The last days of Abraham. I. ABRAHAM 'S OLD AGE . 1. The taking of a second wife . 2. The making of his will . II. ABRAHAM 'S DEATH . 1. Before death . The age to which the patriarch had attained was— 2. At death . His end was peaceful; he "breathed out his spirit" into the hands of Jehovah. So did Isaac ( Genesis 35:29 ), Jacob ( Genesis 49:33 ), David ( Psalms 31:5 ), Christ ( Luke 23:46 ). "Mark the perfect, and behold the upright" ( ... read more
The line of blessing. Although Abraham has many descendants, he carefully distinguishes the line of the Divine blessing. His peaceful end at 175 years set the seal upon a long life of faith and fellowship with God. His two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, met at their father's grave, although living apart. The influence of such a character as Abraham's is very elevating and healing, even in the sphere of the world. Ishmael is not entirely forgotten, but Isaac, as the true heir of Abraham, hands on... read more
And she bare him Zimran ,—identified with Zabram , west of Mecca, on the Red Sea (Knobel, Keil); or the Zimareni , in the interior of Arabia (Delitzsch, Kalisch)— and Jokshan, —the Kassamitae , on the Red Sea (Knobel); or the Himarytish tribe Jakish, in Southern Arabia (Keil)— and Medan, and Midian , —Modiana , on the east of the Elamitic Gulf, and Madiana , north of this (Rosenmüller, Keil, Knobel)— and Ishbak ,—perhaps preserved in Schobeck, in the land of the... read more
And Jokshan begat Sheba ,—probably the Sabeans: Job 1:15 ; Job 6:19 (Keil)— and Dedan —probably the trading people mentioned in Jeremiah 25:23 (Keil). And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim ,—who have been associated with the warlike tribe of the Asir , to the south of Hejas (Keil)— and Letushim ,—the Bann Leits in Hejas (Keil)— and Leummim —the tribe Bann Lam , which extended even to Babylon and Mesopotamia (Keil). read more
And the sons of Midian ; Ephah ( vide Isaiah 60:6 ), and Epher (Bent Ghifar in Hejas), and Hanoch (Hanakye, three days north of Medinah), and Abidah, and Eldaah —the tribes of Abide and Vadaa in the neighborhood of Asir. Keil adds that all these identifications are uncertain. All these were the children of Keturah —six sons, seven grandsons, three great grandsons; in all sixteen descendants. read more
And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac . I . e . constituted him his chief heir, according to previous Divine appointment ( Genesis 15:4 ), and made over to him the bulk of his possessions ( Genesis 24:36 ). But unto the sons of the concubines (Hagar and Keturah), which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts ,—"doubtless established them as youthful nomads" (Lunge) and sent them away from Isaac his son ,—Ishmael's dismissal took place long before ( Genesis 21:14 ); probably... read more
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, —an impressive and appropriate expression for the computation of life (of. Genesis 47:9 )— an hundred and threescore and fifteen years — i . e . 175 years; so that he must have lived seventy-five years after Isaac's birth and thirty-eight years after Sarah's death. "His grandfather lived 148 years, his father 205, his son 180, and his grandson 147; so that his years were the full average of that period (Murphy). read more
Then Abraham gave up the ghost (literally, breathed out , a the breath of life), and died in a good old age ,—literally, in a flood hoary age , i . e . "with a crown of righteousness upon his hoary head" (Hughes)— an old man, and full of years . Literally, and satiated , i . e . satisfied not merely with life and all its blessings, but with living. The three clauses give an elevated conception of the patriarch's life as that of one who had tasted all the sweets and... read more
And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God — Elohim; whence the preceding section is ascribed to the Elohist; but the general name of God is here employed because the statement partakes merely of the nature of an intimation that the Divine blessing descended upon Isaac by inheritance (Hengstenberg), and the particular blessing of which the historian speaks is not so much the spiritual and eternal blessings of the covenant, as the material and temporal prosperity with which... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 25:1
Then again Abraham took a wife, —literally, and Abraham added and took a wife ( i . e . a secondary wife, or concubine, pilgash; vide Genesis 25:6 and 1 Chronicles 1:28 , 1 Chronicles 1:32 ); but whether after (Kalisch, Lunge, Murphy) or, before (Calvin, Keil, Alford, Bush) Sarah's death it is impossible to decide— and her name was Keturah — " Increase " (Gesenius); probably a servant in the family, as Hagar had been, though not Hagar herself (Targums), whom Abraham... read more