| 12The following are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s bondwoman, bore to Abraham. |
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יבוְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּֽלְדֹ֥ת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָֽלְדָ֜ה הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָ֖ה לְאַבְרָהָֽם: |
| 13These are the names of Ishmael’s sons in order of their birth: Nevayot (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbe’el, Mivsam, |
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יגוְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל בִּשְׁמֹתָ֖ם לְתֽוֹלְדֹתָ֑ם בְּכֹ֤ר יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ נְבָיֹ֔ת וְקֵדָ֥ר וְאַדְבְּאֵ֖ל וּמִבְשָֽׂם: |
| בִּשְׁמֹתָם לְתֽוֹלְדֹתָם - (lit.) By their names, according to their birth - means: in their order of birth, one after the other. |
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בִּשְׁמֹתָם לְתֽוֹלְדֹתָם.
סֵדֶר לֵידָתָן זֶה אַחַר זֶה:
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| 14Mishma, Dumah, Masa, |
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ידוּמִשְׁמָ֥ע וְדוּמָ֖ה וּמַשָּֽׂא: |
| 15Chadad, Teima, Yetur, Nafish, and Kedmah. |
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טוחֲדַ֣ד וְתֵימָ֔א יְט֥וּר נָפִ֖ישׁ וָקֵֽדְמָה: |
| 16These were the names of Ishmael’s sons, and these names were given as well to their open towns and their strongholds. There were 12 chieftains for their nations. |
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טזאֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֞ם בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵֽים־עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם: |
| בְּחַצְרֵיהֶם - In their open towns - i.e., in unwalled cities. Onkelos’ translation is: בְּפַצְחֵיהוֹן which means they were מְפֻצָּחִים, meaning “open,” as in: “Burst out (פִּצְחוּ) in song.” |
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בְּחַצְרֵיהֶם.
כְּרַכִּים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם חוֹמָה, וְתַּרְגּוּמוֹ בְּפַצְחֵיהוֹן שֶׁהֵם מְפֻצָּחִים, לְשׁוֹן פְּתִיחָה, כְּמוֹ פִּצְחוּ וְרַנְּנוּ (תהילים צ"ח):
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| 17These are the years of Ishmael’s life: He was 137 years old when he expired, died, and was gathered to his people. |
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יזוְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וּשְׁלשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיִּגְוַ֣ע וַיָּ֔מָת וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו: |
| וְאֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וגו' - These are the years of Ishmael’s life… Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said: Why are the years of Ishmael enumerated? In order to trace through them the years of Jacob. From calculating the years of Ishmael, we can deduce that Jacob studied 14 years in the study-house of Ever after parting from his father, before he came to Laban, for at the time Jacob parted from his father, Ishmael died, as it says: “Esau went to Ishmael…” – as is explained at the end of Chapter Megilah Nikret. |
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וְאֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וגו'.
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא לָמָּה נִמְנוּ שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל, כְּדֵי לְיַחֵס בָהֶם שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב מִשְּׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית עֵבֶר י"ד שָׁנָה כְּשֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ מֵאָבִיו קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּא אֵצֶל לָבָן, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּשֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ יַעֲקֹב מֵאָבִיו מֵת יִשְׁמָעֵאל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו אֶל יִשְׁמָעֵאל וגו' (בראשית רבה כ"ה), כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּסוֹף מְגִלָּה נִקְרֵאת:
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| וַיִּגְוַע - He breathed his last. The expression גְּוִיעָה “breathing one’s last” is used only in reference to the righteous. |
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וַיִּגְוַע.
לֹא נֶאֶמְרָה גְוִיעָה אֶלָּא בְּצַדִּיקִים:
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| 18Ishmael’s descendants dwelled in the area between Chavilah and Shur, which borders on Egypt, along the road from Shur toward Assyria. Ishmael dwelt in the company of all his kin. |
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יחוַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּֽאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל: |
| נָפָֽל - (lit.) He fell - means here: “He dwelt,” as in: “The Midianites, the Amalekites, and all the people of the east were encamped (נֹפְלִים) in the valley.” Here the verse uses the term נְפִילָה “falling” to express dwelling, while elsewhere it says: “He will dwell (יִשְׁכֹּן) in the company of all his kin,” a term implying prestige and security. This teaches us that before Abraham died Ishmael dwelt securely (יִשְׁכֹּן), but after Abraham died he fell from his status (נָפָל). |
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נָפָֽל.
שָׁכַן, כְּמוֹ וּמִדְיָן וַעֲמָלֵק וּבְנֵי קֶדֶם נֹפְלִים בָּעֵמֶק (שופטים ז'). כָּאן הוּא אוֹמֵר לְשׁוֹן נְפִילָה, וּלְהַלָּן אוֹמֵר עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן (בראשית ט״ז:י״ב)? עַד שֶׁלֹּא מֵת אַבְרָהָם יִשְׁכֹּן, מִשֶּׁמֵּת אַבְרָהָם נָפַל:
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