Commentaire de citation sur La Genèse 25:6

Keturah. This cannot be Hagar because in verse 6, Scripture refers to Avraham’s concubines in the plural.

YOUR BRETHREN THE CHILDREN OF ESAU. The reason for this expression is that descent of Israel is from Abraham and all his seed are thus “brothers” because they were all circumcised. This is the purport of the verse, Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is ‘thy brother.’¹²⁴Further, 23:8. Only the sons of the concubines¹²⁵Genesis 25:6. [of Abraham], Ishmael, Midian¹²⁶Ibid., Verse 2. and all children of Keturah¹²⁷Ibid., Verses 1-4. are not in this “brotherhood,” as we see from the verse, for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.¹²⁸Ibid., 21:12. Thus Esau [Edom] is in this “brotherhood” for he is a son of Isaac, but Ishmael, born of Hagar and Midian, born of Keturah, although they are Abraham’s biological sons, are not in this “brotherhood,” for as G-d said to Abraham: in Isaac shall seed be called to thee. This makes it clear that the spiritual brotherhood of the Abrahamitic seed is restricted to descendants of Isaac. See my Hebrew commentary p. 351.

V. 5. וישלח מלאכים, er sendet daher in die uralte Heimat des gefürchteten Wundervolkes, nach Aram, in die Euphratgegend hin, wo die Wiege der Urväter dieses Volkes gestanden, in das Land des Morgens (Kap. 23, 7), wohin auch aus des Urvaters Haus wieder Sprößlinge versetzt worden waren (Bereschit 25, 6; siehe daselbst), wo daher mit heidnischem Unwesen und Zauberwahn (Jes. 2, 6) gemischt sich auch reinere monotheistische Gedanken erhalten hatten, so daß dort selbst noch ein Hiob und seine Freunde (Hiob 1, 3) ihre Heimat gehabt haben konnten, dorthin, wohin er auch selbst nach Abstammung gehörte, schickte er zu Bileam, um diesen Völkerseher zu sich zu laden.

for they are full...from the east Their hosts have become full of the deeds of the Arameans who dwell in the East, who were sorcerers and used the name of pagan deities. [Other editions read:]...and used the name of defilement [sorcery and demonism—Rashi ad loc.], as we say in Ch. Chelek (Sanh. 91a): “Abraham gave gifts” (Gen. 25:6)He gave them the name of defilement and sent them away to the land of the East [as quoted by Parshandatha].