Genesis 25 · Verse 6

Genesis 25:6

But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
Genesis 25:6, King James Version

Genesis 25:6 in other translations

BSBBut while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
WEBbut Abraham gave gifts to the sons of Abraham’s concubines. While he still lived, he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the east country.
ASVBut unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
YLTand to the sons of the concubines whom Abraham hath, Abraham hath given gifts, and sendeth them away from Isaac his son (in his being yet alive) eastward, unto the east country.
DARBYAnd to the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and, while he yet lived, sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward to the east country.
BBEBut to the sons of his other women he gave offerings, and sent them away, while he was still living, into the east country.
WebsterBut to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son (while he yet lived) eastward, to the east country.

What does Genesis 25:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 25:5-6

5-6. Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac ... unto the sons of the concubines ... Abraham gave gifts--While the chief part of the inheritance went to Isaac; the other sons (Ishmael included) migrated to "the East country," that is, Arabia, but received each a portion of the patrimony, perhaps in cattle and other things; and this settlement of Abraham's must have given satisfaction, since it is still the rule…

Read the full comment on Genesis 25:5-6 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Unto the sons of the concubines - Viz., Hagar and Keturah, Abraham gave gifts. Cattle for breed, seed to sow the land, and implements for husbandry, may be what is here intended. And sent them away - while he yet lived - Lest after his death they should dispute a settlement in the Land of Promise with Isaac; therefore he very prudently sent them to procure settlements during his lifetime, that they might be under no temptation to dispute the settlement with Isaac in Canaan. From this circumstance arose that law which has prevailed in almost all countries, of giving the estates to the eldest son by a lawful wife; for though concubines, or wives of the second rank, were perfectly legitimate in those ancient times, yet their children did not inherit, except in case of the failure of legal issue, and with the consent of the lawful wife; and it is very properly observed by Calmet, that it was in consequence of the consent of Leah and Rachel that the children of their slaves by Jacob had a common and equal lot with the rest. By a law of Solon all natural children were excluded from the paternal inheritance, but their fathers were permitted to give them any sum not beyond a thousand drachma by way of present. Eastward, unto the east country - Arabia Deserta, which was eastward of Beer-sheba, where Abraham lived.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 25:1-10

Esau despises and sells his birth-right. (29-34) Verses 1-10 All the days, even of the best and greatest saints, are not remarkable days; some slide on silently; such were these last days of Abraham. Here is an account of Abraham's children by Keturah, and the disposition which he made of his estate. After the birth of these sons, he set his house in order, with prudence and justice. He did this while he yet lived…

Read the full comment on Genesis 25:1-10 →

Genesis 25:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְלִבְנֵ֤יve.liv.Neiand to [the] sons ofH1121
הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁים֙ha.pi.lag.Shimthe concubinesH6370
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhoH834
לְאַבְרָהָ֔םle.'av.ra.Ham[belonged] to AbrahamH85
נָתַ֥ןna.Tanhe gaveH5414
אַבְרָהָ֖ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
מַתָּנֹ֑תma.ta.NotgiftsH4979
וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֞םvay.sha.le.Chemand he sent away themH7971
מֵעַ֨לme.'Alfrom withH5921
יִצְחָ֤קyitz.ChakIsaacH3327
בְּנוֹ֙be.Noson hisH1121
בְּעוֹדֶ֣נּוּbe.'o.De.nuwhile still [was] heH5750
חַ֔יChaialiveH2416
קֵ֖דְמָהKe.de.maheast -wardH6924
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz[the] land ofH776
קֶֽדֶם\׃Ke.dem[the] eastH6924

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 25:6

  • Genesis 21:14

    And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer–sheba.

  • Judges 6:3

    And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

  • Acts 14:17

    Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

  • Matthew 5:45

    That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

  • Judges 19:1-2

    And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth–lehem–judah. And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth–lehem–judah, and was there four whole months.

  • Genesis 35:22

    And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

  • Judges 19:4

    And his father in law, the damsel’s father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.

  • Genesis 25:1

    Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

  • Genesis 16:3

    And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

  • Genesis 32:22

    And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

  • Job 1:3

    His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

  • Luke 11:11-13

    If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
concubines.
1; 16:3; 30:4,9; 32:22; 35:22; Jud 19:1,2,4
gifts.
Ps 17:14,15; Mt 5:45; Lu 11:11-13; Ac 14:17
sent.
21:14
east country.Arabia Deserta, which was eastward of Beer-sheba, where Abraham dwelt.
Jud 6:3; Job 1:1,3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 25:5

    And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

  • Genesis 25:6

    But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

  • Genesis 25:7

    And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

Read all of Genesis 25

Genesis 25:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y á los hijos de sus concubinas dió Abraham dones, y enviólos de junto Isaac su hijo, mientras él vivía, hacia el oriente, á la tierra oriental.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et aux fils des concubines qu’eut Abraham, Abraham fit des dons; et, tandis qu’il était encore en vie, il les renvoya d’auprès d’Isaac, son fils, vers l’orient, au pays d’orient.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und den Söhnen der Kebsweiber, die Abraham hatte, gab Abraham Geschenke; und er ließ sie, während er noch lebte, von seinem Sohne Isaak wegziehen nach Osten, in das Land des Ostens. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
filiis autem concubinarum largitus est munera, et separavit eos ab Isaac filio suo, dum adhuc ipse viveret, ad plagam orientalem.