died, in connection with whose burial he once more for a moment
reappears. On this occasion the two brothers met after being long
separated. “Isaac with his hundreds of household slaves, Ishmael with his
troops of wild retainers and half-savage allies, in all the state of a Bedouin
prince, gathered before the cave of Machpelah, in the midst of the men of
Heth, to pay the last duties to the ‘father of the faithful,’ would make a
notable subject for an artist” (Genesis 25:9). Of the after events of his life
but little is known. He died at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven
years, but where and when are unknown (25:17). He had twelve sons, who
became the founders of so many Arab tribes or colonies, the Ishmaelites,
who spread over the wide desert spaces of Northern Arabia from the Red
Sea to the Euphrates (Genesis 37:25, 27, 28; 39:1), “their hand against
every man, and every man’s hand against them.”
(2.) The son of Nethaniah, “of the seed royal” (Jeremiah 40:8, 15). He
plotted against Gedaliah, and treacherously put him and others to death.
He carried off many captives, “and departed to go over to the
Ammonites.”
- ISHMAIAH heard by Jehovah. (1.) A Gibeonite who joined David at
Ziklag, “a hero among the thirty and over the thirty” (1 Chronicles 12:4).
(2.) Son of Obadiah, and viceroy of Zebulun under David and Solomon (1
Chronicles 27:19).
- ISHMEELITES (Genesis 37:28; 39:1, A.V.) should be “Ishmaelites,” as in
the Revised Version. - ISHTOB man of Tob, one of the small Syrian kingdoms which together
constituted Aram (2 Samuel 10:6,8). - ISLAND (Hebrews ‘i, “dry land,” as opposed to water) occurs in its
usual signification (Isaiah 42:4, 10, 12, 15, comp. Jeremiah 47:4), but more
frequently simply denotes a maritime region or sea-coast (Isaiah 20:6,
R.V.,” coastland;” 23:2, 6; Jeremiah 2:10; Ezekiel 27:6, 7). (See
CHITTIM.) The shores of the Mediterranean are called the “islands of the
sea” (Isaiah 11:11), or the “isles of the Gentiles” (Genesis 10:5), and
sometimes simply “isles” (Psalm 72:10); Ezekiel 26:15, 18; 27:3, 35;
Daniel 11:18). - ISRAEL the name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at
Peniel (Genesis 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and