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אֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֞ם בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם׃ 17 וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיִּגְוַ֣ע וַיָּ֔מָת וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו׃ 18 וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל׃ פ

Vocabulary

Verse 16

            ישׁמעאל  name: “Ishmael”

            חצר  “village”

            טירה  “encampment” (BDB, 377)

            אמה  “tribe” (BDB, 52)

Verse 17

            היים  noun (mpl constr): “life”

            גוע  verb: “expire, die” (BDB, 157)

            עם  “kinsman” (BDB, 769)

Verse 18

            שׁכן  verb: “settle”

            חוילה  name: “Havilah”

            שׁור   “Shur”

            אשׁור  name: “Asshur, Assyria”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 16

• Sentence Typology 1 (אֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֞ם בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙): S-P
• Notice that this asyndetic clause (i.e. not coordinated to the previous clause by waw) is connected to the previous verses. 
• The construction אלה הם is unusual (cf. 1 Samuel 4:8).
• The independent personal pronoun may be considered appositional or marking a demonstrative with the following noun phrase (as in Aramaic; Ewald §314b).
• Sentence Typology 2 (וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם):  S-P
• The typology above considers the noun phrase, “the twelve princes,” as filling the same slot as “their names.”  The syntax of this clause may be analyzed alternatively as two clauses.
• The regular form of the tens component for numbers between ten and twenty modifying a mpl noun is עָשָֹר.  It may precede or follow the noun.
• The meaning of the locations, חצר and טירה, is not entirely clear (the former may indicate a long-term and the latter a temporary settlement).

Verse 17

• Sentence Typology 1 (וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים):  S-P
• The plural noun, חיים, is singular in English, “life.”
• The idiom of age may be represented variously.  See Adam (5:5), Noah (9:29), Sarah (23:1), Abraham (25:7), Isaac (35:28), Jacob (47:28) and Joseph (50:26).
• Sentence Typology 2 (וַיִּגְוַ֣ע): V
• This verb גוע coordinated with מות is used two other times in Genesis (25:8; 35:17).
• Sentence Typology 3 (וַיָּ֔מָת): V
• Sentence Typology 4 (וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו): V-M
• This idiom is used commonly for burial.

Verse 18

• Sentence Typology 1 (וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה): V-M
• The verb, שׁכן, sequenced with מן and עד delimits the area of settlement.
• The term, פני, is used as a cardinal direction—“east of.”
• Sentence Typology 1 (בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה):  V-M
• The verbal-adjective is used to elaborate on the direction, “as one goes to Assyria.”
• The final he is directive.
• The dagesh in the beth is a conjunctive dagesh.
• Sentence Typology 1 (עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל):
• The idiom, נפל על, may refer metaphorically to geographical or to “attack, death.”

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