What are the…
Ishmaelites

also known as: Ishmeelites (KJV Bible: Genesis 37:28; 39:1)

Ishmaelites in the Bible are the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s first son, born to Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant.

Sarah, seemingly unable to have a child, gave Hagar to Abraham. Hagar became pregnant and bore Ishmael as a result. Later, as God promised, Sarah bore her own child Isaac. Conflict followed between Sarah and Hagar.

After Isaac was weaned, Sarah had Hagar and Ishmael sent away. An angel met her and told her to name the boy Ishmael (“God hears”) and that his descendants would be too many to count.

God later told Abraham:

• Ishmael would be blessed and made fruitful
• He would father 12 princes
• God would make him a great nation
• The covenant itself would still be with Isaac (Genesis 17:18–21)

Ishmael grew up in the wilderness of Paran as an archer and married an Egyptian woman (Genesis 21).

Ishmaelites are not Israelites. The covenant line of promise runs through Isaac (Sarah’s divinely promised son). Ishmael is still Abraham’s son, and God explicitly blesses him and his line.

Ishmael’s 12 sons

Genesis 25:13–16 lists these sons who became tribal chiefs. They lived as nomadic groups from Havilah to Shur, near Egypt’s eastern border toward Assyria—roughly the Sinai / northern Arabian desert region.

1. Nebaioth (Nebajoth)
2. Kedar
3. Adbeel
4. Mibsam
5. Mishma
6. Dumah
7. Massa
8. Hadad
9. Tema
10. Jetur
11. Naphish
12. Kedemah

Main biblical appearances

Joseph, son of Jacob—Joseph’s brothers sold him to a passing caravan of Ishmaelite traders heading from Gilead to Egypt (Genesis 37:25–28; 39:1). They are also called Midianites. That is not a contradiction in the usual ancient sense: Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah, so they were related. The groups intermarried, traveled together, and the names are used interchangeably for mixed desert trading parties.

Judges 8:24 does the same thing: Gideon’s Midianite enemies are called Ishmaelites because of their gold earrings.

Esau—Esau married a daughter of Ishmael (Mahalath/Basemath) to please his parents after earlier Canaanite marriages (Genesis 28:8–9; 36:3).

Gideon—Midianite/Ishmaelite raiders oppressed the children of Israel until Gideon defeated them (Judges 6–8).

Psalm 83—Ishmaelites are listed among peoples allied against Israel, with Edom, Moab, and the Hagarites (Hagrites).

David’s court—Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of David’s camels (1 Chronicles 27:30). Another Ishmaelite connection appears in David’s family line (1 Chronicles 2:17).