The Pulpit Commentary
Then again Abraham took a wife,—literally, and Abraham added and took a wife (i.e. a secondary wife, or concubine, pilgash; vide Gen_25:6 and 1Ch_1:28, 1Ch_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 had recalled after Sarah's death (Lyra), since Gen_25:6 speaks of concubines.

The Pulpit Commentary
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 Edomites (Knobel, Keil)—and Shuah—for which the epithet Shuhite (Job_2:11) may point to Northern Idumaea (Keil, Knobel, Kalisch).

The Pulpit Commentary
And Jokshan begat Sheba,—probably the Sabeans: Job_1:15; Job_6:19 (Keil)—and Dedan—probably the trading people mentioned in Jer_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).

The Pulpit Commentary
And the sons of Midian; Ephah (vide Isa_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.

Gen_25:5, Gen_25:6

And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. I.e. constituted him his chief heir, according to previous Divine appointment (Gen_15:4), and made over to him the bulk of his possessions (Gen_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 (Gen_21:14); probably he then received his portion while he yet lived (i.e. during Abraham's lifetime) eastward, unto the east country (or Arabia in the widest sense; to the east and south-east of Palestine).

The Pulpit Commentary
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. Gen_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).

The Pulpit Commentary
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 realized all the ends of a mundane existence, and who accordingly was ripe and ready for transition to a higher sphere. And was gathered to his people. An expression similar to "going to his fathers" (Gen_15:15, q.v.), and to "being gathered to one's fathers" (Jdg_2:10). "The phrase is constantly distinguished from departing this life and being buried, denotes the reunion in Sheol with friends who have gone before, and therefore presupposes faith in the personal continuance of a man after death" (Keil). Abraham died in the hope of a better country, even an heavenly (Heb_11:13-16). And his sons Isaac and Ishmael—Isaac as the heir takes precedence; but Ishmael, rather than the sons of Keturah, is associated with him at his father's funeral; probably because he was not so distant as they from Hebron (Lunge), or because he was the subject of a special blessing, which they were not (Keil, Murphy); or perhaps simply Ishmael and Isaac united as the eldest sons to perform the last rites to a parent they revered (Kalisch). "Funerals of parents are reconciliations of children (Gen_35:29), and differences of contending religionists are often softened at the side of a grave" (Wordsworth)—buried him (vide on Gen_23:19) in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre (vide on Gen_23:3-20); the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

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 Isaac, in comparison with other men, was enriched (Murphy)—blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi (vide Gen_16:14; Gen_24:62).

The Pulpit Commentary
Now these are the generations of Ishmael,—the opening of a new section (cf. Gen_2:4), in which the fortunes of Abraham's eldest son are briefly traced before proceeding with the main current of the history in the line of Isaac (cf. 1Ch_1:29-31)—Abraham's son,—because of his relation to Abraham it was that Ishmael attained subsequent historical development and importance (vide Gen_21:13)—whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham (vide Gen_16:1, Gen_16:15).

The Pulpit Commentary
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth;—"Heights;" the Nabathaeans, a people of Northern Arabia, possessed of abundant flocks (Isa_9:7), and, according to Diodorus, living by merchandise and rapine (Gesenius). From Petraea they subsequently extended as far as Babylon (Keil)—and Kedar,—"Black Skin;" the Cedrei of Pliny (Gesenius, Keil, Rosen-mailer); characterized as good bowmen (Isa_21:17), and dwelling between Arabia Petraea and Babylon—and Adbeel,—"Miracle of God" (Gesenius); of whom nothing is known—and Mibsam,—"Sweet Odor" (Gesenius); equally uncertain.

The Pulpit Commentary
And Mishma,—"Hearing" (Gesenius); Masma (LXX; Vulgate); connected with the Maisaimeneis, north-east of Medina (Knobel)—and Dumah,—"Silence;" same as Stony Dumah, or Syrian Dumah, in Arabia, on the edge of the Syrian desert (Gesenius); mentioned in Isa_21:11—and Massa,—"Burden;" north-east of Dumah are the Massanoi.

The Pulpit Commentary
Hadar,—"Chamber" (Gesenius); Ha'dad (1Ch_1:30, LXX; Samaritan, and most MSS.); though Gesenius regards Hadar as probably the true reading in both places; identified with a tribe in Yemen (Gesenius); between Oman and Bahrein, a district renowned for its lancers (Keil)—and Tema,—"Desert" (Gesenius); Θαιμὰν (LXX.); the Θεμοί, on the Persian Gulf, or the tribe Bann Teim, in Hamasa (Knobel); a trading people (Job_6:19; Isa_21:14; Jer_25:23)—Jetur,—"Enclosure" (Gesenius); the Itureans (Gesenius, Kalisch, Keil )—Naphish, "Breathing" (Murphy); "Refreshment" (Gesenius); not yet identified—and Kedemah—"Eastward" (Gesenius); unknown.

The Pulpit Commentary
These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns,—unwalled encampments, from hatzar, to surround; used of the movable villages of nomadic tribes (cf. Isa_42:11)—and by their castles;—fortified keeps (Murphy); tent villages (Keil); nomadic camps (Kalisch). Cf. Num_31:10; 1Ch_6:39; Psa_69:26; Eze_25:4)—twelve princes—this does not imply that Ishmael had only twelve sons, like Israel—a very suspicious circumstance (De Wette); but only that these twelve became phylarchs (Havernick). The Egyptian dedecarchy rested on a like earlier division of names. Homer mentions a similar case among the Phoenicians; Thucydides another in ancient Attica (2. 15); vide Havernick's 'Introch,' § 18—according to their nations (or tribe divisions).

Gen_25:17, Gen_25:18

And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years:—a life shorter by nearly half a century than that of Isaac (Gen_35:21); does this prove the life-prolonging influence of piety?—and he gave up the ghost and died; and wee gathered unto his people (vide on Gen_25:8). And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward; Assyria (vide Gen_10:29; Gen_16:7): and He died—literally, fell down; not expired (Vulgate, A Lapide, Aben Ezra, et alii), but settled down, had his lot cast (Calvin, Keil, Kalisch); κατῴκησε (LXX.) in the presence of all his brethren (a fulfillment of Gen_16:12).

The Pulpit Commentary
And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. The usual formula for the opening of a new section (cf. Gen_2:4). Abraham begat Isaac. A reiteration in perfect harmony not only with the style of the present narrative, but of ancient historiography in general; in this instance specially designed to connect the subsequent streams of Isaac's posterity with their original fountain-head in Abraham.

The Pulpit Commentary
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife,—the valuable chronological fact here stated for the first time proves that Isaac was married three years after his mother's death (cf. Gen_23:1)—the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian (vide on Gen_22:23; Gen_24:29). Though a descendant of Arphaxad (Gen_10:24), Bethuel is styled a Syrian, or Aramaean, from the country of his adoption. On Padanaram vide Gen_24:10.

The Pulpit Commentary
And Isaac entreated—from a root signifying to burn incense, hence to pray, implying, as some think (Wordsworth, 'Speaker's Commentary'), the use of incense in patriarchal worship; but perhaps only pointing to the fact that the prayers of the godly ascend like incense (Gesenius): cf. Tobit 12:12; Act_10:4. The word is commonly regarded as noting precum multiplicationem, et vehementiam et perseverantiam (Poole): cf. Eze_35:13—the Lord—Jehovah; not because verses 21-23 are the composition of the Jehovist (Tuch, Bleek, Davidson, et alii), but because the desired son was to be the heir of promise (Hengstenberg). The less frequent occurrence of the Divine name in the Thol-doth of Isaac than in those of Terah has been explained by the fact that the historical matter of the later portion furnishes less occasion for its introduction than that of the earlier; and the predominance of the name Elohim over that of Jehovah in the second stage of the patriarchal history has been partly ascribed to the employment after Abraham's time of such like equivalent expressions as "God of Abraham" and "God of my father" (Keil)—for his wife,—literally, opposite to his wife, i.e. beside his wife, placing himself opposite her, and conjoining his supplications with hers (Ainsworth, Bush); or, better, in behalf of his wife (LXX; Vulgate, Calvin, Keil, Kalisch), i.e. setting her over against him as the sole object to which he had regard in his intercessions (Luther)—because she was barren:—as Sarah had been before her (vide Gen_11:1-32 :80); the long-continued sterility of both having been designed to show partly that "children are the heritage of the Lord" (Psa_127:3), but chiefly that the children of the promise were to be not simply the fruit of nature, but the gift of grace and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived (cf. Rom_9:10).

The Pulpit Commentary
And the children struggled together within her. The verb is expressive of a violent internal commotion, as if the unborn children had been dashing against one another in her womb. Cf. the story of Acrisius and Praetus, who quarreled before birth about their subsequent dominion (Apollod; II. 2. 1). Vide Rosenmüller, Scholia, in loco. And she said, If it be so, why am I thus? Literally, If so, why thus (am) I? Of obscure import, but probably meaning, "If so," i.e. flit is the case that I have conceived, "for what am I thus?" what is the reason of these unwonted sensations that accompany my pregnancy? Aben Ezra, Calvin, Lange, Murphy); rather than, "If such be the sufferings of pregnancy, why did I seek to conceive?" (Rashi, Rosenmüller), or, why have I conceived? (Vulgate, Onkelos, Bush, Ainsworth), or, why do I yet live? (Syriac, Keil, Kalisch, Delitzsch). And she went to inquire of the Lord. Not by Urim (Bohlen), since this method of inquiring at the Deity did not then exist (Num_27:21); but either through a prophet,—Shem (Luther), Melchisedeck (Jewish interpreters), Heber (Lyra); more likely Abraham (Grotius, Ainsworth, Wordsworth, Kalisch, 'Speaker's Commentary'), or Isaac, the prophet nearest her (Lange),—or through herself by prayer, as in Psa_34:5 (Calvin, Rosenmüller, Lange, Murphy, Inglis). The language seems to imply that by this time there was a regularly-appointed place for the worship of God by prayer and sacrifice—Theodoret suggests the family altar; Delitzsch, Hagar's well.

The Pulpit Commentary
And the Lord said unto her,—in a dream (Havernick), a form of revelation peculiar to primitive times (Gen_15:1; Gen_20:6; Gen_28:12; Gen_37:5; 90:5; 91:1; 96:2; cf. Job_4:13; Job_33:15); but whether communicated directly to herself, or spoken through the medium of a prophet, the Divine response to her interrogation assumed an antistrophic and poetical form, in which she was informed that her unborn sons were to be the founders of two mighty nations, who, "unequal in power, should be divided rivalry and antagonism from their youth"—Two nations are in thy womb (i.e. the ancestors and founders of two nations, vie; the Israelites and Idumeans), and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;—literally, and two peoples from thy bowels (or womb) are separated, i.e. proceeding from thy womb, they shall be divided from and against each other—and the one people shall be stronger than the other people (literally, and people shall be stronger than people, i.e. the one shall prevail over the other); and the elder shall serve the younger—i.e. the descendants of the elder shall be subject to those of the younger. Vide inspired comments on this oracle in Mal_1:2, Mal_1:3 and Rom_9:12-33.

The Pulpit Commentary
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled,—literally, and were fulfilled her days to bring forth; ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτην (LXX.; cf. Luk_1:57; Luk_2:6). Jarchi accounts for the different phrase used of Thamar (Gen_38:27), who also bore twins, by supposing that she had not completed her days, but gave birth to Pharez and Zarah in the seventh month (vide Rosenmüller, in loco)—behold, there were twins in her womb (cf. Gen_38:27, where the full form of the word for twins is given).

The Pulpit Commentary
And the first came out red,—Adhmoni, πυῤῥάκης (LXX.), rufus (Vulgate), red-haired (Gesenius), of a reddish color (Lange), containing an allusion to Adham, the red earth—all over like an hairy garment. Literally, all of him as a cloak of hair (not, as the LXX; Vulgate, et alii, all of him hairy, like a cloak); the fur cloak, or hair mantle, forming one notion (Gesenius). The appearance of the child's body, covered with an unusual quantity of red hair, was "a sign of excessive sensual vigor and wildness" (Keil), "a foreboding of the animal violence of his character" (Kalisch), "the indication of a passionate and precocious nature" (Murphy). And they called his name Esau—"the hairy one," from an unused root signifying to be covered with hair (Gesenius).

The Pulpit Commentary
And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel. The inf. constr, standing for the finite verb. Not simply followed close upon the heels of Esau (Kalisch), but seized Esau's heel, as if he would trip him up (Keil, Murphy). It has been contended (De Wette, Schumann, Knobel) that such an act was impossible, a work on obstetrics by Busch maintaining that an hour commonly intervenes between the birth of twins; but practitioners of eminence who have been consulted declare the act to be distinctly possible, and indeed it is well known that "a multitude of surprising phenomena are connected with births" (Havernick), some of which are not greatly dissimilar to that which is here recorded. Delitzsch interprets the language as meaning only that the hand of Jacob reached out in the direction of his brother's heel, as if to grasp it; but Hos_12:3 explicitly asserts that he had his brother's heel by the hand while yet in his mother's womb. And his name was called—literally, and he (i.e. one) called his name; καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ (LXX.); id circo appellavit eum (Vulgate; cf. Gen_16:14; Gen_27:36)—Jacob. Not "Successor," like the Latin secundus, from sequor (Knobel, Kalisch); but "Heel-catcher" (Rosenmüller, Gesenius, Keil, Lange, Murphy), hence Supplanter (cf. Gen_37:36). And Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. Literally, in the bearing of them, the inf. constr, taking the case of its verb—when she (the mother) bare them; ὄτε ἔτεκεν αὐτοὺς Ῥεβέκκα (LXX.); quum nati sunt parvuli (Vulgate); though, as Rebekah's name does not occur in the immediate context, and ילד is applied to the father (Gen_4:18; Gen_10:8, Gen_10:13) as well as to the mother, the clause may be rendered when he (Isaac) begat them (Kalisch, Afford).