Commentaire sur La Genèse 17:20

שנים עשר נשיאים TWELVE PRINCES — like clouds shall they vanish, the word נשיאים being explained here as the same word in (Proverbs 25:14) נשיאים ורוח “Clouds and wind”

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, "Concerning (your prayer for) Ishmael, I have listened to you, etc." Inasmuch as the only reason Abraham had prayed for Ishmael was because he was at that time his only son, and he had not prayed for him again after Sarah had born Isaac, G'd listened to his prayer. We can understand this according to the principle postulated in Makkot 11 that even the conditional curse of a Torah scholar comes true. We have another principle that a blessing is much stronger than a curse, i.e. has far wider ramifications. G'd told Abraham that Ishmael would eventually become a בעל תשובה since Abraham had prayed for Ishmael to develop into a G'd-fearing person. This is the meaning of G'd's words: "Here I have blessed him." G'd used the past tense to hint that when He promised that Abraham would die in a ripe old age, He had already made provisions for Ishmael's conduct not to cloud Abraham's departure from this earth.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, to bless him, to make him fruitful so that he will multiply and to grant him international prominence.
שנים עשר נשיאים, "will be descended from Ishmael, just as from Yitzchok. In fact I have already ברכתי אותו, blessed him by means of the angel who appeared to Hagar, and I took personally, will bless Ishmael. But this covenant which I have entered into with you I will maintain with Yitzchok.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, “and concerning Ishmael, I have heard (your prayer).” G-d meant that He would bless Ishmael because Avraham had offered a prayer on his behalf but not on account of G-d’s covenant with Avraham which included only Yitzchak.

They will dissipate like clouds ... Otherwise, why are they not called שבטים as are Yaakov’s sons, connoting might, or why are they not called ministers and chiefs? Perforce, נשיאים [hints that they will dissipate like clouds]. (Kitzur Mizrachi)

ולישמעאל שמעתיך ... ונתתיו לגוי גדולת. We see from our historical records that this prophecy came true after a delay of 2333 years. [Avraham was circumcised in the year 2047 according to Seder hadorot and the Mohammedan faith originated in the year 4384, exactly 2333 years later.] This delay was not due to sins of the original Ishmaelites. They had been looking forward to the fulfillment of this prophecy for all these years. We lost our independence due to our sins, however. G'd set a time of 1305 years (according to Daniel) until our redeemer would come. We must certainly continue to look forward to our glorious destiny and not despair if the Ishmaelites had not despaired after over 2000 years (Rabbeinu Bachya).

ברכתי אותו ,שמעתיך. Bereits in Jischmaels Namen liegt die Bürgschaft dafür. Ich werde dies auch ferner tun. Allein jenen ברית, jene absolute Verheißung, die ich zum Angelpunkt der Gesamtmenschheitentwicklung gesetzt habe, werde ich nur durch den von Sara geborenen "Jizchak" und dessen Nachkommen in Erfüllung bringen.

ולישמעאל שמעתיך, “and concerning Yishmael, I have heard your request, etc.” I am going to bless him, but I will not include him in My covenant with you which I will maintain with Yitzchok, the covenant that I concluded with you between the “pieces” as detailed in chapter 15. In the interpretation of the [covenant of] circumcision, the covenant is mentioned 13 times to teach you it symbolizes a man who is 13 years old and had not had circumcision in his youth, and he intentionally does not circumcises himself - he is liable for extirpation.

נשיאים: der jüdische Nationalbegriff gipfelt nicht in שרים, sondern in נשיאים, die, Wolken gleich, nur gehoben und mit Säften und Kräften der Nation getränkt ,נשיאים werden, um sie ganz der Nation, über welche und von welcher sie erhoben worden, alle Schichten hindurch befruchtend und aufrichtend, wieder zu Gute kommen zu lassen. Sie sind getragene Träger. Verwandt mit נסה und נסס, wovon נס, welches auch etwas mit der Bestimmung Gehobenes bedeutet, diejenigen, über welche es gehoben worden, zu sich zu erheben und zu leiten.