Reacquainting
(1-minute read)
In a whirlwind of fate and fervor, Abraham embarks on a dramatic quest to reconnect with his estranged son, Ishmael. His journey leads him across treacherous wilderness and to a tense encounter with Ishmael’s scornful wife, who harshly curses her family and condemns her husband. In a pivotal moment, Abraham delivers a cryptic message that causes Ishmael to cast away his unworthy wife and embrace a new chapter with his second spouse, Malchuth.
Years later, driven by longing, Abraham revisits Ishmael, finding his son’s new home and family thriving in the Canaanite land. The heartfelt reunion culminates in a symbolic blessing and a message of approval for Ishmael’s new life, restoring bonds and mending old wounds. As father and son reconcile, Ishmael moves his family to join Abraham, heralding a new era of unity and shared destiny, where their once-fractured relationship blossoms into a harmonious legacy.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
9%
JASHER
88%
JUBILEES
3%
Exposition
Y: 2058 | Terah marries Pelilah
Jasher 22:31a
J: 43 | Y: 2059 | Zoba born
Jasher 22:31b
Y: 2059 | Ishmael marries Meribah
Genesis 21:20-21, Jasher 21:17, Jubilees 17:13
Y: 2060 | Nebaioth born
Jubilees 17:14
Y: 2060-2065 | Ishmael and Meribah’s children born
Genesis 25:12-13, Jasher 25:14-16
Y: 2066 | Terah and Nahor’s family still dwell in Haran
Jasher 22:15
Y: 2066-2079 | Nahor’s grandchildren born
Jasher 22:19-30
Ishmael’s family grows, they travel, and increase in livestock
Jasher 21:18-21
Rising Action
Y: 2071 | Abraham longs to see Ishmael and leaves
Jasher 21:22-23
Climax
Abraham attempts to visit Ishmael
Jasher 21:24-36, 25:17
Falling Action
Ishmael marries Malchuth
Jasher 21:37, 25:18a
Y: 2072-2086 Ishmael and Malchuth’s children born
Genesis 25:14-16, Jasher 25:18b-19
Resolution
Y: 2074 | Abraham attempts to visit Ishmael 3 years later
Jasher 21:38-47
Ishmael packs up and dwells with Abraham
Jasher 21:48, 22:1-2
Year: 2058
Terah marries Pelilah
Jasher 22:31a
31a And Terah, father of Nahor and Abraham, went and took another wife in his old age, and her name was Pelilah,
Jubilee: 43
Year: 2059
Zoba born
Jasher 22:31b
31b and she conceived and bare him a son and he called his name Zoba.
Ishmael marries Meribah
Genesis 21:20-21
20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Jasher 21:17
17 And he and his mother afterward went to the land of Egypt, and they dwelt there, and Hagar took a wife for her son from Egypt, and her name was Meribah.
Jubilees 17:13
13 And the child grew and became an archer, and God was with him, and his mother took him a wife from among the daughters of Egypt.
Year: 2060
Nebaioth born
Jubilees 17:14
14 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Nebaioth; for she said, ‘The Lord was nigh to me when I called upon him.’
Year: 2060-2065
Ishmael and Meribah’s children born
Genesis 25:12-13
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
Jasher 25:14-16
14 And these are the generations of Ishmael the son Abraham, whom Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham.
15 And Ishmael took a wife from the land of Egypt, and her name was Ribah, the same is Meribah.
16 And Ribah bare unto Ishmael Nebayoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam and their sister Bosmath.
Year: 2066
Terah and Nahor’s family still dwell in Haran
Jasher 22:15
15 And Abraham’s brother Nahor and his father and all belonging to them dwelt in Haran, for they did not come with Abraham to the land of Canaan.
Year: 2066-2079
Nahor’s grandchildren born
Jasher 22:19-30
19 And the children that were born to Nahor were twelve sons besides his daughters, and they also had children born to them in Haran.
20 And the children of Uz the first born of Nahor were Abi, Cheref, Gadin, Melus, and Deborah their sister.
21 And the sons of Buz were Berachel, Naamath, Sheva, and Madonu.
22 And the sons of Kemuel were Aram and Rechob.
23 And the sons of Kesed were Anamlech, Meshai, Benon and Yifi; and the sons of Chazo were Pildash, Mechi and Opher.
24 And the sons of Pildash were Arud, Chamum, Mered and Moloch.
25 And the sons of Tidlaf were Mushan, Cushan and Mutzi.
26 And the children of Bethuel were Sechar, Laban and their sister Rebecca.
27 These are the families of the children of Nahor, that were born to them in Haran; and Aram the son of Kemuel and Rechob his brother went away from Haran, and they found a valley in the land by the river Euphrates.
28 And they built a city there, and they called the name of the city after the name of Pethor the son of Aram, that is Aram Naherayim unto this day.
29 And the children of Kesed also went to dwell where they could find a place, and they went and they found a valley opposite to the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
30 And they there built themselves a city, and they called the name at the city Kesed after the name of their father, that is the land Kasdim unto this day, and the Kasdim dwelt in that land and they were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly.
Ishamel’s family grows, they travel, and increase in livestock
Jasher 21:18-21
18 And the wife of Ishmael conceived and bare four sons and two daughters, and Ishmael and his mother and his wife and children afterward went and returned to the wilderness.
19 And they made themselves tents in the wilderness, in which they dwelt, and they continued to travel and then to rest monthly and yearly.
20 And God gave Ishmael flocks and herds and tents on account of Abraham his father, and the man increased in cattle.
21 And Ishmael dwelt in deserts and in tents, traveling and resting for a long time, and he did not see the face of his father.
Year: 2071
Abraham longs to see Ishmael and leaves
Jasher 21:22-23
22 And in some time after, Abraham said to Sarah his wife, I will go and see my son Ishmael, for I have a desire to see him, for I have not seen him for a long time.
23 And Abraham rode upon one of his camels to the wilderness to seek his son Ishmael, for he heard that he was dwelling in a tent in the wilderness with all belonging to him.
Abraham attempts to visit Ishmael
Jasher 21:24-36
24 And Abraham went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Ishmael about noon, and he asked after Ishmael, and he found the wife of Ishmael sitting in the tent with her children, and Ishmael her husband and his mother were not with them.
25 And Abraham asked the wife of Ishmael, saying, Where has Ishmael gone? and she said, He has gone to the field to hunt, and Abraham was still mounted upon the camel, for he would not get off to the ground as he had sworn to his wife Sarah that he would not get off from the camel.
26 And Abraham said to Ishmael’s wife, My daughter, give me a little water that I may drink, for I am fatigued from the journey.
27 And Ishmael’s wife answered and said to Abraham, We have neither water nor bread, and she continued sitting in the tent and did not notice Abraham, neither did she ask him who he was.
28 But she was beating her children in the tent, and she was cursing them, and she also cursed her husband Ishmael and reproached him, and Abraham heard the words of Ishmael’s wife to her children, and he was very angry and displeased.
29 And Abraham called to the woman to come out to him from the tent, and the woman came and stood opposite to Abraham, for Abraham was still mounted upon the camel.
30 And Abraham said to Ishmael’s wife, When thy husband Ishmael returneth home say these words to him,
31 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came hither to seek thee, and thus was his appearance and figure; I did not ask him who he was, and seeing thou wast not here he spoke unto me and said, When Ishmael thy husband returneth tell him thus did this man say, When thou comest home put away this nail of the tent which thou hast placed here, and place another nail in its stead.
32 And Abraham finished his instructions to the woman, and he turned and went off on the camel homeward.
33 And after that Ishmael came from the chase he and his mother, and returned to the tent, and his wife spoke these words to him,
34 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came to seek thee, and thus was his appearance and figure; I did not ask him who he was, and seeing thou wast not at home he said to me, When thy husband cometh home tell him, thus saith the old man, Put away the nail of the tent which thou hast placed here and place another nail in its stead.
35 And Ishmael heard the words of his wife, and he knew that it was his father, and that his wife did not honor him.
36 And Ishmael understood his father’s words that he had spoken to his wife, and Ishmael hearkened to the voice of his father, and Ishmael cast off that woman and she went away.
Jasher 25:17
17 And Ishmael cast away his wife Ribah, and she went from him and returned to Egypt to the house of her father, and she dwelt there, for she had been very bad in the sight of Ishmael, and in the sight of his father Abraham.
Ishmael marries Malchuth
Jasher 21:37
37 And Ishmael afterward went to the land of Canaan, and he took another wife and he brought her to his tent to the place where he then dwelt.
Jasher 25:18a
18a And Ishmael afterward took a wife from the land of Canaan, and her name was Malchuth,
Year: 2072-2086
Ishmael and Malchuth’s children born
Genesis 25:14-16
14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
Jasher 25:18b-19a
18b and she bare unto him Nishma, Dumah, Masa, Chadad, Tema, Yetur, Naphish and Kedma.
19a These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, being twelve princes according to their nations;
Year: 2074
Abraham attempts to visit Ishmael 3 years later
Jasher 21:38-47
38 And at the end of three years Abraham said, I will go again and see Ishmael my son, for I have not seen him for a long time.
39 And he rode upon his camel and went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Ishmael about noon.
40 And he asked after Ishmael, and his wife came out of the tent and she said, He is not here my lord, for he has gone to hunt in the fields, and to feed the camels, and the woman said to Abraham, Turn in my lord into the tent, and eat a morsel of bread, for thy soul must be wearied on account of the journey.
41 And Abraham said to her, I will not stop for I am in haste to continue my journey, but give me a little water to drink, for I have thirst; and the woman hastened and ran into the tent and she brought out water and bread to Abraham, which she placed before him and she urged him to eat, and he ate and drank and his heart was comforted and he blessed his son Ishmael.
42 And he finished his meal and he blessed the Lord, and he said to Ishmael’s wife, When Ishmael cometh home say these words to him,
43 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came hither and asked after thee, and thou wast not here; and I brought him out bread and water and he ate and drank and his heart was comforted.
44 And he spoke these words to me: When Ishmael thy husband cometh home, say unto him, The nail of the tent which thou hast is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
45 And Abraham finished commanding the woman, and he rode off to his home to the land of the Philistines; and when Ishmael came to his tent his wife went forth to meet him with joy and a cheerful heart.
46 And she said to him, An old man came here from the land of the Philistines and thus was his appearance, and he asked after thee and thou wast not here, so I brought out bread and water, and he ate and drank and his heart was comforted.
47 And he spoke these words to me, When Ishmael thy husband cometh home say to him, The nail of the tent which thou hast is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
Ishamel packs up and dwells with Abraham
Jasher 21:48
48 And Ishmael knew that it was his father, and that his wife had honored him, and the Lord blessed Ishmael.
And Ishmael then rose up and took his wife and his children and his cattle and all belonging to him, and he journeyed from there and he went to his father in the land of the Philistines.
Jasher 22:1-2
1 And Abraham related to Ishmael his son the transaction with the first wife that Ishmael took, according to what she did.
2 And Ishmael and his children dwelt with Abraham many days in that land, and Abraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines a long time.
No notes.
(14-minute read)
Exposition
Y: 2058 | Terah marries Pelilah
Jasher 22:31a
In his old age, Terah—the father of Nahor and Abraham—took another wife, and her name was Pelilah.
J: 43 | Y: 2059 | Zoba born
Jasher 22:31b
Pelilah became pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom Terah named Zoba.
Y: 2059 | Ishmael marries Meribah
Genesis 21:20-21, Jasher 21:17, Jubilees 17:13
God was with the boy, and he grew up living in the wilderness and became an archer. He settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother found him a wife from Egypt, whose name was Meribah (also called Ribah).
Y: 2060 | Nebaioth born
Jubilees 17:14
Meribah gave birth to a son, and Ishmael named him Nebaioth. She said, “The Lord was near to me when I called upon him.”
Y: 2060-2065 | Ishmael and Meribah’s children born
Genesis 25:12-13, Jasher 25:14-16
These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, born to him by Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid: the names of Ishmael’s sons, listed by name and generation, were Nebajoth (Nebayoth) the firstborn, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, and their sister Bosmath.
Y: 2066 | Terah and Nahor’s family still dwell in Haran
Jasher 22:15
Abraham’s brother Nahor, along with their father Terah and their entire household, stayed in Haran. They did not accompany Abraham to the land of Canaan.
Y: 2066-2079 | Nahor’s grandchildren born
Jasher 22:19-30
Nahor had 12 sons and several daughters, who had children of their own while living in Haran.
The sons of Uz, Nahor’s firstborn, were Abi, Cheref, Gadin, Melus, and their sister Deborah.
The sons of Buz were Berachel, Naamath, Sheva, and Madonu.
The sons of Kemuel were Aram and Rechob.
The sons of Kesed were Anamlech, Meshai, Benon, and Yifi.
The sons of Chazo were Pildash, Mechi, and Opher.
The sons of Pildash were Arud, Chamum, Mered, and Moloch.
The sons of Tidlaf were Mushan, Cushan, and Mutzi.
Bethuel’s children were Sechar, Laban, and their sister Rebecca.
These were the families descended from Nahor, born in Haran. Aram, Kemuel’s son, and his brother Rechob left Haran and discovered a valley by the Euphrates River. There they built a city and named it Pethor, after Aram’s son. That place is still known as Aram Naherayim.
The children of Kesed also searched for a place to live. They found a valley opposite the land of Shinar and built a city called Kesed, named after their father. This city became the land of Kasdim, where the Kasdim lived and multiplied greatly.
Ishmael’s family grows, they travel, and increase in livestock
Jasher 21:18-21
Ishmael’s wife gave birth to 4 sons and 2 daughters. Ishmael, along with his mother, his wife, and their children, returned to the wilderness. They lived there in tents, traveling and resting at intervals. Because of his father Abraham, God blessed Ishmael with flocks, herds, and tents, and he became wealthy in livestock. Ishmael continued living a nomadic life in the desert for a long time and did not see his father during that period.
Rising Action
Y: 2071 | Abraham longs to see Ishmael and leaves
Jasher 21:22-23
Sometime later, Abraham said to his wife Sarah, “I want to go see my son Ishmael. I miss him, and it’s been a long time since I last saw him.” So Abraham mounted one of his camels and went into the wilderness to find Ishmael, having heard that he was living in a tent out there with his household.
Climax
Abraham attempts to visit Ishmael
Jasher 21:24-36, 25:17
Abraham arrived in the wilderness and reached Ishmael’s tent around noon. He asked about Ishmael and found only Ishmael’s wife and children at home—Ishmael and his mother were away.
He asked Ishmael’s wife, “Where has Ishmael gone?”
She replied, “He went out to the field to hunt.”
Abraham stayed on his camel, as he had sworn to Sarah that he wouldn’t get off the camel during this visit.
Then he said to her, “My daughter, please bring me a little water to drink. I’m tired from the journey.”
Ishmael’s wife answered, “We have no water or bread,” and she stayed seated in the tent. She didn’t acknowledge Abraham or ask who he was. Instead, she yelled at her children, cursed them, and also cursed her husband Ishmael, complaining about him. Abraham heard her words and was deeply angered and disturbed.
He called her out of the tent, and she came and stood across from him—Abraham still on his camel. He said, “When your husband Ishmael comes home, tell him this: ‘An old man from the land of the Philistines came looking for you. I didn’t ask him who he was, but since you weren’t here, he said to tell you, “When you return, remove the nail of the tent you have here, and replace it with another.”’”
After giving her these instructions, Abraham turned around and headed back home on his camel.
When Ishmael returned with his mother from the hunt, his wife told him, “An old man from the land of the Philistines came looking for you. I didn’t ask him who he was, but he said to tell you, ‘When your husband comes home, tell him this: “Replace the nail of the tent you have here with another.”’”
Ishmael understood that the visitor had been his father and realized that his wife had shown him no respect. Recognizing the meaning behind his father’s words, Ishmael obeyed and divorced his wife Ribah. She returned to Egypt and lived in her father’s house. Ishmael had found her behavior displeasing, both to himself and to his father Abraham.
Falling Action
Ishmael marries Malchuth
Jasher 21:37, 25:18a
Afterward, Ishmael went to the land of Canaan and married another woman. He brought her back to his home, and her name was Malchuth.
Y: 2072-2086 Ishmael and Malchuth’s children born
Genesis 25:14-16, Jasher 25:18b-19
Together, Ishmael and Malchuth had sons named Mishma (Nishma), Dumah, Massa (Masa), Hadar (Chadad), Tema, Jetur (Yetur), Naphish, and Kedemah (Kedma). These were Ishmael’s sons, named by their towns and fortresses—12 princes, each the head of their own nation.
Resolution
Y: 2074 | Abraham attempts to visit Ishmael 3 years later
Jasher 21:38-47
Three years later, Abraham said, “I will go again to see my son Ishmael, for it has been a long time since I last saw him.” He rode his camel into the wilderness and reached Ishmael’s tent around noon. When he asked about Ishmael, his wife came out and said, “My lord, he isn’t here. He’s gone to the fields to hunt and tend to the camels. Please come in and have a little bread—surely you are tired from your journey.”
Abraham replied, “I cannot stop; I must continue on quickly. But please give me a little water to drink—I am thirsty.” She quickly ran into the tent and brought out both water and bread, which she set before him. She urged him to eat, and he did, drinking and finding comfort. Abraham then blessed his son Ishmael.
When he finished his meal, Abraham blessed the Lord and told her, “When Ishmael returns, say this to him: ‘An old man from the land of the Philistines came looking for you. Since you were gone, I gave him food and water. He said to tell you, “The nail of the tent you have is very good—do not remove it.”’”
Abraham finished giving her the message, then rode back home to the land of the Philistines. When Ishmael arrived, his wife ran out joyfully to greet him and said, “An old man from the land of the Philistines came while you were gone. I gave him food and water, and he was comforted. He said to tell you, ‘The nail of the tent you have is very good—do not remove it.’”
Ishmael packs up and dwells with Abraham
Jasher 21:48, 22:1-2
Ishmael knew it had been his father and that his wife had treated him with honor, so the Lord blessed him. Ishmael gathered his wife, children, livestock, and all his belongings and traveled to join his father in the land of the Philistines.
There, Abraham told Ishmael about what had happened with his first wife. Ishmael and his children stayed with Abraham for many days. Abraham remained in the land of the Philistines for a long time.
This chart shows who was alive in the years 2058-2074.