Meaning of ISHMAEL

"God hears."
(a) Son of Abraham and Hagar, the Egyptian slave. He was born when Abraham, 86 years old, had already spent ten years in Canaan (Gen. 16: 3,15; cf. Gen. 12: 4).

Ishmael is the son of carnal wisdom, not of faith. He is the son of a father who, faced with the promise of God, allows himself to be blinded by the apparent impossibilities and strives to obtain, by human means, the result of the promise.

When circumcision was instituted for Abraham's family, Ishmael was 13 years old (Gen. 17:25). The following year Isaac was born, when his mother was already past the age of having children. He was the son of promise and God's answer to the doubts of his parents (Gen. 21:5).

During Isaac's weaning party, Ishmael was noted for his mocking attitude. For the first time in the family of Abraham, he who had been born of the flesh and unbelief, he mocked the heir of the promise.

The apostle Paul shows this event as an allegory (Gal. 4:22-31). This behavior by Ismael led to his and his mother's expulsion. They wandered through the desert of Beersheba, where they almost died of thirst.

The angel of the Lord directed Hagar to a fountain of water, which saved both their lives. Ishmael grew and became strong in the desert of Paran, south of Canaan, living off his life.

Ishmael married an Egyptian woman (Gen. 21:3-21). He was the father of twelve princes, according to God's promise to Abraham (Gen. 17:20; 25: 12-16). He also had a daughter, who became Esau's wife (Gen. 28:9; 36:10). Ishmael and Isaac buried their father Abraham together (Gen. 25:9).
Ishmael died at 137 years of age (Gen. 25:17).

(b) Descendant of Jonathan (1 Chr. 8:38; 9:44).

(c) High official with judicial powers, father of Zebadiah (1 Chr. 19:11).

(d) Son of Johanan; he participated in the conspiracy that brought down Athaliah (2 Chr. 23:1).

(e) A member of the royal house of Judah, he killed Gedaliah, the governor Nebuchadnezzar had placed over Judea after the fall of Jerusalem, after gaining his trust. After several incidents, he managed to reach the country of the Ammonites, who had induced him to commit these crimes (2 Kings 25:25; Jer. 40: 7-16; 41: 1-18).

(f) Son of Pasur; Ezra persuaded him to send away his foreign wife (Ezra 10:22).