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15When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20And God was with the boy, and he grew up...ESV

However in Genesis 17:25 when Ishmael was circumcised (3 chapters before), it says he was 13 years old:

And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.ESV

Was Ishmael a teenager when he and Hagar were sent away by Sarah? Or was Ishmael a child?

genesiscontradiction

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  • Quran says Ismail was a child when he was sent away if that is true at what age was he asked to be sacrifised as a test by prophet Ibrahim by Allah
    – Shawn Ismail
    Commented Jun 28, 2023 at 8:55
  • does child in those times mean youth who was 10 years and above for better elaboration
    – Shawn Ismail
    Commented Jun 28, 2023 at 8:56
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    This is Islam.SE, in Islam the Genesis narrative has no authenticity nor do we have on any official stances on any of its verses. If you want an explanation of that you better ask on Judaism.SE or Christianity.SE ... Ishmael was sent away when he was a suckling child (Bukhari) I don't know of the time he was circumcised, but if it was after that then it is within possibility as Abraham visited Ishmael ... the time he was sent away does not have any link with the time he was circumcised.
    – UmH ♦
    Commented Jun 28, 2023 at 10:12
  • 1
    As for the time that Ishmael (or Isaac according to the other opinion) was sacrificed, it was when he was older as stated in verse 37:102
    – UmH ♦
    Commented Jun 28, 2023 at 10:20
  • I am revert muslim the Ismail Isaac history was confusing to me so i asked the question i love and I have accepted Islam now I see the history through the Glorious Quran I have accepted Islam thank you for this historical answer the way it should be thank you jazakallahu khair I llove my brothers prophet Ismail and prophet Isaac they are my brothers
    – Shawn Ismail
    Commented Jun 28, 2023 at 14:55

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The best place to ask precision on the Torah would be https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/

The Hebrew word is valid for a teenager. If you say, "the boy", the most common expression is הילד , ha-yeled. If you add the used epression hannaar to this: הילד הנער , you precise that it is rather a teenager. So the Torah does not state that he was a child under 10 years.

We cannot read from the Quran the age of Ismail when they were sent away. According to the Quran 37:102, the child that was not sacrificed, was already not so young. Some scholars suggest that it was Ismael, but according to the Torah, it was Isaak, and after Hagar and Ismael were sent away.

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