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76
been. So anyone reading the text and working out the ages of
Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac will see that this is an interpolation.
The words “I will multiply thy seed” in
Genesis 22:17
was
applied earlier to Ishmael in
Genesis 16:10
. Was the whole of
Genesis 22
not applicable to Ishmael then? “I will make him a
great nation” had been repeated twice for Ishmael in
Genesis
17:20
and
Genesis 21:18
, and not to Isaac.
m.
The Jews and Christians maintain that Isaac was superior to
Ishmael.
M
. That is what they say but not what the Bible states (
Genesis
15:4
): “And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him
(Abraham) saying, This (Eliezer of Damascus) shall not be thine
heir, but
he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall
be thine heir
.”
So Ishmael was also heir
.
Genesis 16:10
: “And the angel of the Lord said unto her (Hagar),
I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be
numbered for multitude.”
Genesis 17:20
: “
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I
have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will
multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I
will make him a great nation.”
Genesis 21:13:
“
And also of the son of the bondwoman will I
make a nation, because he is thy seed.”
Genesis 21:18
: “Arise, lift up the lad (Ishmael), and hold him in
thine hand, for I will make him a great nation
.”
By the way,
anyone can see today that the Arabs outnumber the Jews by
millions
.
Is it not a fulfillment of the prophecy that God will
“multiply him exceedingly?” The Jews are only about twenty