Genesis 25:6

WEB

but to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.

KJV

But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

Commentary

But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had,.... These were Hagar and Keturah, though they are both called his wives, Gen 16:3 ; yet they were concubines; so Keturah, Ch1 1:32 ; they were, as some render the word, "concubine wives" (e); they were half wives or secondary ones: the Jewish writers say that they w ere espoused, but not by writing, as wives were; they were under the lawful wife, when there were any, and a kind of head servants in the family, and their children did not inherit; now the sons of the concubines of Abraham were Ishmael by Hagar, and the six above mentioned by Keturah: to these Abraham gave gifts; money, gold and silver, of which he had plenty: the Targum of Jonathan calls them substance and movable goods; by this it appears, that though he had sent Ishmael away without anything, yet he afterwards remembered him, and gave him a portion with the rest of the children of his, concubines: and sent them away from Isaac his son; that they might not be troublesome to him and his family; and that there, might be no contention among them about inheriting the land of Canaan given to him and his seed: and this Abraham did while he yet lived; or otherwise after his death a separation would not have been easily made; but his authority had weight with them: and they were sent by him eastward, into the east country; into Arabia, and the parts thereabout, which lay east from the place where Abraham was; these are the children of the east, mentioned along with the Midianites, who sprung from Keturah, Jdg 6:3 . (e) "concubinarum uxorum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.