These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
By their towns, х bªchatsreeyhem (H2691); Septuagint, en tais skeenais autoon] - by their enclosures; Bedouin villages, such as are formed of tent-cloths spread over stone walls (Stanley).
And by their castles, х uwbTiyrotaam (H2918); Septuagint, kai en tais epaulesin autoon, and in their And by their castles, х uwbTiyrotaam (H2918); Septuagint, kai en tais epaulesin autoon, and in their nomadic strongholds] - fortified encampments usually enclosing a space within which the cattle are secured (Gesenius).
Twelve princes according to their nations, [Hebrew, lª'umotaam (H523)] - according to their peoples. There is a concurrence of Scriptural, pagan, Jewish, and Christian testimonies to the historical fact that the northern desert of Arabia, including the entire neck of the peninsula, was colonized by the twelve tribes descending from the sons of Ishmael, and called by their names. Jerome says that, in his time, those districts of Arabia were called by the names of these tribes. In course of time they have universally embraced the religion of Mahomet; but they are still, in their general character, true to the prophetic description given of them by the angel before the birth of their ancestor. Numerous travelers assert that, notwithstanding the migratory character of the Arabs, and the many centuries that have elapsed, these twelve 'nations of Ishmael exist to this day as distinct, independent tribes;' and Foster ('Historical Geography of Arabia') claims to have traced, in the northern parts of Arabia, Arab tribes bearing names corresponding to those contained in the Mosaic catalogue of the sons of Ishmael, though some of his alleged identifications are doubtful or fanciful.