After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near the well of Beer-lahai-roi.
Commentaries
25:1 - 25:18
Death of Abraham.
Verses 1-6 recount the descendants of Abraham following Sarah’s death. This serves as a literary means to establish the kinship of the Israelite people with their neighboring peoples. While this family closeness is acknowledged, it is emphasized that “Abraham made Isaac the universal heir, while to the sons of the concubines he gave legacies, and while he was yet alive, he sent them away to the land of the east, far from his son” (5f).
Verses 7-10 provide a clear account of Abraham’s death and burial, highlighting two key aspects: 1. The quality of the patriarch’s life, emphasized by the number of years and the phrases “good old age,” “full of years,” and “he was gathered to his own.” 2. The burial site is part of the promised land.
Verses 12-18 address the theme of Ishmael, who had disappeared from the narrative since he was expelled with his mother by Abraham at Sarah’s request. It was noted in 21:13 that he would also be the father of multitudes; now, as the time arrives to establish the heads of the tribes of these numerous descendants, the writer is careful to preface the warning that the one who holds the blessing is Isaac (11).
The news of Ishmael’s death is even simpler than Abraham’s. The same expression is used: the number of years he lived, died, and was reunited with his own, without indicating the burial place.
Commentaries
Death of Abraham.
Verses 1-6 recount the descendants of Abraham following Sarah’s death. This serves as a literary means to establish the kinship of the Israelite people with their neighboring peoples. While this family closeness is acknowledged, it is emphasized that “Abraham made Isaac the universal heir, while to the sons of the concubines he gave legacies, and while he was yet alive, he sent them away to the land of the east, far from his son” (5f).
Verses 7-10 provide a clear account of Abraham’s death and burial, highlighting two key aspects: 1. The quality of the patriarch’s life, emphasized by the number of years and the phrases “good old age,” “full of years,” and “he was gathered to his own.” 2. The burial site is part of the promised land.
Verses 12-18 address the theme of Ishmael, who had disappeared from the narrative since he was expelled with his mother by Abraham at Sarah’s request. It was noted in 21:13 that he would also be the father of multitudes; now, as the time arrives to establish the heads of the tribes of these numerous descendants, the writer is careful to preface the warning that the one who holds the blessing is Isaac (11).
The news of Ishmael’s death is even simpler than Abraham’s. The same expression is used: the number of years he lived, died, and was reunited with his own, without indicating the burial place.