וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל׃ (פ)
И жили они из Гавилы в Шур, что перед Египтом, когда ты идешь в Ассур; против всех братьев своих он поселился.
Bereshit Rabbah
“He will be a wild man: His hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him and he will dwell among all his brethren” (Genesis 16:12).
“He will be a wild [pereh] man” – Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This means that everyone else would inhabit settlements, but he would inhabit the wilderness.37The word peleh is used in connection with the wilderness in Jeremiah 2:24: “A wild ass [pereh] accustomed to the wilderness.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: “A wild man” – in its plain sense. Most people plunder wealth, but he plunders people.
“His hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him [kol bo].” Read it as “his dog [kalbo]” – he and a dog are equal; just as the dog eats carcasses, so, too, he eats carcasses.
Rabbi Elazar said: When will it be that “his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him”? It will be with the advent of that man38Nebuchadnezzar. in whose regard it is written: “And everywhere the sons of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens dwell, He has given into your hand and set your rule over all of them” (Daniel 2:38). That is what is written: “Concerning Kedar,39Kedar was one of Ishmael’s sons (see Genesis 25:13). and concerning the kingdoms of Ḥatzor that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote” (Jeremiah 49:28) – Nebuchadrezzar is written,40With an added vav, so that the last four letters spell atzur, gathered in. as he gathered them together in the wilderness and killed them.
“He will dwell among all his brethren” – here it says: “He will dwell [yishkon] [among all his brethren],” but elsewhere it is written “He settled [nafal]41Literally, fell. [among all his brethren] (Genesis 25:18). The explanation is that as long as Abraham our patriarch was alive – yishkon. When Abraham died – nafal.42He fell in stature. Before he extended his hand against the Temple – yishkon. Once he extended his hand against the Temple43See Psalms 83:7–13. – nafal. In this world – yishkon; but in the future – nafal.
“He will be a wild [pereh] man” – Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This means that everyone else would inhabit settlements, but he would inhabit the wilderness.37The word peleh is used in connection with the wilderness in Jeremiah 2:24: “A wild ass [pereh] accustomed to the wilderness.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: “A wild man” – in its plain sense. Most people plunder wealth, but he plunders people.
“His hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him [kol bo].” Read it as “his dog [kalbo]” – he and a dog are equal; just as the dog eats carcasses, so, too, he eats carcasses.
Rabbi Elazar said: When will it be that “his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him”? It will be with the advent of that man38Nebuchadnezzar. in whose regard it is written: “And everywhere the sons of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens dwell, He has given into your hand and set your rule over all of them” (Daniel 2:38). That is what is written: “Concerning Kedar,39Kedar was one of Ishmael’s sons (see Genesis 25:13). and concerning the kingdoms of Ḥatzor that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote” (Jeremiah 49:28) – Nebuchadrezzar is written,40With an added vav, so that the last four letters spell atzur, gathered in. as he gathered them together in the wilderness and killed them.
“He will dwell among all his brethren” – here it says: “He will dwell [yishkon] [among all his brethren],” but elsewhere it is written “He settled [nafal]41Literally, fell. [among all his brethren] (Genesis 25:18). The explanation is that as long as Abraham our patriarch was alive – yishkon. When Abraham died – nafal.42He fell in stature. Before he extended his hand against the Temple – yishkon. Once he extended his hand against the Temple43See Psalms 83:7–13. – nafal. In this world – yishkon; but in the future – nafal.
Bereshit Rabbah
“These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham” (Genesis 25:12).
“These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham” – Rabbi Ḥama bar Ukva and the Rabbis were sitting and finding difficulty [with this passage]: ‘Why did the verse see fit to describe the lineage of the wicked man [Ishmael] here, [as well as his age at death]?’ [Just then] Rabbi Levi passed by. They said: ‘Here comes the master of halakha, let us ask him.’ Rabbi Levi said: ‘It is in order to tell you at what age your ancestor [Jacob] was blessed.’16From knowing the age of Ishmael when he died (see the next verse), it can be derived that Jacob was sixty-three years old when he received his father’s blessing. See Megilla 17a.
“These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years, and he expired and died and he was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:17).
“These are the years of the life of Ishmael” – why did the verse see fit to recount the years of the wicked one here? It is because he came from the far reaches of the desert to perform kindness for his father [in attending his funeral].
“They dwelled from Ḥavila to Shur, that is adjacent to Egypt, all the way to Assyria: he settled among all his brethren” (Genesis 25:18).
“They dwelled from Ḥavila…” – here it says: “he settled [among all his brethren]” [nafal, literally, fell down], but elsewhere it says [of Ishmael]: “He will dwell [yishkon] [among all his brethren]” (Genesis 16:12). The explanation is that all the days our patriarch Abraham was alive – yishkon. When our patriarch Abraham died – nafal.17He fell in stature. Before he extended his hand against the Temple – yishkon; once he extended his hand against it18See Psalms 83:3–19. – nafal. In this world – yishkon; but in the future – nafal.
“These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham” – Rabbi Ḥama bar Ukva and the Rabbis were sitting and finding difficulty [with this passage]: ‘Why did the verse see fit to describe the lineage of the wicked man [Ishmael] here, [as well as his age at death]?’ [Just then] Rabbi Levi passed by. They said: ‘Here comes the master of halakha, let us ask him.’ Rabbi Levi said: ‘It is in order to tell you at what age your ancestor [Jacob] was blessed.’16From knowing the age of Ishmael when he died (see the next verse), it can be derived that Jacob was sixty-three years old when he received his father’s blessing. See Megilla 17a.
“These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years, and he expired and died and he was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:17).
“These are the years of the life of Ishmael” – why did the verse see fit to recount the years of the wicked one here? It is because he came from the far reaches of the desert to perform kindness for his father [in attending his funeral].
“They dwelled from Ḥavila to Shur, that is adjacent to Egypt, all the way to Assyria: he settled among all his brethren” (Genesis 25:18).
“They dwelled from Ḥavila…” – here it says: “he settled [among all his brethren]” [nafal, literally, fell down], but elsewhere it says [of Ishmael]: “He will dwell [yishkon] [among all his brethren]” (Genesis 16:12). The explanation is that all the days our patriarch Abraham was alive – yishkon. When our patriarch Abraham died – nafal.17He fell in stature. Before he extended his hand against the Temple – yishkon; once he extended his hand against it18See Psalms 83:3–19. – nafal. In this world – yishkon; but in the future – nafal.