How many children did Abraham have?

[Sir_Knight]

• One? [bibledrb]Hebrews 11:17[/bibledrb]
  … "his only begotten son"
• Two? [bibledrb]Galatians 4:22[/bibledrb]
  … "had two sons"
• Eight? [bibledrb]Genesis 25:1[/bibledrb][bibledrb]Genesis 25:2[/bibledrb]
  … “bore him Zamran (#3), and Jecsan (#4), and Madan (#5), and Madian (#6), and Jesboc (#7), and Sue (#8)”

 

[DaveBj]

Looks like you answered your own question, Alan.

(A boy named Sue? Not really; his name was Shuakh. That’s one of the things I don’t like about the D-R, the way it distorts Hebrew names out of all recognition. But that’s another thread.)

DaveBj

 

[Sir_Knight]

It just strikes me as rather odd that Paul would tell the Hebrews that Abraham had only one son while telling the Galatians that he had two sons and in both cases completely over-looking what Genesis 25:1-2 had to say.

 

[zarthan]

It just strikes me as rather odd that Paul would tell the Hebrews that Abraham had only one son while telling the Galatians that he had two sons and in both cases completely over-looking what Genesis 25:1-2 had to say.

Isaac was the child of promise to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. He was the only child of Sarah. The writer of Hebrews is attempting to show the prophetic fulfillment of the story of Abraham willing to offer up his only son, and that of our heavenly Father giving up His only begotten on the cross for our sake.

 

[Totterman]

Jesus,our Lords peace be whit You.
Read the Bible. All You need to know is there.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Jesus,our Lords peace be whit You.
Read the Bible. All You need to know is there.

The bible is telling me THREE different things in the passages that I quoted … one son, two sons, eight sons.

 

[zarthan]

The bible is telling me THREE different things in the passages that I quoted … one son, two sons, eight sons.

One needs to look at the context of each of these scriptures. Isaac is called in Genesis Abraham’s ‘only son’ or ‘beloved son’ of Sarah through whom the Messiah would be born, through whom all the nations of earth would be blessed as promised to Abraham by God our Father. Isaac is one of the patriarchs of the Jewish people

Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn, became the father of the Muslim nations, who also received a blessing from God, but was not the son through whom the Messiah would be born. He was born of Hagar .He was sent into the wilderness with his mother Hagar and was providentially cared for. The conflict between the biological children of Isaac and Ishmael still exists. Yet, the apostle Paul calls the church the spiritual children of Isaac, who is the allegory of Jesus Christ.

The other children of Abraham were born to him after Sarah was no longer alive. There is something to consider historically and presently regarding the blessings that God gave to the biological children of Abraham. One needs to search the blessing that God gave to the children of Seth and see how this applies to Abraham and his children.

 

[zarthan]

Correction from previous post: “One needs to search the blessing that God gave to the children of Seth and see how this applies to Abraham and his children.”

The three sons of Noah are Shem, Japeth, and Ham. Abraham is a descendant of Shem, and God says of Shem, that the people of Japeth shall dwell in the tents of Shem.

 

[twinc]

Millions - Abraham’s seed was to be as many as the grains of sand[Gen.22:17-18] - twinc

 

[Evan]

Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn, became the father of the **Muslim **nations, who also received a blessing from God, but was not the son through whom the Messiah would be born. He was born of Hagar .He was sent into the wilderness with his mother Hagar and was providentially cared for. The conflict between the biological children of Isaac and Ishmael still exists. Yet, the apostle Paul calls the church the spiritual children of Isaac, who is the allegory of Jesus Christ.

I believe he was the father of the Arabic Nations. Many Catholics and other Christians are Arabic. Muslim is a religion; Arabic is a people, a race. Anyone can convert to/from Muslim, that does not change their ancestor.

 

[zarthan]

I believe he was the father of the Arabic Nations. Many Catholics and other Christians are Arabic. Muslim is a religion; Arabic is a people, a race. Anyone can convert to/from Muslim, that does not change their ancestor.

Of course, you are correct. Ishamael became the father of Arabic nations, and Muslims hold that Ishmael is the rightful firstborn of Abraham, rather than Isaac. So, I was attempting to explain this conflict between the Jewish people and Muslims on this issue without being specific about the Arabic nations.