Genesis 25:18

tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

tn Heb “as you go.”

sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

tn Heb “he fell.”

tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.