King James Version

Genesis 17:18

And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אַבְרָהָ֖םavrahamAbrahamאַבְרָהָםnoun, proper name — “Abraham”H85Abraham, the later name of AbramAbraham.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑יםhaelohimthe Godאֱלֹהִיםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.ל֥וּlvifלוּאconjunction — “if”H3863a conditional particle; if; by implication (interj. as a wish) would that!if (haply), peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אלyishmaelIshmaelיִשְׁמָעֵאלnoun, proper name — “Ishmael”H3458Jishmael, the name of Abraham's oldest son, and of five IsraelitesIshmael.יִחְיֶ֥הyichyehliveחָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “live”, an unfinished actionH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.לְפָנֶֽיךָlefaneykhato a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Abraham said unto God: 'Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!

Young’s Literal Translation

And Abraham saith unto God, 'O that Ishmael may live before Thee;'

World English Bible

Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”

Darby Translation

And Abraham said to God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!

Douay-Rheims

And he said to God: O that Ismael may live before thee.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Abraham said unto God: 'Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Abraam said to God, Let this Ismael live before thee.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπε δὲ Ἁβραὰμ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· Ἰσμαὴλ οὗτος ζήτω ἐναντίον σου.