The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 26 -

(Genesis 12:1–9)

Now a famine happened in the land, besides the first famine that had been in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines at Gerar.

Now Yahweh appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land that I tell you to live in.

Stay in this very land, and I will be with you and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants, I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.

I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands. Through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

I will do this because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my instructions, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Isaac Deceives Abimelech

So Isaac settled in Gerar.

When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” He feared to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “The men of this place will kill me to get Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”

After Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out of a window. He saw, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.

Abimelech called Isaac to him and said, “Look, certainly she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.”

Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

So Abimelech warned all the people and said, “Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

Isaac’s Prosperity

Isaac planted crops in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, because Yahweh blessed him.

The man became rich, and grew more and more until he became very great.

He had many sheep and cattle, and a large household. The Philistines envied him.

Now all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up by filling them with earth.

Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

So Isaac departed from there and settled in the Valley of Gerar, and lived there.

Once again Isaac dug out the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. The Philistines had stopped them up after Abraham’s death. Isaac called the wells by the same names that his father had called them.

When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, they found there a well of flowing water.

The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac called that well “Esek,” because they had quarreled with him.

Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that, too, so he gave it the name of “Sitnah.”

He left there and dug yet another well, but they did not quarrel over that one. So he called it Rehoboth, and he said, “Now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

Then Isaac went up from there to Beersheba.

Yahweh appeared to him that same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not fear, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your descendants, for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. There he pitched his tent, and his servants dug a well.

Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath, his friend, and Phicol, the captain of his army.

Isaac said to them, “Why are you coming to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

Then they said, “We have clearly seen that Yahweh has been with you. So we decided that there should be an oath between us, yes, between us and you. So let us make a covenant with you,

that you will do us no harm, just as we have not harmed you, and as we have treated you well and have sent you away in peace. Indeed, you are blessed by Yahweh.”

So Isaac made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.

They rose early in the morning and swore an oath with each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left him in peace.

That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug. They said, “We have found water.”

He called the well Shibah, so the name of that city is Beersheba to this day.

Esau’s Wives

When Esau was forty years old, he took a wife, Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hethite, and also Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hethite.

They brought sorrow to Isaac and Rebekah.

(Genesis 12:1–9)

There was a famine in the land, in addition to the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

The LORD appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about.

Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. In your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed,

because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Isaac Deceives Abimelech

Isaac lived in Gerar.

The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “My wife”, lest, he thought, “the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at.”

When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.

Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’”

Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

Isaac’s Prosperity

Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. The LORD blessed him.

The man grew great, and grew more and more until he became very great.

He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.

Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth.

Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

Isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of flowing

(a)

water.

The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek,(b) because they contended with him.

They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. So he called its name Sitnah.(c)

He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. So he called it Rehoboth.(d) He said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

He went up from there to Beersheba.

The LORD appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

He built an altar there, and called on the LORD’s name, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army.

Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?”

They said, “We saw plainly that the LORD was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let’s make a covenant with you,

that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.’ You are now the blessed of the LORD.”

He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

They rose up some time in the morning, and swore an oath to one another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

The same day, Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”

He called it “Shibah”.(e) Therefore the name of the city is “Beersheba”(f) to this day.

Esau’s Wives

When Esau was forty years old, he took as wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite.

They grieved Isaac’s and Rebekah’s spirits.

Footnotes

(a)26:19 Or, living. Or, fresh.

(b)26:20 “Esek” means “contention”.

(d)26:22 “Rehoboth” means “broad places”.

(e)26:33 Shibah means “oath” or “seven”.

(f)26:33 Beersheba means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven”