The burial site, which Abraham had purchased from the Hittites, was the only piece of the land of Canaan he ever owned [8].

The presence of both sons at Abraham's burial is significant, especially given their earlier history. Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son, born to Hagar, Sarah's concubine, when Abraham was 86 years old [5, 6, 14]. Isaac, whose name means "laughter," was born to Sarah when Abraham was 100 years old [3, 4]. Early in Isaac's life, Ishmael's "rude and wayward spirit" led to mockery, prompting Sarah to demand that Abraham expel Hagar and Ishmael [6]. Abraham, guided by a divine admonition, sent them away [6]. Despite this past conflict, their joint presence at Abraham's burial suggests a reconciliation or at least a temporary cessation of hostilities [11]. John Gill notes that "though there had been a quarrel between Ishmael and Isaac, and the latter had been persecuted by the former, yet the difference was now made up" [11].

Jewish tradition, as seen in the Midrash Rabbah, interprets Ishmael's participation as an act of deference to Isaac. one tradition states, "here the maidservant’s son [Ishmael] accorded honor to the mistress’s son [Isaac, by allowing him to go first]" [12]. This interpretation highlights Isaac's status as the son of the free woman and the heir to Abraham's covenantal promises [11, 14].

After Abraham's death, God continued to bless Isaac, establishing the covenant with him [10]. Isaac subsequently dwelt by the well Lahairoi, which was near the wilderness where Ishmael lived, indicating they were not far from each other [10]. While Abraham had given "all that was his to Isaac" (Genesis 25:5), some rabbinic interpretations suggest this included the rights of a firstborn son, the power to bless, and the right to burial in the Machpelah Cave [15].

The biblical narrative briefly shifts to recount Ishmael's lineage and the fulfillment of God's promises concerning him, noting that he had twelve sons who became tribal chiefs [13]. This demonstrates that while Isaac was the primary heir of the covenant, God also remembered and blessed Ishmael [13]. The Chronicler's genealogy also lists both Isaac and Ishmael as sons of Abraham, underscoring their shared paternity [1, 2].

The burial of Abraham by both his sons is a poignant moment, marking the end of the patriarch's life and the continuation of his legacy through two distinct lines, one of covenantal promise and the other of numerous descendants. Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, records Abraham's death and burial by Isaac and Ishmael in Hebron, with Sarah [7]. The cave of Machpelah would later become the burial place for Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah, as well [9].

Sources

  1. 1 Chronicles “The sons of Abraham: Isaac, and Ishmael. -- 1 Chronicles 1:28”
  2. I Chronicles “I Chronicles 1:28 (YLT) — Sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Isaac — Laughter. (1) Israel, or the kingdom of the ten tribes (Amos 7:9, 16). (2.) The only son of Abraham by Sarah. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs (Gen. 21:1-3). He was circumcised when eight days old (4-7); and when he was probably two years old a great feast was held in connection with his being weaned. The next memorable event in his life is that connected with the command of God given to Abraham to offer him up as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Gen. 22). (See [296]ABRAHAM.) When he was forty years of age Rebekah was chosen fo”
  4. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Isaac — (laughter), the son whom Sara bore to Abraham, in the hundredth year of his age, at Gerar. (B.C. 1897.) In his infancy he became the object of Ishmael's jealousy; and in his youth the victim, in intention, of Abraham's great sacrificial act of faith. When forty years old he married Rebekah his cousin, by whom, when he was sixty, he had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Driven by famine to Gerar, he acquired great wealth by his flocks but was repeatedly dispossessed by the Philistines of the wells which he sunk at convenient stations. After the deceit by which Jacob ac”
  5. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Ishmael — (whom God hears). + The son of Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian his concubine; born when Abraham was fourscore and six years old. (Genesis 16:15,16) (B.C. 1910.) Ishmael was the first-born of his father. He was born in Abraham's house when he dwelt in the plain of Mamre; and on the institution of the covenant of circumcision, was circumcised, he being then thirteen years old (Genesis 17:26) With the institution of the covenant, God renewed his promise respecting Ishmael. He does not again appear in the narrative until the weaning of Isaac. At the great feast ma”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ishmael — God hears. (1.) Abraham's eldest son, by Hagar the concubine (Gen. 16:15; 17:23). He was born at Mamre, when Abraham was eighty-six years of age, eleven years after his arrival in Canaan (16:3; 21:5). At the age of thirteen he was circumcised (17:25). He grew up a true child of the desert, wild and wayward. On the occasion of the weaning of Isaac his rude and wayward spirit broke out in expressions of insult and mockery (21:9, 10); and Sarah, discovering this, said to Abraham, "Expel this slave and her son." Influenced by a divine admonition, Abraham dismis”
  7. Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 17, section 1: . Concerning The Death Of Abraham. A Little while after this Abraham died. He was a man of incomparable virtue, and honored by God in a manner agreeable to his piety towards him. The whole time of his life was one hundred seventy and five years, and he was buried in Hebron, with his wife Sarah, by their sons Isaac and Ismael.”
  8. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Burial — The first burial we have an account of is that of Sarah (Gen. 23). The first commercial transaction recorded is that of the purchase of a burial-place, for which Abraham weighed to Ephron "four hundred shekels of silver current money with the merchants." Thus the patriarch became the owner of a part of the land of Canaan, the only part he ever possessed. When he himself died, "his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah," beside Sarah his wife (Gen. 25:9). Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, was buried under Allon-bachuth, "the oak of weeping" (Gen.”
  9. Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 49:28: There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife,.... Abraham buried Sarah there himself, and his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried him there: there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; we have no other account of the death of Rebekah, and her burial, but here; it is probable she died before Isaac, and that Isaac buried her in this cave; and here Esau and Jacob buried him: and there I buried Leah; of whose death and burial we also read nowhere else but here; it is probable she died before Isaac, and that Isaac buried her in this cave; and here Esau and Jacob bu”
  10. Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 25:11: And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac,.... Yet more and more, both with spiritual and temporal blessings; showing hereby, that, though Abraham was dead, he was not unmindful of his covenant, which should be established with Isaac, Gen 17:19, and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi; which was near the wilderness of Beersheba and Paran, where Ishmael dwelt; so that they were not far from one another, see Gen 16:14.”
  11. Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 25:9: And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah,.... Isaac, though the younger brother, is set first, because he was born of the lawful wife of Abraham, the free woman, whereas Ishmael was born of a concubine and a bondwoman; Isaac was heir not only to Abraham's temporal estate, but of the promise made concerning the Messiah, (not so Ishmael,) and was on all accounts the greater man. It appears from hence, that, though them had been a quarrel between Ishmael and Isaac, and the latter had been persecuted by the former, yet the difference was now mad”
  12. Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit Rabbah 62:2: “Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Makhpela, in the field of Efron, son of Tzohar the Hitite, that is before Mamre” (Genesis 25:9). “Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Makhpela” – here the maidservant’s son [Ishmael] accorded honor to the mistress’s son [Isaac, by allowing him to go first]. “The field that Abraham purchased from the children of Ḥet; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife” (Genesis 25:10). “The field that Abraham purchased” – Rabbi Tanḥuma said: Were there not thirty-eight years between Sarah’s bu”
  13. Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 25:11: Immediately after the account of Abraham's death, Moses begins the story of Isaac (Gen 25:11), and tells us where he dwelt and how remarkably God blessed him. Note, The blessing of Abraham did not die with him, but survived to all the children of the promise. But he presently digresses from the story of Isaac, to give a short account of Ishmael, forasmuch as he also was a son of Abraham, and God had made some promises concerning him, which it was requisite we should know the accomplishment of. Observe here what is said, 1. Concerning his children. He had twelve ”
  14. Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 4:22: For it is written - Viz. in Gen 16:15; Gen 22:1, etc., that Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac; the one; Ishmael, by a bond maid, Hagar; the other, Isaac, by a free woman, Sarah.”
  15. Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Bereishit Rabbah 61:6: “Abraham gave all that was his to Isaac” (Genesis 25:5). “Abraham gave all that was his to Isaac” – Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda said: [He gave him] the rights of a firstborn son. 24 Even though Yishmael was older than him. Rabbi Neḥemya said: The power to bless. 25 See Bereshit Rabba 39:11. The Rabbis said: The right to burial [in the Makhpela Cave], and a will. 26 In which he bequeathed all his property to Isaac. Rabbi Ḥama said: It was not blessings that he [Abraham] bequeathed to him, but gifts. This is analogous to a king”
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