Genesis Chapter 17 verse 18 Holy Bible
And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!
read chapter 17 in ASV
And Abraham said to God, If only Ishmael's life might be your care!
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And Abraham said to God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!
read chapter 17 in DARBY
And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
read chapter 17 in KJV
And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
read chapter 17 in WBT
Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you!"
read chapter 17 in WEB
And Abraham saith unto God, `O that Ishmael may live before Thee;'
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 18. - And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! Not implying that Abram was content with Hagar's child as the promised seed without waiting for Sarai s son (Jerome, Calvin, Kalisch); scarcely that he feared lest God might remove Ishmael by death now that Isaac had been promised (Wordsworth-); but probably that he desired that Ishmael might not only live and prosper (Bush), but share with Sarah s son in the blessings of the covenant (Keil, Longs, Rosenmüller, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary,' Inglis).
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(18) O that Ishmael . . . --For thirteen years Ishmael had been the "son of the house" (Genesis 15:3), and regarded probably as the true heir. Mingled then with Abraham's joy there was also the pain, natural to a father, of knowing that this transference of the promise to Sarah's child meant the deposition and disappointment of one who for so long had held the post of honour. Stoicism would have repressed this upright and natural feeling, but God hears and accepts the father's prayers; and while the birthright and religious pre-eminence is justly given to the son of the freewoman, there is a large earthly blessing for the handmaid's son.
