THEOSISJerome of Stridon
The other sons of Ishmael are mentioned in the context where it states, ‘They lived from Havilah to Sur, which is before Egypt, as you go to Assyria. In the presence of all his brothers he fell.’ Ishmael had twelve sons, with Nabaioth being the firstborn. The entire area from the Euphrates River to the Red Sea still carries the name Nabathea, reflecting the lineage of its residents, including their towns, villages, small fortifications, and tribes recognized by that name. One of Ishmael's sons gave rise to Kedar in the wilderness, another to Dumah in a separate territory, a third to Fema in the southern region, and a fourth to Kedma in the east.
Read more (147 words)
The concluding phrase of this passage, as translated by the Seventy, ‘in the sight of all his brethren he lived,’ is more accurately rendered as ‘in the sight of all his brethren he rested.’ This indicates that Ishmael passed away surrounded by his sons, signifying that he lived to see all his children before death took him, as none of them died before him. It is also appropriate to refer to them as brothers rather than simply sons. Jacob’s interaction with Laban illustrates this when he questions, ‘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 is clear that the term "brothers" refers specifically to the children, consistent with what Scripture conveys.