Genesis 17:18

Genesis 17:18

And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

a. NLT: So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”

b. NIV: And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

c. YLT: And Abraham saith unto God, 'O that Ishmael may live before Thee;'

d. Amplified Bible: And [he] said to God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!

e. Septuagint: And Abraam said to God, Let this Ismael live before thee.

f. Stone Edition Chumash:And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live before you!”

1. “And Abraham said unto God…”

a. Abraham [85 * ‘Abraham] [Strong: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram:--Abraham.]

b. said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

c. God [430 * ‘elohiym] [Strong: plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.]

2. “…O that Ishmael might live before thee!”

a. O that [3863 * luw’] [Strong: a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!:--if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).

b. Ishmael [3458 * Yishma’el] [Strong: from 8085 and 410; God will hear; Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest son, and of five Israelites:--Ishmael.]

c. might live [2421 * chayah] [Strong: a primitive root (Compare 2331, 2421); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive:--keep (leave, make) alive, X certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (X God) save (alive, life, lives), X surely, be whole.]

d. before thee [6440 * paniym] [Strong: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.]

1). This verse shows that Abraham loved Ishmael very much, even though I am fully persuaded that many times during the thirteen years he probably regretted his sleeping with Hagar. This heart felt request, reveals that Abraham did not want Ishmael to miss out on any kind of blessing.