Isaac and Ishmael: Who Received the Covenant?

God blessed Ishmael and said he would be a great nation. The covenant God names with Abraham, and the son Abraham is told to offer, are Isaac’s. Genesis 17:21Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionBut my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionOpen the Source says, “But my covenant will I establish with Isaac.” Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionAnd he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionOpen the Source calls that son “thine only son Isaac.”

Key Points

• Genesis 16:11Genesis 16:11 · King James VersionAnd the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.Genesis 16:11 · King James VersionOpen the Source names Ishmael before he is born. Genesis 17:20Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionAnd as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionOpen the Source blesses him, promises twelve princes, and says God will make him a great nation.
• Genesis 17:19Genesis 17:19 · King James VersionAnd God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.Genesis 17:19 · King James VersionOpen the Source and 17:21Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionBut my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionOpen the Source put the everlasting covenant with Isaac, the son Sarah will bear. Genesis 21:12Genesis 21:12 · King James VersionAnd God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.Genesis 21:12 · King James VersionOpen the Source says, “in Isaac shall thy seed be called.”
• Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionAnd he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionOpen the Source tells Abraham to offer “thy son, thine only son Isaac.” The verse prints the name.
• Galatians 4:28Galatians 4:28 · King James VersionNow we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.Galatians 4:28 · King James VersionOpen the Source says believers, “as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” Galatians 4:30Galatians 4:30 · King James VersionNevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.Galatians 4:30 · King James VersionOpen the Source says the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
• Qur’an 37:100–111, Saheeh International, tells of a forbearing boy and a dream of sacrifice, and does not name the boy. Qur’an 37:112Qur’an 37:112 · Saheeh InternationalAnd We gave him good tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous.Qur’an 37:112 · Saheeh InternationalOpen the Source then gives “good tidings of Isaac.”
• Ibn Kathir on 37:102 says the boy was Ishmael, the first son, and that the People of the Book inserted Isaac into their scripture.

What God Said About Each Son

Ishmael is Abraham’s son by Hagar. The angel tells Hagar, in Genesis 16:11–12Genesis 16:11–12 · King James Version^16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. ^16:12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.Genesis 16:11–12 · King James VersionOpen the Source, that she will bear Ishmael and that he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. Abraham asks, in Genesis 17:18Genesis 17:18 · King James VersionAnd Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!Genesis 17:18 · King James VersionOpen the Source, “O that Ishmael might live before thee!” The answer is not a refusal of Ishmael. Genesis 17:20Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionAnd as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionOpen the Source: “Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.” The next sentence draws the line. Genesis 17:21Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionBut my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionOpen the Source: “But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”

Genesis 21:12Genesis 21:12 · King James VersionAnd God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.Genesis 21:12 · King James VersionOpen the Source says the same thing when Hagar and the boy are sent out: “in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” A blessing and a nation are stated for Ishmael. The covenant sentence, and the line called Abraham’s seed, are stated for Isaac. Genesis 25:12–16Genesis 25:12–16 · King James Version^25:12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham: ^25:13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, ^25:14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, ^25:15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: ^25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.Genesis 25:12–16 · King James VersionOpen the Source lists Ishmael’s twelve sons. The list is a fulfillment of the promise of princes. It is not the covenant paragraph of chapter 17.

The Son on the Mountain

Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionAnd he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionOpen the Source, King James Version:

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Genesis 22:2 · King James Version

The verse names Isaac. “Only son,” in this sentence, is said while Ishmael is already born. The narrative’s own word for the son of the offering is Isaac, not a blank that a later reader fills. Genesis 22:16–18Genesis 22:16–18 · King James Version^22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: ^22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; ^22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.Genesis 22:16–18 · King James VersionOpen the Source swears the blessing to Abraham’s seed after that test, the seed in whom all nations will be blessed. Galatians 3:16Galatians 3:16 · King James VersionNow to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.Galatians 3:16 · King James VersionOpen the Source says that seed is Christ. The Christian claim is not that Ishmael was unblessed. It is that the oath and the offering in Genesis are Isaac’s, and that the New Testament reads that line as leading to Jesus.

Galatians 4:22–30Galatians 4:22–30 · King James Version^4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. ^4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. ^4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. ^4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. ^4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. ^4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. ^4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. ^4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. ^4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.Galatians 4:22–30 · King James VersionOpen the Source retells the two sons as an allegory: the son of the bondwoman and the son of the freewoman. “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” The citation of Genesis is explicit: cast out the bondwoman and her son, “for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” Paul is arguing about law and promise in the churches of Galatia, not drawing a map of modern nations. The heir, in his sentence, is the child of promise, identified with Isaac.

What the Qur’an and Ibn Kathir Say

Qur’an 37:100–113 is the passage Muslims bring to this question. Saheeh International:

[100] My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous. [101] So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy. [102] And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, “O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.” He said, “O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allāh wills, of the steadfast.”

Qur’an 37:100–113 · Saheeh International

Qur’an · accepted by Muslims

The boy is not named in those verses. The dream is a sacrifice. The son consents. Qur’an 37:103–107 says they both submitted, the father put him down on his forehead, and “We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.” Then Qur’an 37:112Qur’an 37:112 · Saheeh InternationalAnd We gave him good tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous.Qur’an 37:112 · Saheeh InternationalOpen the Source: “And We gave him good tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous.” Qur’an 37:113Qur’an 37:113 · Saheeh InternationalAnd We blessed him and Isaac. But among their descendants is the doer of good and the clearly unjust to himself [i.e., sinner].Qur’an 37:113 · Saheeh InternationalOpen the Source blesses him and Isaac. A reader who has only the Arabic order, in this English, meets an unnamed boy, a ransom, and then a separate glad tiding of Isaac.

Ibn Kathir on 37:102 names the boy. “This child was Isma‘il, peace be upon him, for he was the first child of whom glad tidings were given to Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and he was older than Ishaq.” He says Muslims and the People of the Book agree that Ishmael was born when Abraham was eighty-six and Isaac when Abraham was ninety-nine, and that “according to their Book, Allah commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son,” but “here they falsely inserted the name of Ishaq.” He says they did so because Isaac is their ancestor and Ishmael is the ancestor of the Arabs. He quotes Ibn Abbas: “The one who was ransomed was Isma‘il… The Jews claimed that it was Ishaq, but the Jews lied.” He also records Muhammad ibn Ka‘b’s argument from the Qur’an itself: after the sacrifice story, God gives glad tidings of Isaac, and Qur’an 11:71 gives glad tidings of Isaac and then of Jacob, so the son who was to be sacrificed could not be the son who was already promised a son.

That is the Muslim case at full strength, in a commentary Muslims read. The concession is on the page of the Qur’an itself: 37:100–111 does not print Ishmael’s name. The name enters in the tafsir, and in the claim that Genesis inserted Isaac. Genesis 22:2, as published here, already contains the name. A charge of insertion has to show a text of Genesis 22 that lacked it. This page does not have such a text. Was the Bible Corrupted? is that wider claim.

Christians do not deny Ishmael’s blessing or the twelve princes. They deny that the covenant sentence moved. Genesis 17:20Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionAnd as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionOpen the Source and 17:21Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionBut my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.Genesis 17:21 · King James VersionOpen the Source stand next to each other: a great nation, and “but my covenant… with Isaac.” The son of the offering, in Genesis 22, is named Isaac. The New Testament identifies Jesus as the seed and as the Son, and it identifies believers as children of promise like Isaac. Jesus is God. That further claim is the deity of Christ, not a denial that Ishmael was Abraham’s son.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Ishmael Abraham’s Son?

Yes. Genesis 16:15Genesis 16:15 · King James VersionAnd Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.Genesis 16:15 · King James VersionOpen the Source says Hagar bore Abram a son and Abram called him Ishmael. Genesis 17:20Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionAnd as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.Genesis 17:20 · King James VersionOpen the Source blesses him.

How Old Was Abraham When Isaac Was Born?

Genesis 17:17Genesis 17:17 · King James VersionThen Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?Genesis 17:17 · King James VersionOpen the Source has Abraham set his age at a hundred when he hears Sarah will bear a son. Genesis 21:5Genesis 21:5 · King James VersionAnd Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.Genesis 21:5 · King James VersionOpen the Source says he was a hundred years old when Isaac was born. The cited English translation of Ibn Kathir says Ishmael was born when Abraham was eighty-six and Isaac when he was ninety-nine; Genesis 21:5 instead gives one hundred for Isaac’s birth.

Which Son Did Abraham Offer?

Genesis 22:2Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionAnd he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.Genesis 22:2 · King James VersionOpen the Source says Isaac. Qur’an 37:102Qur’an 37:102 · Saheeh InternationalAnd when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think." He said, "O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allāh wills, of the steadfast."Qur’an 37:102 · Saheeh InternationalOpen the Source does not name the son. Ibn Kathir says Ishmael.

Keep Reading

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• Is Muhammad the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18?
• Does Isaiah Prophesy Muhammad?
• Was the Bible Corrupted?
• The Trinity
• Did Jesus Ever Claim to Be God?
• What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?