參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本              

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

12. And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore to Abraham.

13. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations. The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

14. And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

15. Hadad, and Tema and Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

16. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their towns and by their settlements; twelve chiefs according to their nations.

17. And these were the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred thirty-seven years. And he expired and died, and was gathered to his people.

18. And they lived from Havilah to Shur, which is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. And he died in the presence of all his brethren.

 (A Faithful Version)

12. 以實瑪利的母親夏甲是埃及人，是撒萊(撒拉)的使女，為亞伯拉罕所生的。他的後代如下：

13. 以實瑪利的兒子，按著世系記錄：長子是尼拜約；其次是基達、亞德別、米比衫。

14. 還有米施瑪、度瑪、瑪撒。

15. 哈大、提瑪、伊突、拿非施、基底瑪。

16. 是以實瑪利的兒子，同時是他們居住或移居地名稱，是那12處地方的首領。

17. 以實瑪利享年一百三十七歲，順其自然，回歸到他列祖那裡。

18. 以實瑪利子孫擁有的領地：從書珥到哈腓拉一帶，就是埃及以東，往亞述方向走的地方。他死時，他的弟兄們都在場。

AI：SHUR

The “Wilderness of Shur” (meaning “wall”) is a biblical region located east of Egypt and north of the Red Sea, often identified as a desert area that acted as a border between Egypt and the land of Canaan/Assyria. Historically, this area was not home to a sedentary population but was inhabited by nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples. 

People Groups Inhabiting or Passing Through Shur:

• Ishmaelites:  Considered the primary inhabitants of the region extending from Havilah to Shur, living “east of all his brothers”. They were nomadic descendants of Ishmael (son of Abraham and Hagar).
• Amalekites:  A nomadic tribe frequently described as inhabiting the land from Havilah all the way to Shur (1 Sam 15:7).
• Midianites:  Associated with the area, with some interpretations placing the Wilderness of Shur in modern-day northwestern Saudi Arabia, overlapping with Midianite territory.
• Hagrites:  Grouped with the Ishmaelites and other Transjordan tribes in biblical texts (Psalm 83:6).
• Shasu/Bedouin:  While not named explicitly in all biblical texts, the description of Shur as a desert area bordering Egypt suggests a population similar to modern Bedouin or ancient Shasu—nomadic peoples who lived in or traversed the area, likely monitored by Egyptian frontier guards. 

Key Figures Linked to the Region:

• Hagar:  Fled to the desert “on the way to Shur”.
• Abraham & Sarah:  Dwelt for a time between Kadesh and Shur.
• The Israelites:  Passed through the Desert of Shur (also called the Wilderness of Etham) after crossing the Red Sea. 

The region is often defined as the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula or the area near the eastern border of Egypt, acting as a defensive barrier (a “wall”) for Egypt against these desert tribes.

AI：KUSH

The ancient Kingdom of Kush was located in  Nubia, along the Nile Valley in what is now modern-day northern Sudan and southern Egypt. It existed from roughly 1700 BCE to 350 CE, with its capital cities at Kerma, Napata, and Meroë. At its peak, the Kushite empire extended from near the Nile’s first cataract southward to modern-day Khartoum. 

Key Locations and Historical Context:

• Location: Primarily located in the region of Upper Nubia (modern Sudan).
• Capitals:  The kingdom moved its center of power over time, moving from Kerma to Napata, and finally to Meroë.
• Relationship to Egypt:  Located south of ancient Egypt, Kush often traded with them but also conquered and ruled Egypt as the 25th Dynasty for about a century.
• Geography:  The region was rich in gold, farmland, and served as a vital trade hub connecting the Nile to the Red Sea. 

AI：Assyria

The ancient   Land of Assyria   was located in Upper Mesopotamia, centered on the   Tigris River near modern-day   Mosul, Iraq, with its core defined by a triangular zone between the cities of   Ashur,   Nineveh, and  Arbail. 

Historically, the territory expanded over time to stretch from the   Armenian Mountains in the north to   Baghdad   in the south, bounded by the Zagros Mountains   to the east and the Kurdistan mountains to the west. 

In the modern era, the   Assyrian homeland   is divided between   Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria, with the majority of the ancestral territory lying in   northern Iraq and adjacent parts of  south eastern Turkey,  north eastern Syria, and  north western Iran. 

Key geographical features include:

• The Tigris River flowing through the center, with the original city of   Ashur   situated on its western bank. 
• The   Nineveh Plain and   Arbel Plain, which remain critical agricultural regions today. 
• The   Urmia Plain in northwestern Iran, which forms a distinct margin of the homeland beyond the main Mesopotamian region.

摩西在這段的記述，都是人名和地名，似乎不容易明白，特別地方在歷史中，版圖不斷改這樣的情況下一，難以明確地判斷。而這段當中明顯的提示：人名同地名是無分別，因此可以此，作為跟本索源的一個依據。由此可以追索到今天，中東地沿政治的分怖如此兇現的成因。

上述從AI 算是以較為科學的方式廣集而來的依據，加上摩西提示的原則，就不難在現在的軌跡上，確認當時以實瑪利子孫生活的地界。

以實瑪利有12支派，即是亞伯拉人當中，有多少能留存到今日，是有跡可尋，如信奉伊斯蘭教的當中，所有派系都源自他的先祖：Ishmael 以實瑪利耶和華使之成為大國。這個 [祝福] 耶和華是透過人的自然規律為之，似乎不是直接的干預。

從亞伯拉罕而出有二位，一位願意跟隨耶和華；另一位跟從自己的心思意念。今日的世界，有人願意相信天地間有位造物主，有人更相信自己可以成為造物主。二種不同的意識的生活形態，造成了不同的世界觀和不同的處事方式。

事情發展到雅各似乎又是另一個變數，日後再作分曉。認識這樣的轉變，便能以更寬的角度去明白耶和華是如何作為。

若有助你明白，就多多分享。