Genesis 25:15 Komentář

The sacred historian, in this chapter, I. Takes his leave of Abraham, with an account, I. Of his children by another wife (Gen 25:1-4). 2. Of his last will and testament (Gen 25:5, Gen 25:6). 3. Of his age, death, and burial (Gen 25:7-10). II. He takes his leave of Ishmael, with a short account, 1. Of his children (Gen 25:12-16). 2. Of his age and death (Gen 25:17, Gen 25:18). III. He enters upon the history of Isaac. 1. His prosperity (Gen 25:11). 2. The conception and birth of his two sons, with the oracle of God concerning them (Gen 25:19-26). 3. Their different characters (Gen 25:27, Gen 25:28). 4. Esau's selling his birthright to Jacob (Gen 25:29-34).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 25 This chapter contains an account of Abraham's marriage with another woman, and of the children he had by her and of their posterity Gen 25:1; of Abraham's disposal of his substance; and his sons, Gen 25:5; of the years of his life, his death and burial, Gen 25:7; of the children of Ishmael, and of the years of his life, and of his death, Gen 25:12; and of the sons of Isaac the fruit of prayer, and of the oracle concerning them before they were born, and of their temper and disposition, conduct and behaviour, Gen 25:19.

Hadar and Tema,.... From the first of these the city Adra in Arabia Petraea, and from the other the city Themma in Arabia Deserta, both mentioned by Ptolemy (r), may be thought to have their names; or the city Adari and the Athritae in Arabia Felix (s); and the inhabitants of the land of Tema are mentioned as Arabians, Isa 21:13; and Pliny (t) speaks of a people called Thimaneans, whom he says the ancients joined to the Nabathaeans: the troops of Tema mentioned in Job were of this people, Job 6:19; and Eliphaz the Temanite, Job 2:11, is thought by some not to be the descendant of Teman the grandson of Esau, but to be of this man's people and country. The three last sons follow: Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah; the two first of these are reckoned among the Hagarites, as the Ishmaelites were sometimes called, Ch1 5:19; from Jetur came the Itureans, whom Pliny (u) places in Coelesyria; and their country Iturea is reckoned by Strabo (w) along with Arabia; and the Ithyreans with Virgil (x) are famous for their bows, as Ishmael and his posterity were for archery in all ages, and still are; see Gill on Gen 21:20. As for the posterity of Naphish and Kedomah, we have no account elsewhere, nor any traces of their names, unless those of the latter should be meant by the men of the east, or the men of Kedem, Jer 49:28, which is not improbable, since they are mentioned with the posterity of Kedar the second son of Ishmael; and the Nubaeans by Lebanon may be from Naphish. (r) Geograph. l. 5. c. 17, 19. (s) Ibid. l. 6. c. 7. (t) Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 28. (u) Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 23. (w) Geograph. l. 16. p. 520. (x) Georgic. l. 2. ver. 448.

Abraham marries Keturah, Gen 25:1. Their issue, Gen 25:2-4. Makes Isaac his heir, Gen 25:5; but gives portions to the sons of his concubines, and sends them eastward from Isaac, to find settlements, Gen 25:6. Abraham's age, Gen 25:7, and death, Gen 25:8. Is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave of Machpelah, Gen 25:9, Gen 25:10. God's blessing upon Isaac, Gen 25:11. The generations of Ishmael, Gen 25:12-16. His age, Gen 25:17, and death, Gen 25:18. Of the generations of Isaac, Gen 25:19, who was married in his fortieth year, Gen 25:20. Rebekah his wife being barren, on his prayer to God she conceives, Gen 25:21. She inquires of the Lord concerning her state, Gen 25:22. The Lord's answer, Gen 25:23. She is delivered of twins, Gen 25:24. Peculiarities in the birth of her sons Esau and Jacob, from which they had their names, Gen 25:25, Gen 25:26. Their different manner of life, Gen 25:27, Gen 25:28. Esau, returning from the field faint, begs pottage from his brother, Gen 25:29, Gen 25:30. Jacob refuses to grant him any but on condition of his selling him his birthright, Gen 25:31. Esau, ready to die, parts with his birthright to save his life, Gen 25:32. Jacob causes him to confirm the sale with an oath, Gen 25:33. He receives bread and pottage of lentils, and departs, Gen 25:34.

Hadar - This name should be read Hadad as in Ch1 1:30. This reading is supported by more than three hundred MSS., versions, and printed editions. See Clarke at Gen 25:18 (note). Tema - Supposed to be a place in Arabia Deserta, the same of which Job speaks, Job 6:19. Jetur - From whom came the Itureans, who occupied a small tract of country beyond Jordan, which was afterwards possessed by the half-tribe of Manasseh. Naphish - These are evidently the same people mentioned Ch1 5:19, who, with the Itureans and the people of Nadab, assisted the Hagarenes against the Israelites, but were overcome by the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Kedemah - Probably the descendants of this person dwelt at Kedemoth, a place mentioned Deu 2:26. I wish the reader to observe, that concerning those ancient tribes mentioned here or elsewhere in the Pentateuch little is known; nor of their places of settlement have we more certain information. On this subject many learned men have toiled hard with but little fruit of their labor. Those who wish to enter into discussions of this nature must consult Bochart's Geographia Sacra, Calmet, etc.

SONS OF ABRAHAM. (Gen 25:1-6) Abraham took a wife--rather, "had taken"; for Keturah is called Abraham's concubine, or secondary wife (Ch1 1:32); and as, from her bearing six sons to him, it is improbable that he married after Sarah's death; and also as he sent them all out to seek their own independence, during his lifetime, it is clear that this marriage is related here out of its chronological order, merely to form a proper winding up of the patriarch's history.

Abraham's Marriage to Keturah is generally supposed to have taken place after Sarah's death, and his power to beget six sons at so advanced an age is attributed to the fact, that the Almighty had endowed him with new vital and reproductive energy for begetting the son of the promise. But there is no firm ground for this assumption; as it is not stated anywhere, that Abraham did not take Keturah as his wife till after Sarah's death. It is merely an inference drawn from the fact, that it is not mentioned till afterwards; and it is taken for granted that the history is written in strictly chronological order. But this supposition is precarious, and is not in harmony with the statement, that Abraham sent away the sons of the concubines with gifts during his own lifetime; for in the case supposed, the youngest of Keturah's sons would not have been more than twenty-five or thirty years old at Abraham's death; and in those days, when marriages were not generally contracted before the fortieth year, this seems too young for them to have been sent away from their father's house. This difficulty, however, is not decisive. Nor does the fact that Keturah is called a concubine in Gen 25:6, and Ch1 1:32, necessarily show that she was contemporary with Sarah, but may be explained on the ground that Abraham did not place her on the same footing as Sarah, his sole wife, the mother of the promised seed. Of the sons and grandsons of Keturah, who are mentioned in Ch1 1:32 as well as here, a few of the names may still be found among the Arabian tribes, but in most instances the attempt to trace them is very questionable. This remark applies to the identification of Zimran with Ζαββάμ (Ptol. vi. 7, 5), the royal city of the Κιναιδοκολπῖται to the west of Mecca, on the Red Sea; of Jokshan with the Κασσανῖται, on the Red Sea (Ptol. vi. 7, 6), or with the Himyaritish tribe of Jakish in Southern Arabia; of Ishbak with the name Shobek, a place in the Edomitish country first mentioned by Abulfeda; of Shuah with the tribe Syayhe to the east of Aila, or with Szyhhan in Northern Edom (Burckhardt, Syr. 692, 693, and 945), although the epithet the Shuhite, applied to Bildad, points to a place in Northern Idumaea. There is more plausibility in the comparison of Medan and Midian with Μοδιάνα on the eastern coast of the Elanitic Gulf, and Μαδιάνα, a tract to the north of this (Ptol. vi. 7, 2, 27; called by Arabian geographers Madyan, a city five days' journey to the south of Aila). The relationship of these two tribes will explain the fact, that the Midianim, Gen 37:28, are called Medanim in Gen 37:36.