Abraham's Sons

Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars.

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

Abraham had nine sons by two wives and two concubines (Hagar and Masek). Typically, high ranking Hebrew rulers had two wives. The wives resided in separate settlements that marked the ruler's territorial boundaries. His proper heir was the firstborn son of his first wife, Sarah. That is why Isaac ruled over Abraham's territory after Abraham died. According to Scripture, Abraham's sons received gifts from their father (Gen. 25:5-7) and probably a priestly blessing as happened with Jacob and his sons (Gen. 49:1-27).

He probably had a number of daughters also, but they are not mentioned in Genesis since only ruling sons are listed in the king lists.

Here is a list of the sons born to Abraham by his two wives: Sarah and Keturah, and his two concubines: Hagar and Masek. Jacob, like his grandfather Abraham, also had two concubines: Bilhah (Rachel’s maidservant) and Zilpah (Leah’s maidservant).

Sarah, daughter of Terah (Gen. 20:12)
Yitzak (Issac)

Hagar the Egyptian (Sarah’s handmaid)
Yismael (Ishmael), who was Egyptian, since race/ethnicity was traced through the mother, as is true in Judaism today. This pattern is still recognized in Egypt, which is why the Egyptian government has made it illegal for Egyptian men to marry Jewish women.

Keturah (Gen. 25). She was Abraham's cousin bride. 
Yisbak
Joktan – Probably Keturah’s firstborn son, named for her father. See cousin bride's naming prerogative.
Midian
Zimran
Medan
Shuah

Masek (Keturah’s handmaid?) If we include Eliezer as a son (following the Septuagint), Abraham had nine sons. The firstborn of the sons was probably Joktan (Yaqtan), son of Keturah, but he was not Abaham's proper heir. He was to become a high-ranking official in the territory of his maternal grandfather as happened with Jacob. (See Sent-Away Sons.)

Eliezar of Damascus was Abraham's son by Masek.

It was common for Hebrew rulers over territories to have two wives. 


Confederations

Reviewing this list, we note a linguistic correspondence between three sons: Yitzak, Yismael and Yisbak. This triad of sons appears to represent a tribal unit. Other tribal units are Og, Gog and Magog and Uz, Buz and Huz.

Some triads represent heads of clans that may not be in confederation. This seems to be the case with Jacob, Esau and Seir the Horite Hebrew, although these blood relatives might have been a tribal confederation had Jacob not fled to Padan-Aram.

When twin sons were born it was important to determine which breached first; thus the midwife’s use of the scarlet cord (Gen. 38:28). Some name pairs suggest twins, such as Perez and Zerah, Dishon and Dishan (Horite Hebrew, according to Gen. 36:21), and Letush and Leum (Dedanites, according to Gen. 25:3). Dedan is where the oldest Arabic texts have been found.

Which Son Rules Over His Father's Territory?

Abraham actually had four firstborn sons: Yaqtan (Joktan), Yismael (Ishmael), Eliezer, and Yitzak (Isaac), probably born in that order. Joktan became the head of the Joktanite tribes of Arabia. Yismael became the father of the Sinai Bedouins. No sons are named for Eliezar. Yitzak fathered Yisreal (Jacob), and Esau the elder. Esau and Jacob were contemporaries of Seir the Horite. The initial Y in the names of these Horite rulers indicates divine appointment. It is the symbol of the long horns of the Nilo-Saharan cattle and represents a solar cradle whereby the individual is overshadowed.

The firstborn sons ruled among Abraham’s people. However, the firstborn sons of wives were ranked above the firstborn sons of concubines. So, Joktan ranked over Eliezar, and Yitzak ranked over Yishmael. Joktan would rule as an official in the southern settlements of his maternal grandfather (the holdings of the Joktanite clans), and Yitzak would rule the northern settlements of his father Abraham (Hebron to Beersheba).


Two Wives

Abraham married according to the pattern of his royal Hebrew ancestors, many of whom had two wives. The first wife was a half-sister (as was Sarah to Abraham) and the second was a patrilineal cousin (as was Keturah to Abraham). Analysis of the Genesis genealogical data indicates that the firstborn son of the cousin wife went to serve his maternal grandfather. This is consistent pattern of the cousin bride naming her firstborn son after her father is evident as early as Genesis 4 and 5. Lamech the Elder (Gen. 4) was the maternal grandfather of Lamech the Younger (Gen. 5). Likewise, Joktan, the firstborn son of Keturah, was probably named after Keturah’s father Joktan.

The firstborn son of the half-sister wife ascended to the throne of his biological father. Isaac was Abraham's proper heir and ruled after him. Genesis tells us that Abraham's other sons were given their inheritance and sent away from the territory of Isaac. This is not entirely accurate. Other sons often served as viziers in the territories of their ruling brothers. Indeed, there is much evidence that the men listed in the Horite Hebrew King lists either ruled over territories or served as high-ranking persons in the territories of their siblings or maternal grandfathers. Those who did not, were sent away to establish kingdoms of their own. Most of the heroes of the Old Testament were sent-away sons: Cain, Nimrod, Abraham, Moses, and David are examples.

The sending away of non-ascendant sons drove the early Hebrew dispersion out of the Nile Valley (as shown of the map).

Raamah and Nimrod ruled separate territories that had once been united under their father Kush. Asshur and Arpachshad ruled separate territories that had once been united under their father Shem. Likewise, Peleg and Joktan ruled separate territories that had once been unified under their father Eber.


Firstborn Sons of Concubines

Had Sarah remained without a son, the rightful heir to Abraham’s throne would have been Eliezar (Gen. 15). The Masoretic and Greek texts do not agree on Eliezer. The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) clearly states that he was a son of Abraham by Masek, but this is not found in the Masoretic text. This suggests a peculiar characteristic of this unique kinship pattern: the assignment of territories to the firstborn sons of concubines. If the pattern of Hagar and Masek is like the pattern of Bilhah and Zilpah, then Yismael and Eliezar received lands/settlements and were included as clan chiefs along with Joktan, Yitzak, Yisbak, Midian, Medan, Zimran and Shuah.

Concerning Ishmael, his assignment of a settlement in or near Paran on the way to Egypt is indicated by these words: This is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth, then Kadar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and settlements… (Gen. 25:12-16).

So, it appears that firstborn sons of wives ruled territories and firstborn sons of concubines ruled cities or settlements as regional rulers in obedience to their brother Kings. This is similar to the "nomes" of Egypt, each ruled separately by a tribal chieftain. This sheds light on the relationship between Jacob's sons and can help us to understand the apportionment of land and settlements to their descendants.


Related reading: The Hebrew Hierarchy of Sons; Abraham's Firstborn Son; Abraham's Two Concubines; Abraham's Nephews and Niece; Royal Sons and Their Maternal Uncles; Hebrew Sent-Away Sons; Hebrew Rulers with Two Wives