What is the meaning of Ishmael? Who is he on the Bible?

Question

I am going to name my son Ishmael but I need to know who he was? what he did? What is the meaning of him on the Bible? Please my Bible friends can you explain to me? My dad he said he was given some land. That he was an out of wedlock baby. But I need more input, or where can I find him on the Bible?

Thanks!

God Bless

Answer 1

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her."
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."
6 "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.

9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." 10 The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."

11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:
"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael, [a]
for the LORD has heard of your misery.

12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward [b] all his brothers."

13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen [c] the One who sees me." 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi [d] ; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Genesis 16:1-16

Answer 2

Ishmael means: G-d hears. In the bible, Sarah the wife of Abraham could never seem to bear any children. So she had her servant, Hagar concieve a child for her. (with Abraham). Later on, Sarah has a son with Abraham her husband and they name him Isaac. (Ishmael is the Father of the Arabic people. He and his decendants were given all the land all around Israel). Issac seemed to be favored by Abraham and Sarah but G-d tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son Issac. (This is of severe disagreement among the Muslims and Jews because the Muslims say that it was the first born, Ishmael that was the favored and the one who was (almost) sacrificed and given the land of Israel). Anyway, this didn't happen and G-d provided a ram instead (I believe symbolizes how Jesus was the substitute sacrifice for all mankind to come) Read Genesis chapters 15-22. Personally, I think Ishmael is a good name.
In addition, it doesn't matter if Ishmael or Isaac was (almost)sacrificed if you believe in Jesus as Messiah, because Jesus WAS the sacrifice for all. It means that the people of both Isaac and Ishmael are equally important and precious to G-d, and gave all of them an equally valuable gift.

Answer 3

From some readings it sounds like he was born out of wedlock, was an outcast, and suffered discrimination... yet God favored him with great skills as an archer (shooter?), and he ended up being the father of the 12 tribes (is this the Jews?):

12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward [b] all his brothers."

The Virginia Tech shooter called himself Ishmael X. So it has some bad connotations presently.

But it would seem that in the bible Ishmael was more of a tragic hero favored by God.

I'm glad you are doing your research before naming your child.

Answer 4

There are at least two people in the Bible named Ishmael. The name is sometimes translated into English as Ishmail. The first and most famous was Ishmael, son of Abraham. Another was Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, best known for killing Gedaliah, who had been appointed as governor of Judah.

Ishmael was the first son of Abraham. His mother was Hagar, who was the Egyptian handmaid to Sarah, who was Abraham's wife. Ishmael was the half-brother of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham and Sarah. Sarah had been unable to have children. So she presented her maid, Hagar, to Abraham to bear an heir for Abraham.

Hagar gave birth to Ishmael when Abraham was 86 years old. Fourteen years later, Isaac was born. When Isaac was weaned, Abraham gave a party to celebrate the occasion. But Sarah noticed that Ishmael teased Isaac, and she told Abraham to send away Hagar and Ishmael.

Abraham was upset, but the Lord told him to do as Sarah had requested, because Isaac was to be the heir of Abraham, to inherit the promises that God had made to Abraham and his offspring (Genesis 21:12-13).

Hagar and Ishmael left Abraham and lived in the wilderness of Paran. God blessed Ishmael and he became an expert archer, and his mother arranged a marriage for him with a girl from Egypt. Ishmael had twelve sons, and they became the founders of the twelve tribes that bore their names: Nebaioth, Kedar, Abdeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedmah. These tribes scattered across the land. Ishmael died at the age of 137.

Answer 5

Ishmael was Abrahams son by Sarah's slave. Born before Isaac was conceived by Sarah . He is the father of the arabs.

Answer 6

Ishmael (whom God hears)

The son of Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian, his concubine.

Answer 7

In Genesis you will find it. and Ishmael Abraham's son he Was the one that he had with Sarah's hand Madden when he didn't trust Christ Read it it's a really good story.

Answer 8

Ishmael was in Moby Dick by Charles Dickens.

Answer 9

1st born son of abraham

Answer 10

I am just coasting along with mainworry.