Genesis 17:20

17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. ¹  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. ²  He will become the father of twelve princes; ³  I will make him into a great nation.

Genesis 37:28

37:28 So when the Midianite ⁴  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ⁵  him ⁶  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ⁷  then took Joseph to Egypt.

Genesis 44:1

The Final Test

44:1 He instructed the servant who was over his household, “Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack.

¹ sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.

² tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

³ tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.

⁴ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

⁵ tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

⁶ tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.