In brief
Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant. He is born when Abram is eighty-six years old. God establishes his covenant with Isaac, but he also promises to bless Ishmael and make him a great nation. Sent away into the desert with his mother, he is heard by God, grows up and becomes an archer. We remember that God keeps his promise with Isaac and that he does not forget Ishmael.
What does the name Ishmael mean?
The name Ishmael is generally understood to mean God hears. The Bible gives the reason: the angel of the Lord tells Hagar to give him this name, because the Lord has heard her in her affliction (Genesis 16:11).
The story of Ishmael
The birth of Ishmael
Genesis 16:15-16Hagar bears Abram a son, and Abram gives him the name Ishmael, as the angel had told Hagar in the desert. Abram is eighty-six years old. Ishmael is born of a human solution proposed by Sarai, who for years had been waiting for the child God had promised Abram.
The promise and the covenant
Genesis 17:15-27God announces to Abraham a son by Sarah, Isaac, with whom he will establish his covenant. Abraham asks that Ishmael may live before God. God answers him: he will bless Ishmael, make him fruitful, and Ishmael will father twelve princes and become a great nation. That very day, Abraham circumcises Ishmael.
Sent away with his mother
Genesis 21:8-14On the day Isaac is weaned, Sarah sees Hagar's son laughing and asks that the servant and her son be driven out, for he will not inherit with Isaac. Abraham is distressed because of his son. God tells him to listen to Sarah, and promises to make a nation of Ishmael too. Abraham sends Hagar and the boy away.
Heard by God in the desert
Genesis 21:15-21In the desert, the water runs out. God hears the voice of the boy, and the angel of God reassures Hagar. God opens her eyes to a well. God is with Ishmael: he grows up, lives in the wilderness of Paran and becomes an archer. His mother takes a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
At Abraham's funeral
Genesis 25:9-18When Abraham dies, his sons Isaac and Ishmael bury him together in the cave of Machpelah. The text then lists Ishmael's descendants and the names of his sons, according to their generations. God's word about him comes true: his offspring are many.
What Ishmael teaches us
- God's promise is fulfilled in its own time, and human shortcuts have consequences.
- God keeps his covenant with Isaac without forgetting Ishmael: he hears Abraham's prayer for his son.
- Our name and our story are not erased by our parents' mistakes.
- God is present even in exile and distress: he was with the boy in the desert.
- Children separated by conflict can come together again beside their father, as Isaac and Ishmael did at Abraham's burial.
Key verses
Abraham prays for Ishmael, asking that he may live before God. He intercedes for his son while receiving the promise of Isaac. God will answer this prayer in verse 20 by blessing him.
God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. The name Ishmael, God hears, finds its illustration here in the desert, when the water has run out and everything seems lost.
God was with the boy, who grew up, lived in the wilderness and became an archer. God's presence with Ishmael does not depend on place or on family status.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ishmael in the Bible?
Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant, born before Isaac. God establishes his covenant with Isaac, but promises to bless Ishmael and make him a great nation. He grows up in the wilderness of Paran and becomes an archer.
What does the name Ishmael mean?
The name Ishmael is generally understood to mean God hears. The Bible itself gives the reason for this name: the angel of the Lord tells Hagar that she will call her son this because the Lord has heard her in her affliction (Genesis 16:11).
Where can I find Ishmael's story in the Bible?
Ishmael's story is found in Genesis: his birth in chapter 16, God's promise about him in chapter 17, his being sent away with Hagar in chapter 21, then his presence at Abraham's funeral and the list of his sons in chapter 25.