They dwelt from Havilah to Shur: the Septuagint and Vulgate have “He” instead of They, but Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the Hebrew. They refers to the sons of Ishmael and their descendants, and in relation to Ishmael they are all “descendants” (Good News Translation). Havilah occurs in 2.11 and 10.29 but not as a known place. See also 1 Sam 15.7. Some scholars believe it to be in northeast Arabia (Driver). Westermann suggests it may be on the Persian Gulf. For comments on Shur see 16.7.

Which is opposite Egypt: opposite translates a phrase that may mean “before,” “in front of,” or may be used as in 1 Kgs 11.7 with the meaning of “to the east of.” Good News Translation and others translate in this way. However, some understand it to mean “close to” or “in hostility to.”

In the direction of Assyria is literally “as you go to Asshur.” Translations differ as to the meaning of “Asshur.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation say Assyria and refer to the country by that name. New English Bible and others say “Asshur” and refer to the capital of Assyria. See discussion of “Asshur” at 2.14. There is no clear reason to prefer one above the other.

He settled over against all his people: the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew and translates the subject as he, which refers to Ishmael. However, Good News Translation takes the singular subject to be understood in a collective sense, and so refers to the descendants of Ishmael.

As the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, the Hebrew has “fell,” which Revised Standard Version translates as settled. The same Hebrew verb in Judges 7.12 is translated in this way. However, others understand “fell” accompanied by over against to mean “to raid,” or “to attack,” or as Speiser says, “made forays against.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project takes “fell” to mean “died” and suggests “because he [Ishmael] died before his brothers” or “because he died during the life-time of his brothers.” However, it is not clear why Ishmael’s dying before his brothers would cause his descendants to become spread from Havilah to Shur.

The same Hebrew phrase in the first part of verse 18 translated “opposite” by Revised Standard Version and “to the east” by Good News Translation is rendered here as over against by Revised Standard Version and as “apart from” by Good News Translation. However, as pointed out above, it may also have the sense of “in hostility to,” which is the sense intended by Revised Standard Version.

Due to the differences in the interpretation of this clause, it is not possible to point to any one model as being the preferred one. However, Good News Translation is a suitable model, and New International Version may also be followed: “And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.”

His people is literally “his brothers.” These may be the “other descendants of Abraham” (Good News Translation), such as Isaac and the sons of Keturah and their offspring mentioned in verses 2-4. But there is another possible interpretation given by Speiser, who translates “each made forays against his various kinsmen.” In his notes he comments on the singular verb: “… evidently distributive, hence the rendering ‘each.’ ” Another example of a recent translation that follows this interpretation is “But these tribes were not able to live peaceably together.”

This concludes the Abraham story.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .