Genesis 25:1-18
Abraham's Last Years
1Now Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah,
2and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites.
4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
5Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.
6But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
7Abraham lived a total of 175 years.
8And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.
9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.
10This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.
11After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.
12This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.
13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
14Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes.
17Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.
18Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
Berean Standard Bible
Abraham takes another wife, Keturah, who bears him several sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The genealogy names grandchildren through Jokshan and Midian. These names will become part of the wider family landscape around Israel.
Abraham gives everything he has to Isaac. While he is still living, he gives gifts to the sons of his other wives and sends them away from Isaac toward the east. The arrangement keeps Isaac as the particular heir of the covenant promise while acknowledging that Abraham's other sons are part of his household and receive provision.
Abraham dies at a good old age, old and full of years. Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah, beside Sarah. The two sons, whose family histories have included separation and pain, come together for their father's burial.
After Abraham's death, God blesses Isaac. The story then records Ishmael's twelve sons, named as chiefs of their tribes. Ishmael dies at one hundred thirty-seven years, and his descendants settle from Havilah to Shur, opposite Egypt toward Assyria. The chapter closes by saying that they lived in hostility toward their relatives.
The passage gives Isaac the covenant line without erasing Ishmael or the other sons. God's particular promise and his wide care remain together. A family can carry division and still meet at a grave; a blessing can be specific without making everyone else invisible.
The list of sons also shows that Abraham's death does not end God's attention to the wider family. Isaac receives the covenant blessing, while Ishmael's sons are still named and remembered. A particular promise can have a particular line without turning everyone outside it into a footnote.
Questions
1 Who was Abraham’s second wife named here?
AnswerAbraham’s second wife was Keturah.
2 Who received Abraham’s main inheritance?
AnswerIsaac received everything Abraham had.
3 Who buried Abraham?
AnswerIsaac and Ishmael buried their father.
4 How many sons of Ishmael became tribal chiefs?
AnswerIshmael’s twelve sons became chiefs of their tribes.
What This Means for Us
Families may have complicated lines of belonging and unequal responsibilities. Handle inheritance and provision with clarity rather than secrecy. A particular calling is not a reason to erase people who are not at its center. Make room for grief and for truthful encounters, even when a family history includes old pain.
Prayer
God of every generation, help us handle family responsibilities with honesty and care. Keep us from making one person's calling an excuse to erase another person's dignity. Bring peace where old divisions remain, and teach us to meet one another with truth at the places where grief brings us together. Amen.