CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF THE SON: ISHMAEL AND HAGAR
Ed Noort
Hagar, the slave girl, is mentioned only twelve times in the Hebrew Bible—eleven times in the stories of Gen (:, , , , [bis], ) and Gen (:, , [bis]) and once in Gen :. In the latter text, however, the focus has already shifted from Hagar to her son: here, the descendants of Ishmael are listed. Statistically, the role of Hagar is limited, with Ishmael taking the greater part. He enters the stage in Gen to be born in the last verses of the chapter (:, , ). He returns in the most important text of the priestly covenant theology in Gen (:, , , , ). He is absent in name, but not in person in the second story of Hagar and Ishmael in Gen .1 He returns prominently in Gen (:, , [bis], ), with his descendants and the noting of his death at (:), an age even Moses did not reach (Deut :). He, his daughter Mahalath, and his son Nebaioth are mentioned in Gen :;2 :3 and he deserves his place in the genealogies of Chronicles (:, , ).4 Moreover, his descendants are pictured as caravan traders, to whom Joseph is sold (Gen :, , ; :), and as Bedouin raiders interchangeable with the Midianites (Judg :). Finally, the Hagarites
1 Gen : (øâäïá), (äîàäïá), (åðá), (øòð), (äîàäïá), (ãìé), (ãìé), (ãìé), (øòð bis), (øòð), (øòð), (øòð). 2 In the priestly composition, Esau is married to Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, according to the wish of his father Isaac (Gen :–). See C. Westermann, Genesis (BKAT .; Neukirchen-Vluyn ), . 3 Here the daughter of Ishmael is called Basemath. The Samaritan Pentateuch noticed the difference and consequently changed the name into Mahalath in line with Gen :. P retains the alternative name, but adds “the sister of Nebaioth,” conforming to :. 4 For the priority of Ishmael in the genealogy, see T. Willi, Chronik (BKAT .; Neukirchen-Vluyn ), : “Deutlich ist, dass in den Stammbäumen die Nebenlinien zuerst behandelt werden, während die Stammreihen zuerst in den Hauptlinien münden, die sie dann mit den Nebenlinien komplettieren . . .. So bringt der Chronist . . . mit den beiden Namen »Isaak und Ismael« so verschiedenartige Traditionen wie Gen :– (ursprünglich JP); :– (P); :– (E); : (E); : (P) auf den kleinsten gemeinsamen Nenner: die Zuordnung von Ismael und Isaak und die Vorrangstellung Isaaks.” ednoort should be mentioned, they are Arab tribes mentioned five times in the late texts of the Hebrew Bible (Ps :; Chr :, , ; :).5 Coming to the end of the narrative thread in Genesis, however, we see Ishmael at peace with his brother Isaac. Abraham has died and “his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpela . . .. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah” (Gen :, ). Here Abraham is buried by his two sons, as if nothing had happened in the troublesome stories before. Of course, we can separate the texts diachronically, but the final composition gives Ishmael a place alongside Isaac: “all’s well that ends well.” It appears that Ishmael has an important role while Hagar plays only a supporting part. Nevertheless, in the narratives of Gen and , the stories we are focusing on, the stage is set in a different way. Of the five protagonists, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Hagar, and Ishmael, Hagar is the most important in Gen . The camera follows her in almost every scene,6 with the others only having supporting roles. There is a change, however, for the focus in the second story slowly shifts from Hagar to the unnamed Ishmael—to the promises made to him and his fate. He is at the centre of Sarah’s concerns about inheritance (Gen :), but Abraham does not want to send him away (Gen :) because he is his son. The divine speech promises him a “nation” (Gen :, ). When Ishmael is near death (Gen :), Elohim hears his voice (Gen :), and as he grows up as a hunter in the wilderness, God is with him (Gen :–). Looking at the final form of the text with the shift of focus from Hagar to Ishmael, the portrayal of Ishmael should be highlighted before we picture his mother, the slave girl Hagar. Whom and what does Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son, represent? The first promise of Gen : is still a general one, “to multiply greatly your offspring.” The characterization in v. , however, is much more specific:
5 See the paper by Anthony Hilhorst in this volume. 6 Gen :–: introduction of Hagar, the slave girl; :: Hagar is given to Abraham; :: Hagar is pregnant; :–: Hagar is humiliated and runs away; :–: Hagar meets the angel of Yhwh; :–: divine promises to Hagar; :–: Hagar names the deity; :–: Hagar gives birth to Ishmael; Gen :–: inheritance problems for the son of Hagar; :–: divine speech with promise to the son of the slave woman; :: Abraham sends Hagar and her son away; :–: Hagar is lost in the desert; :–: the angel of God calls from heaven to Hagar; :: God opens Hagar’s eyes; :–: Hagar finds a wife for Ishmael.