THEOSISJerome of Stridon
The remaining sons of Ishmael are noted in the text where it states, ‘They lived from Havilah to Sur, which is before Egypt, as you go to Assyria. In the presence of all his siblings he fell.’ Ishmael had twelve sons, with Nabaioth as the firstborn. The entire region from the Euphrates to the Red Sea is named Nabathea, reflecting the legacy of the families residing in this land, including their towns, villages, and small fortifications, which collectively go by this name. The name Kedar derives from one of Ishmael’s sons in the wilderness, while another son, Dumah, is recognized in a different area. A third son, Fema, lent his name to the southern part, and the fourth son, Kedma, is associated with the eastern region.
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The conclusion of this verse, as rendered in the Septuagint, states ‘in the sight of all his brethren he lived,’ but a more precise translation is, ‘in the sight of all his brethren he rested.’ This signifies that Ishmael passed away surrounded by his children, implying that they outlived their father, with none of them taken by death before him. The term brothers can refer to sons, as exemplified when Jacob addresses Laban, asking, ‘What is my sin, that thou hast chased me and searched all my things? What have you found of all the things of your house? Let it be laid before my brothers and your brothers, and let them judge between us’ (Gen. 31:36-37). It would not be logical to assume that Jacob had any brothers present beyond his own children, as indicated in the Scripture.