In the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, when the Scriptures speak about the nations descended from Abraham, it is talking about the Twelve Patriarchs of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and their descendants. In other words, a tribe is a nation in a Biblical sense. Thus, the Twelve Tribes were Twelve Nations which comprised the whole nation of Israel.
We see the very same thing happening with Ishmael, who was Abraham's son by his Egyptian handmaid, Hagar. Similar to Jacob, Ishmael had twelve sons who were twelve princes, who each ruled over their own nation -- or tribe -- of people. That is, their descendants.
At the same time, not to be confused, the word "nations" is also used in the Scriptures to signify non-Israelite nations who did not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are also referred to as Gentiles, from the Hebrew "goy", or plural "goyim".
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and THOU SHALT BE A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; FOR A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE THEE. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I WILL MAKE NATIONS OF THEE, and KINGS SHALL COME OUT OF THEE . . . And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and SHE SHALL BE A MOTHER OF NATIONS; KINGS OF PEOPLE SHALL BE OF HER."
Genesis 17:1-6, 15-16, KJV
"And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham SHALL SURELY BECOME A GREAT AND MIGHTY NATION, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"
Genesis 18:17-18, KJV
"And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; TWELVE PRINCES SHALL HE BEGET, and I WILL MAKE HIM A GREAT NATION . . . Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarahs handmaid, bare unto Abraham: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; TWELVE PRINCES ACCORDING TO THEIR NATIONS."
Genesis 17:20, 25:12-16, KJV
"And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, TWO NATIONS ARE IN THY WOMB, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
Genesis 25:21-23, KJV
"And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; A NATION AND A COMPANY OF NATIONS SHALL BE OF THEE, AND KINGS SHALL COME OUT OF THY LOINS;"
Genesis 35:9-11, KJV
"And when Joseph saw that his father [Jacob/Israel] laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and HIS SEED SHALL BECOME A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS."
Genesis 48:17-19, KJV
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