The Bible does not call Egyptians true Arabs, but it connects the two peoples through Ishmael's Egyptian mother and his Egyptian wife.
Scripture identifies Hagar, Ishmael's mother, as an Egyptian, and later says his mother took him a wife out of Egypt. Les Feldick explains that Ishmael's descendants are the Arab peoples, so the Arab line carries a double Egyptian connection. He adds that Egyptians themselves are not true Arabs but act as next of kin.
Genesis 16:1 — Identifies Hagar, Ishmael's mother, as an Egyptian, establishing the first Egyptian connection in Ishmael's line.
Genesis 21:21 — Records that Ishmael's mother took him a wife out of Egypt, giving him a second Egyptian connection.
In the biblical record, Hagar—Ishmael's mother—is called an Egyptian handmaid. Later, after Ishmael is in the wilderness of Paran, Genesis 21:21 says his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. These two details put Egypt directly into Ishmael's family line, through both his mother and his wife. The Bible itself does not use the word 'Arab' in connection with Ishmael, but it clearly traces his Egyptian ancestry and marriage.
Les Feldick teaches that all Middle Eastern families are interrelated through Abraham. He points out that the Egyptians were a people group before the Hebrews appeared, but through intermarriage they became intertwined with Abraham's descendants. Ishmael's mother was Egyptian, and Ishmael in turn married an Egyptian, which creates a direct family link between Ishmael's Arab descendants and Egypt. Les also says Egyptians are not true Arabs, yet they and the Arabs are always acting like next of kin. He further notes that even Esau married daughters of Ishmael, making all these families connected except the original Egyptians.
Genesis 16:1 calls Hagar an Egyptian. She is Ishmael's mother. Later, after Ishmael is sent away, Genesis 21:21 shows that his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. These two scriptural facts make Egypt part of Ishmael's family line.
Les Feldick says that Egyptians are not true Arabs. Yet he says the Egyptians and the Arabs are always acting like next of kin. He ties this to the family connection through Ishmael's Egyptian mother and Egyptian wife.
Les Feldick points out that the Egyptians were already a people group before the Hebrews came on the scene. But because Abraham's sons and their descendants intermarried, the lines became intertwined. Ishmael married an Egyptian, and later Esau married daughters of Ishmael. Apart from the original Egyptians, all these families trace to Abraham.
Hagar, Ishmael & The Everlasting God: Genesis 21 Bible Study
took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder and the child, and sent her away, as God had instructed. Now remember, and she departed, and she wandered in the wilderness, which is really desert, of Beersheba. That's down in the Negev, as we know it today, or down in southern Israel.
Intertwining of Middle Eastern Families
Les shows that Egyptians, though an older people group, became intertwined with Abraham's sons through intermarriage, beginning with Ishmael's Egyptian mother.
Ishmael's Double Egyptian Connection
Les explains that Ishmael's mother was Egyptian and Ishmael himself married an Egyptian, directly linking his descendants—the Arabs—to Egypt.
Ishmael's Descendants Are the Arab People
Les identifies the Arab people as the descendants of Ishmael, making the Egyptian-Arab connection through Ishmael doctrinally significant.
Egyptians Are Not True Arabs
Les explicitly says Egyptians are not true Arabs, yet they and the Arabs always act like next of kin, explaining their close relationship.
The Burning Bush & The Angel of the Lord: Who Did Moses Really See?
He was Egyptian. My land, he'd been raised in Pharaoh's palace now for 35 years, but inside, what is he? He's a Hebrew. He's an Israelite. And so they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us and watered the flock. Well, and then you know what happened.
All Abraham's Families Except the Original Egyptians
Les notes Ishmael married an Egyptian and that Esau married Ishmael's daughters, reinforcing how the Arab and Egyptian families are intertwined; the original Egyptians are the exception.
The 3-Day Journey: How Exodus Foreshadows the Resurrection of Christ
The backbone of his economy. They were the workers. They were the ones that were getting all the daily work done. And the Egyptians had just become an upper -class elite who did nothing but make sure that those Jews got the work done. And I always like to compare this even to America, especially the South, before the Civil War.
Genesis 16:1: Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
This introduces Hagar as an Egyptian, the mother of Ishmael, establishing the first Egyptian link in the Arab line.
Genesis 16:3: And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
This shows Hagar, an Egyptian, becoming the mother of Abram's first son, Ishmael.
Genesis 21:21: And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
This directly states that Ishmael's wife came from Egypt, making the Egyptian connection even stronger in his family line.
According to Les Feldick, no. He says, 'Egyptians are not true Arabs.' However, because Hagar was Egyptian and Ishmael married an Egyptian, Egyptians and Arabs behave like next of kin.
His mother Hagar was an Egyptian (Genesis 16:1). After Ishmael was sent away, his mother took him a wife out of Egypt (Genesis 21:21). Both were Egyptian.
Les Feldick teaches that the Arab people come from Ishmael, Abraham's son. He also notes that another segment of Arabs comes from Esau, and all these families come from Abraham, except the original Egyptians.
Watch the Teaching: Hagar, Ishmael & The Everlasting God: Genesis 21 Bible Study