Contradiction with Genesis 26:3
While Genesis 25:18 suggests a completed timeline with Ishmael's descendants dwelling securely, Genesis 26:3 promises the same land to Isaac, suggesting ongoing land inheritance tensions.
Genesis 26:3: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
Contradiction with Exodus 15:14-15
These verses describe fear among Ishmael's descendants, suggesting insecurity and unrest, in contrast to the secure dwelling in Genesis 25:18.
Exodus 15:14-15: The people shall hear, [and] be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
Contradiction with Deuteronomy 2:4-5
Instructs the Israelites not to provoke Edom, implying distinct territorial boundaries and hostilities, whereas Genesis 25:18 depicts peaceful habitation.
Deuteronomy 2:4-5: And command thou the people, saying, Ye [are] to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
Contradiction with Joshua 1:3-4
Extends God's promise of land to another group, producing a discrepancy with Genesis 25:18's portrayal of Ishmael's descendants' habitation.
Joshua 1:3-4: Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
Contradiction with Judges 11:21-24
Israelites' conquest of land contrasts with the notion of secure dwelling by Ishmael's descendants noted in Genesis 25:18.
Judges 11:21-24: And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.
Contradiction with 2 Chronicles 20:10-12
Depicts hostility from the descendants of Ishmael, contradicting the peaceful settlement suggested in Genesis 25:18.
2 Chronicles 20:10-12: And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
Paradox #1
Genesis 25:18 talks about territories related to Ishmael's descendants. A contradiction might arise from differing accounts of who lived in these regions or how boundaries were recognized, as historical records outside of religious texts might depict different inhabitants or territorial extents during that time.