The Death of Abraham
Genesis 25:1-11
Gen.25.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויסף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אשה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושמה: CONJ+ADV,loc
- קטורה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 16:1–3 (thematic): Earliest occurrence of Abraham taking another woman (Hagar); thematically parallels Abraham’s relations with women besides Sarah (concubinage and secondary wives).
- Genesis 25:2 (structural): Immediate literary continuation: names the sons born to Keturah, directly expanding on the statement that Abraham took Keturah as a wife. (Direct sequel within the same episode.)
- Genesis 25:6 (structural): Shows the consequence of Abraham’s unions with other women—his provision for the children of his concubines—directly connected to the report that he took Keturah.
- Genesis 21:12 (thematic): Affirms the distinction between Isaac (the covenant heir) and other offspring; provides theological context for Abraham’s later marriages (other wives did not displace Isaac’s covenant role).
- 1 Chronicles 1:32–33 (verbal): Genealogical retelling that echoes Genesis 25–26 by listing Keturah and her sons; a later scriptural summary/quotation of the same material.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
- And Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
Gen.25.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותלד: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- זמרן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- יקשן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- מדן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- מדין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- ישבק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- שוח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 1:32 (quotation): Repeats the exact list of the sons of Keturah (Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah), echoing Genesis 25:2 verbatim.
- Genesis 25:1 (structural): Introduces Keturah as Abraham’s wife/concubine after Sarah’s death, providing the immediate context for the births named in 25:2.
- Genesis 25:3-4 (structural): Continues the genealogy by naming Jokshan’s and Midian’s descendants (e.g., Sheba, Dedan; Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, Eldaah), expanding the line introduced in 25:2.
- Genesis 25:6 (thematic): Reports that Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them eastward, linking their status and fate as the children named in 25:2.
- Judges 6:1 (thematic): Refers to the Midianites as an oppressing nation; thematically connects to Midian in Gen 25:2 as ancestor of the Midianite people.
Alternative generated candidates
- And she bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
- And she bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.
Gen.25.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקשן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ילד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- שבא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- דדן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cs
- דדן: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- אשורם: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ולטושים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ולאמים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 25:2 (structural): Immediate context — the preceding verse lists Keturah’s sons (including Jokshan), of whom Genesis 25:3 then names Jokshan’s children; part of the same genealogical sequence.
- Genesis 10:7 (verbal): Gives the names Sheba and Dedan again (here as sons of Raamah/Cush), showing the same tribal names appear in a separate genealogy and possibly reflecting shared tribal identities or name reuse.
- 1 Chronicles 1:32 (structural): Parallel genealogical summary in Chronicles that repeats the list of Jokshan’s sons (Sheba and Dedan) and related descendants, essentially echoing Genesis 25:3.
- Ezekiel 27:20 (thematic): Mentions Dedan and Sheba among trading peoples/merchants of the ancient world, connecting the genealogical names in Genesis with later prophetic descriptions of their commercial role.
- Isaiah 21:13 (thematic): Addresses the people of Dedan (Dedanim) in a prophetic oracle against Arabia, reflecting later references to Dedan as a distinct Arabian group mentioned earlier in Genesis.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites.
- And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were the Ashurim and the Letushim and the Leummim.
Gen.25.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובני: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- מדין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עיפה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועפר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וחנך: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואבידע: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואלדעה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- קטורה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 25:1-2 (structural): Immediate context: introduces Keturah and enumerates the sons she bore Abraham, setting up the specific list that includes the sons of Midian.
- Genesis 25:6 (thematic): Explains the later disposition of these sons — Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines (including Keturah's children) and sent them away eastward.
- 1 Chronicles 1:33 (verbal): Genealogical retelling that repeats the names of Midian's sons (Ephah/Epher, Hanoch, Abida, Eldaah), echoing Genesis' list.
- Numbers 31:1-18 (allusion): Narrative concerning the Midianites (descendants of Midian named here) and Israel's later conflict with them, linking the genealogical names to the nation known in later history.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the sons of Midian: Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah; all these were the sons of Keturah.
- And the sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah; all these were the sons of Keturah.
Gen.25.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ליצחק: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 24:36 (verbal): The servant retells the family history using the same wording — 'Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac,' a repeated statement of inheritance.
- Genesis 25:6 (structural): Immediate narrative contrast: Abraham gives 'all' to Isaac, whereas he gives 'gifts' to the sons of the concubines and sends them away, distinguishing principal heir from others.
- Genesis 21:12 (thematic): God's command to Abraham — 'in Isaac shall your offspring be called' — explains why Isaac is the recipient of Abraham's full inheritance.
- Genesis 22:18 (thematic): The promise that Abraham's offspring will be blessed through his son (contextually Isaac) undergirds the transfer of Abraham's possessions to Isaac as the line of promise.
- Galatians 4:28 (allusion): Paul echoes the family theology by portraying believers as 'children of promise' like Isaac, reflecting the theme of Isaac as the rightful heir of Abraham's promise and inheritance.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Abraham gave all that was his to Isaac.
- And Abraham gave all that was his to Isaac.
Gen.25.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולבני: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- הפילגשים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לאברהם: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- נתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מתנת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- וישלחם: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf_wq,3,m,sg;obj=3,m,pl
- מעל: PREP
- יצחק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- בעודנו: PREP+ADV;pron=3,m,sg
- חי: ADJ,m,sg
- קדמה: ADV
- אל: NEG
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- קדם: NOUN,m,sg,cons
Parallels
- Genesis 25:5 (verbal): Immediate textual parallel in the same context — verse 25:5 states Abraham gave all he had to Isaac, setting up the contrast with the gifts given to the sons of the concubines in 25:6.
- Genesis 21:10-14 (thematic): Sarah demands that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away; Abraham complies after God's reassurance. This episode provides the earlier narrative rationale for separating Ishmael's line from Isaac's inheritance.
- Genesis 25:12-18 (structural): The account and genealogy of Ishmael’s descendants and their settlement eastward echo 25:6’s note that Abraham sent the concubines’ sons away to the east, linking the action to the later tribal settlement.
- Deuteronomy 21:15-17 (thematic): Legal provision preserving the birthright/inheritance of the firstborn even when born to one of multiple wives — sheds light on the social-legal concerns behind Abraham’s sending away of the concubines’ sons to secure Isaac’s position.
Alternative generated candidates
- And to the sons of the concubines who were Abraham’s, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son while he was still alive, eastward, to the land of the east.
- And to the sons of the concubines that belonged to Abraham, Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he was still alive, eastward, to the land of the east.
Gen.25.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואלה: CONJ+DEM,pl,abs
- ימי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- חיי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- חי: VERB,qal,part,3,m,sg
- מאת: PREP
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושבעים: CONJ+NUM,card,pl,abs
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וחמש: CONJ+NUM,card,pl,abs
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Gen.23.1 (verbal): Same life‑summary formula for Sarah: a statement of age followed by the clause 'these were the years of the life of...' — a parallel verbal/structural closing of a life account.
- Gen.25.8 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: Abraham's death and burial follow the life‑summary in 25:7, showing the common structural pair 'days of his life' → death/burial.
- Gen.35.28–29 (verbal): The account of Isaac concludes with the same type of life‑span statement ('And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years') and his burial, mirroring the wording and structure of patriarchal death notices.
- Gen.47.28 (structural): Jacob's life is summarized with a formula giving his total years ('the whole age of Jacob was...'), illustrating the recurring structural motif of summarizing a patriarch's life by years at the point of death.
- Deut.34.7 (thematic): Moses' death notice gives his exact age and a brief summation of his condition at death — a later, Deuteronomic instance of the biblical theme of concluding a major figure's story with an age/summary formula.
Alternative generated candidates
- And these are the days of the years of the life of Abraham which he lived: one hundred years and seventy years and five years.
- And these are the days of the years of the life of Abraham which he lived: one hundred years and seventy years and five years.
Gen.25.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויגוע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- וימת: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בשיבה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- טובה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- זקן: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ושבע: NUM,m,sg,abs
- ויאסף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- עמיו: NOUN,m,sg,cstr+pr,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 15:15 (allusion): God's promise to Abraham that he would 'go to his fathers in peace' and die in a good old age — the promise fulfilled in 25:8.
- Genesis 25:7 (structural): Immediate context listing Abraham's years ('the days of Abraham's life were 175 years'), which frames and leads directly into his death in 25:8.
- Genesis 35:29 (verbal): Of Isaac: 'and he was gathered to his people, being old and full of days' — repeats the language and theme of dying at an old age and being gathered to one's people.
- Genesis 49:33 (verbal): Of Jacob: after blessing his sons he 'yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people' — same formula of death and being gathered to one's people.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, old and satisfied, and was gathered to his people.
- And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, old and satisfied, and he was gathered to his people.
Gen.25.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקברו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- יצחק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישמעאל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בניו: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- אל: NEG
- מערת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- המכפלה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- שדה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עפרן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- צחר: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- החתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- על: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ממרא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 23:19-20 (verbal): Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah from Ephron son of Zohar and buries Sarah there — same burial site and the same Ephron character named (direct background for Gen 25:9).
- Genesis 49:29-31 (allusion): Jacob charges his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah with his fathers and mothers — invokes the same family burial tradition and location as Gen 25:9.
- Genesis 50:12-13 (verbal): After Jacob's death his sons carry and bury him in the cave of the field of Machpelah — closely parallels the language and practice of burying a patriarch in Machpelah by his sons.
- Joshua 24:32 (thematic): The bones of Joseph are buried in land that Jacob purchased (Shechem) — parallels the broader theme of patriarchal burials in purchased family burial plots in the land.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre.
- And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre.
Gen.25.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- קנה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מאת: PREP
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- חת: NOUN,m,sg,const
- שמה: ADV
- קבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשתו: NOUN,f,sg,cs+3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.23:19 (verbal): The earlier, detailed purchase of the cave/field of Machpelah from the Hittites (sons of Heth) and the burial of Sarah — the same transaction/location referenced here.
- Gen.49:29-31 (thematic): Jacob's charge to be buried in the cave of Machpelah ‘which Abraham bought of the sons of Heth’—links later patriarchal burials to Abraham’s purchase.
- Gen.50:13 (verbal): Joseph’s burial in ‘the cave of the field of Machpelah’ — shows the continued use of the field Abraham bought as the family burial site.
- Acts 7:16 (allusion): Stephen’s speech evokes patriarchal land purchases and sepulchres bought by Abraham (echoing the tradition of ancestral burial sites), though his account differs in some details from Genesis.
Alternative generated candidates
- The field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.
- The field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.
Gen.25.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אחרי: PREP
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
- אברהם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויברך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- יצחק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יצחק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עם: PREP
- באר: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לחי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ראי: VERB,qal,impv,2,f,sg
Parallels
- Gen 16:13-14 (verbal): The place name Be'er‑lahai‑roi (Well of the Living One Who Sees Me) is first introduced here when Hagar names God 'El‑Roi'; Gen 25:11 uses the same to locate Isaac.
- Gen 24:62 (structural): Isaac is earlier connected with the well/Lahai‑roi region (coming from the way of the well), linking the narrative geography that Gen 25:11 summarizes when Isaac settles there.
- Gen 26:3-5, 24-25 (thematic): God appears to Isaac and reaffirms the Abrahamic covenant and promises to bless him and his seed—an explicit continuation of the blessing noted in Gen 25:11.
- Gen 17:7-8 (thematic): God's covenantal promise to Abraham that it will be established with his offspring and that they will possess the land underlies the blessing of Isaac after Abraham's death in Gen 25:11.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi.
- And it happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi.
And Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were the Ashurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah; all these were the sons of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that was his to Isaac. But to the sons of the concubines that belonged to Abraham, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he was still alive, eastward, to the land of the East. And these are the days of the years of the life of Abraham that he lived: one hundred seventy-five years. And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, old and satisfied; and he was gathered to his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre,
the field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth—there Abraham and Sarah his wife were buried. And it happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi.