Genesis 26:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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 upon us."

NIV: Then Abimelek said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us."

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

CSB: Then Abimelech said, "What is this you’ve done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us."

NLT: How could you do this to us?' Abimelech exclaimed. 'One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.'

KJV: And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

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

In the prior verses, Isaac repeated one of his father's failures by lying about his wife, to protect his own life (Genesis 20:2–6). Abimelech's accusation in this verse is absolutely right. Isaac failed to face the possibility of protecting himself, or his wife, from someone who might try to take her from him. This cowardice has put Abimelech's whole kingdom at risk of violating a marriage—something even a pagan nation of that era apparently considered a grievous mistake.

While it's all but certain this is not the exact same Abimelech who dealt with Abraham—in a very similar situation in Genesis 20—this king most likely knows that story. At that time, the Lord came to Abimelech in a dream and called him a dead man for innocently taking Sarah to be his wife because of Abraham's lie. This Abimelech is aware of the great guilt that would have fallen on him and/or his people if one of them had done the same with Rebekah. His anger is justified.

Again, Isaac's failure to trust God has led to grave danger for those near him. He, however, continues to be protected by God's promise to be with him, as the following verse will make clear.

Genesis 26:6–35 describes Isaac's interactions with the Philistines while living in and around the land of Gerar. After Isaac is caught in a lie about Rebekah being his sister, king Abimelech is angry. However, he protects Isaac and Rebekah. God blesses Isaac abundantly, and his wealth grows to the point where his power provokes the king to send him away. Following a series of disputes over water rights, the king and Isaac eventually make a treaty of peace. God appears to Isaac for a second time, telling him not to fear, and renewing His promises.

Genesis 26 focuses on God's assurances to Isaac to be with him and to bless him, mostly while Isaac and his household are settled in the land of the Philistines. Just as Abraham did, Isaac fearfully lies about his wife being his sister, nearly bringing disaster on Abimelech and his kingdom. Still, God blesses Isaac with greater and greater abundance to the point that Abimelech sends Isaac away because he has become too powerful. After continued disputes over water rights, Abimelech and Isaac eventually make a covenant of peace.

Genesis 26 seems to jump back in time to the season before Jacob and Esau were born, as described in the previous chapter. This is common in ancient literature. The Lord establishes and renews His covenant promises to Isaac, blessing him abundantly in the land of Philistines during a time of famine. Eventually, Abimelech sends Isaac away due to his growing power and disputes over water rights, but they end up forming a peace treaty. Esau's marriage to foreign women creates strife, adding more fuel to the controversy which is soon to occur. In the next chapter, Jacob will steal his older brother's rightful blessing.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.