Ishmael

God heareth. Son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian (Gen. 16:11–16; 17:18–26). He was the child “born after the flesh” (Gal. 4:23) and not the child “by promise” and was sent from home after mocking Isaac (Gen. 21:8–21; see also 25:9–17; 28:9; 36:3). His descendants, the Ishmaelites, appear to have been a wandering race (16:12), living by plunder, having commercial relations and intermarrying with the heathen nations of Canaan (Gen. 37:25–28; 39:1; Judg. 8:24; Ps. 83:6; see also Gal. 4:21–5:1).