[At the bottom of this page, the image of a book might interest you —- well, not so much the image but the title of the book! For the longest time, we have agreed with the attribution to Abraham as the patriarch to whom three major monotheistic world religions trace their roots: Judaism, Christianity, Islam . . . chronologically that seems to be the order. But the book claims more, find out for yourself, no spoonfeeding, remember?
The Commentary here come from Pentateuch and Haftorahs, ed. Dr. J.H. Hertz; translation with commentary is EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses; additional commentary by RA/Robert Alter..
Update November 25, 2015: In a recent book that came out October 2015 titled: NOT IN GOD’S NAME: CONFRONTING RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE, the author Rabbi Jonathan Sacks presents a Midrash interpretation that identifies the name “Keturah”, mentioned as the wife that Abraham takes after Sarah’s death. The Rabbis/Jewish scholars identify “Keturah” as Hagar, the Egyptian maid of Sarah who bore for Abraham his true firstborn son: Ysmael. That is why at the time of Abraham’s death and burial, the half-brothers Isaac and Ishmael are together. What are the clues in Scripture that lead to such conclusion? You will have to read Chapter 6 of Rabbi Sack’s book, titled “The Half-Brothers” and give him a hearing. Take our word for it, the book is worth adding to your research library if you are a truth-seeker, making sense of the narratives in the book of Genesis/Bereshiyth and connecting them with the developments confronting this millenial generation, baffling events today that one would never think of tracing their root cause to ancient biblical stories of sibling rivalry. Here’s a review of the book by David Brooks, OP-Ed columnist of the New York Times, published November 17, 2015:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/17/opinion/finding-peace-within-the-holy-texts.html?
—Admin1.]
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Genesis 25
DEATH OF ABRAHAM
AND
DESCENDANTS OF ISHMAEL
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ABRAHAM took another wife and her name was Qetuwrah.
and Abraham took another wife. It does not necessarily mean that it was not until after the death of ?Sarah that he married again. It is quite possible that he took his secondary wife (in I Chron. I,32 Keturah is called a ‘concubine’) during her lifetime; and it is only mentioned here in connection with the disposal of the Patriarch’s property.
[RA] And Abraham took another wife. The actual place of this whole genealogical notice in the chronology of Abraham’s life might be somewhere after the burial of Sarah at the end of chapter 23, or perhaps even considerably earlier. The genealogy is inserted here as a formal marker of the end of the Abraham story. Perhaps a certain tension was felt between the repeated promise that Abraham would father a vast nation and the fact that he had begotten only two sons. This tension would have been mitigated by inserting this document at the end of his story with the catalogue of his sons by Keturah. In this list, Abraham figures as the progenitor of the seminomadic peoples of the trans-Jordan region and the Arabian peninsula. The second genealogical notice (verses 12-18), that of the descendants of Ishmael, covers a related group of tribes—twelve in number, like the Israelite tribes—in the same geographical region, but also extending up to northern Mesopotamia. Thus, as Ishmael definitively leaves the scene of narration, the list provides a “documentary” confirmation of the promise that he, too, will be the father of a great nation.
2. And she gave birth for him Zimran, Yoqshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbaq, and Shuwach.
The domestic tradition in these verses preserves the recollection of the early relationship between the ancestors of Israel and the tribes of the North Arabian desert (Ryle).
Medan. The ‘Medianites’ are referred to in XXXVII as traders with Egypt.
Median. The name of a nomad tribe frequently occurring in the Bible.
Shuah. One of Job’s friends is described as a Shuhite (Job II,11).
3. Yoqshan was the father of Sheba’ and Dedaneh. The sons of Dedaneh were ‘Ashshuwriy, Letuwshim, and Le’ummiym.
Sheba and Dedan. Mentioned in X,7. The other names are found on Arabian inscriptions.
4. The sons of Midyan were ‘eyphah, ‘Epher, Chanowk, ‘Abiyda, and ‘Elda’ah. All these were the sons of Qetuwrah.
5. And ‘Abraham gave all that he had to Yitschaq.
XXIV,36.
6. But to the sons of his concubines ‘Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them to the east country, away from Yitschaq his son.
concubines. i.e. Hagar and Keturah.
while he yet lived. i.e. in his lifetime, a wise precaution to ensure the safety of Isaac and prevent disputes amongst the members of the family.
eastward, i.e. to Arabia. The Arabs are sometimes described as ‘children of the East’; see Judges VI,3; Job I,3.
[RA] concubines. The plural form may imply that Keturah’s status, like Hagar’s, was that of a concubine.
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7. The days of the life of ‘Abraham were one hundred seventy-five years.
a hundred three score and fifteen years. Abraham must have lived to see his grandchildren. Isaac was born when his father was a hundred (XXI,5), and was sixty at the birth of Esau and Jacob (see v. 26); hence they were fifteen when the Patriarch died.
8. Then ‘Abraham breathed out and died at an advanced age; a satisfied old man, and was gathered to his people.
was gathered to his people. Not to be understood literally, as his people were buried in Mesopotamia. It is a parallel phrase to ‘thou shalt go to thy fathers’ in XV,15; and, like it, is an intimation of immortality.
[RA] sated with years. The Masoretic Text has only “sated,” but the Syriac, Samaritan, and Septuagint versions as well as some manuscripts read “sated with years,” which the context clearly requires.
9. And his sons Yitschaq and Yishma’el buried him in the cave of Makpelah, in the field of ‘Ephrown ben Tsochar the Chittiy, which is east of Mamre’,
Isaac and Ishmael. At the gravesite of their father, the half-brothers were reconciled (Midrash).
Machpelah. See XXIII,9.
10. the field which ‘Abraham purchased from the Chittiy. There ‘Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.
11. After the death of ‘Abraham, ‘Elohiym [Mighty One] blessed his son Yitschaq, and Yitschaq lived at Be’er la-Chai Ro’iy.
God blessed Isaac. i.e. the promises made to Abraham were now transferred to him.
12-18. DESCENDANTS OF ISHMAEL
12. Now this is a history of the sons of Yishma’el, the son of ‘Abraham, whom Hagar the Mitsriyth, the handmaid of Sarah, bore to ‘Abraham.
generations. Descendants. Some of the names that follow are found in Assyrian and Arabian inscriptions.
13. These are the names of the sons of Yishma’el, named in the order of their births: Nebayoth, the firstborn of Yishma’el, and Qedar, ‘Adbe’el, Mibsam,
Nebaioth. Later known as Nabataeans.
Kedar. In Ps. CXX,5, they are taken as a type of hostile neighbours.
14. Mishma’, Duwmah, Massa’,
15. Chadad, Teyma’, Yetuwr, Naphiysh, and Qedemah.
Tema. An important station on the trade route from Yemen to Syria.
16. These are the sons of Yishma’el, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes of their tribes.
encampments. Probably a technical term to denote the circular enclosure used by a nomad people.
princes. Sheiks of clans.
[RA] habitations. The Hebrew term in urban architectural contexts means “court,” but the older meaning is “dwelling place,” or perhaps something like ‘unfortified village.” The cognate in the Ugaritic texts means “house.”
17. And Yishma’el lived one hundred thirty-seven years; then his spirit left him, and he died and was gathered to his people.
was gathered. See on v. 8.
18. They lived from Chaviylah to Shuwr, in the face of Mitsrayim towards ‘Ashshuwr. In the face of all his brothers he fell.
Havilah. See II,11; situated in N.E. Arabia.
Shur. See on XVI,7; also I Sam. XV,7.
Asshur. The reference is probably to the land of Asshurim mentioned in v. 3.
did settle. lit. ‘fell.’ For this sense of the word, Judges VII,12.
[RA] And they ranged. The verb shakhan suggests an activity less fixed that “to settle” or “to dwell,” and this translation follows the lead of E.A. Speiser in using a verb that implies nomadism.
In despite of all his kin he went down. The translation reproduces the enigmatic character of the whole clause in Hebrew. “In despite of all his kin” repeats exactly the words of Ishmael’s blessing in 16:12, and so the ambiguous “he” here may also be Ishmael, who is mentioned in the previous verse. But some construe the initial preposition of the clause as “alongside” or “in the face of.” The verb is equally opaque: its most common meaning is “to fall” some have imagined it has a military meaning here (“to attack” or “to raid”); others have construed it as a reference to the “falling” of the inheritance.
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This chapter concludes the Biblical account of the first of the Patriarchs. It is difficult, indeed, because of our lifelong familiarity with the story, rightly to estimate the nobility and grandeur of the personality revealed in these chapters.
He was the pioneer of the monotheistic faith.
Undazzled by the heathen splendour of a Nimrod or a Hammurabi,
he broke away from the debasing idol-worship of his contemporaries,
and devoted his life to the spread of the world-redeeming truth of the One God of Justice and Mercy.
He forsook home and family to brave unknown dangers because the voice of God bade him do so; and, throughout his days, he showed that faith in God must manifest itself in implicit and joyful surrender to the Divine will.
He set an example to his children to sacrifice the dearest things in life,
and, if need be, life itself, in defence of the spiritual heritage entrusted to their care.
While he preached renunciation in the service of God, he practised lovingkindness and truth towards his fellowmen.
Witness his magnanimity in his treatment of Lot; his fine independence in the refusal to accept any of the spoils won by the men of his household;
his benevolence in the reception of strangers;
his stand for justice, when pleading for the doomed cities;
and his all-embracing human pity, which extended even to those who had forfeited all claim to human pity.
Finally, the closing stage of his life shows his anxiety that the spiritual treasures he has acquired should be transmitted unimpaired through his son to future generations. Verily he is the prototype of what the Jew should aim at being.
‘Look unto the rock whence ye were hewn . . . look into Abraham your father,’ is the Divine exhortation addressed to Israel (Isaiah LI,1-2).
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P.S. If the book cover/title got your attention, here’s a short write-up on its contents in amazon.com: