Lexical Definition
יִשְׁמָעֵאל Yishmâʻêʼl (yish-maw-ale') Ishmael N:N-M-P
from שָׁמַע and אֵל; God will hear
Ishmael.
- § Ishmael = "God will hear"
- Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest son, and of five Israelites
1) son of Abraham and Sarah's handmaid Hagar and the progenitor of the Arabian peoples
2) son of Nethaniah and the murderer of Gedaliah
3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Azel a descendant of Saul through Meribbaal or Mephibosheth
4) a Judaite, father of Zebadiah
5) a Judaite, son of Johanan and one of the captains who aided Jehoiada in restoring Joash to the throne
6) a priest of the family of Pashur with a foreign wife whom he was forced to put away by Ezra
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל | Ishmael | Ezra.10.22 |
Extended Information
- A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.22
Brown-Driver-Briggs
יִשְׁמָעֵאל48 proper name, masculine El heareth; Sabean יסמעאל Hal187; on from compare LagBN 131); —
1. son of Abraham and Hagar Gen 16:11 (name explanation ׳רגו ׳שָׁמַע י), vGen 16:15. 16 + 11 t. Gen 17.25, Gen 28:9 (twice in verse); Gen 36:3; 1Chr 1:28; 1Chr 1:29; 1Chr 1:31 Ισμαηλ
2. usually Ισμαηλ: murderer of Gedaliah Jer 41:8; Jer 40:14; Jer 40:15; Jer 40:16 + 17 t. Jer 41; 2Kgs 25:23; 2Kgs 25:25 (ᵐ5L Ισραηλ !).
3. in Benjamin 1Chr 8:38; 1Chr 9:44.
4. in Judah:
a. 2Chr 19:11.
b. 2Chr 23:1.
5. Jew with foreign wife Ezra 10:22, Σαμαηλ, A ᵐ5L Ισμαηλ.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 16:11 · 16:15 · Chapter 17 · 28:9 · 36:3 |
| 2 Kings | 25:23 · 25:25 |
| 1 Chronicles | 1:28 · 1:29 · 1:31 · 8:38 · 9:44 |
| 2 Chronicles | 19:11 · 23:1 |
| Ezra | 10:22 |
| Jeremiah | 40:14 · 40:15 · 40:16 · Chapter 41 · 41:8 |
Profile
Male • Returned priest • Priest who married a foreign woman during Ezra's time.
Man living at the time of Exile and Return
Ishmael was a priest who had married a foreign woman and pledged to put her away during Ezra's reforms (Ezr.10.22).
- A priest living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.22;
- only referred to as Ishmael יִשְׁמָעֵאל.
Ishmael is listed among the priests who had married foreign women during the time of Ezra (Ezr.10.22). After the Babylonian exile, when the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, Ezra discovered that many of the people, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with the pagan peoples of the land (Ezr.9.1-2).
Deeply grieved by this unfaithfulness, Ezra prayed and confessed the sins of the people (Ezr.9.3-15). The Israelites then made a covenant to put away their foreign wives and children (Ezr.10.3).
Ishmael is mentioned among the priests who had taken foreign wives (Ezr.10.22). He, along with the others, pledged to send away his foreign wife as part of the reforms Ezra instituted to restore obedience to God's law.
The text does not provide any other details about Ishmael's background or specific circumstances. His inclusion in this list highlights the widespread nature of the problem of intermarriage and the need for repentance and restoration among the religious leaders of Israel.
All entries for Ishmael: יִשְׁמָעֵאל