“These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham” (Genesis 25:12). “These are the descendants of Ishmael son of Abraham” – Rabbi Ḥama bar Ukva and the Rabbis were sitting and finding difficulty [with this passage]: ‘Why did the verse see fit to describe the lineage of the wicked man [Ishmael] here, [as well as his age at death]?’ [Just then] Rabbi Levi passed by.
They said: ‘Here comes the master of halakha, let us ask him.’ Rabbi Levi said: ‘It is in order to tell you at what age your ancestor [Jacob] was blessed.’16From knowing the age of Ishmael when he died (see the next verse), it can be derived that Jacob was sixty-three years old when he received his father’s blessing. See Megilla 17a. “These are the years of the life of Ishmael, one hundred and thirty-seven years, and he expired and died and he was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:17).
“These are the years of the life of Ishmael” – why did the verse see fit to recount the years of the wicked one here? It is because he came from the far reaches of the desert to perform kindness for his father [in attending his funeral]. “They dwelled from Ḥavila to Shur, that is adjacent to Egypt, all the way to Assyria: he settled among all his brethren” (Genesis 25:18). “They dwelled from Ḥavila…” – here it says: “he settled [among all his brethren]” [nafal, literally, fell down], but elsewhere it says [of Ishmael]: “He will dwell [yishkon] [among all his brethren]” (Genesis 16:12).
The explanation is that all the days our patriarch Abraham was alive – yishkon. When our patriarch Abraham died – nafal.17He fell in stature. Before he extended his hand against the Temple – yishkon; once he extended his hand against it18See Psalms 83:3–19. – nafal. In this world – yishkon; but in the future – nafal.