Genesis 26 - Printer Friendly

What does Genesis 26 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Genesis 26 focuses on the Lord reassuring Isaac. God states that His relationship with Abraham, and its blessings, are for Isaac, as well. God appears to Isaac not once, but twice in this chapter. In both cases, the Lord restates and emphasizes the covenant promises He had made to Abraham, and is now making to Isaac.

For the majority of this passage, no mention is made of Jacob and Esau, and Rebekah's marital status is obscured. It's likely that most of this chapter is set back before Jacob and Esau are born. Isaac and Rebekah were childless for 20 years, leaving plenty of time for these events to occur (Genesis 25:20–26).

A season of famine falls on the land. It is a different famine than the one that drove Abraham to move to Egypt in Genesis 12. In fact, the Lord appears to Isaac and commands him not to move to Egypt, but to settle instead in Gerar, the region of the Philistines ruled by King Abimelech (Genesis 26:1–5). Scholars disagree on whether this is the same Abimelech Abraham knew in Genesis 20—21 or a new one. Interestingly, both the king and the commander of the army have the same names as in the incident with Abraham (Genesis 21:22). This might prove they are, in fact, the very same men. Or, it might simply mean the fathers had passed down both their names and positions to their sons. Given how long it has been since Abraham's encounter, it seems most likely this is a new ruler.

In any case, Isaac settles his large household in Gerar, in obedience to the Lord. When some locals ask about Isaac's beautiful wife Rebekah, he immediately follows in his father's footsteps and tells them she is his sister. He is afraid they will kill him to take her from him. The same failure Abraham made—twice—Isaac now makes in his own life.

The lie is revealed when King Abimelech himself catches the couple being intimate. He is furious because Isaac's lie could have brought guilt about the kingdom, just as Abraham's had done. Still, the king decrees that anyone who harms Isaac or Rebekah will be killed. God demonstrates that He will protect Isaac as He did Abraham, fearful and faithless or not (Genesis 26:6–11).

The Lord then blesses Isaac by giving a hundredfold return on his crops in a season of famine. In fact, Isaac becomes so rich and powerful that old disputes about water rights crop up. Abimelech sends Isaac away for being "much mightier" than the Philistines (Genesis 26:12–16).

Resettled in a different part of Gerar, Isaac continues to have disputes with the locals about the wells he is digging to water his herds and flocks. Eventually, Isaac travels to Beersheba, given its name in Genesis 21 by Abraham himself. In Beersheba, the Lord again appears to Isaac, commands him not to be afraid, and renews His promises to be with Isaac and bless him and multiply his offspring for Abraham's sake (Genesis 26:17–24).

Isaac responds with worship, building an altar and calling the Lord's name. He also pitches his tent and commands his servants to begin digging a well (Genesis 26:25).

Abimelech arrives to visit Isaac. Though suspicious at first, Isaac agrees to the king's proposal of a peace treaty between them. To honor the treaty, Isaac names the well his servants have dug after the word for "oath" (Genesis 26:26–33).

Finally, the story jumps well into the future. Esau marries two Canaanite women, Hittites. Those marriages make life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah, perhaps because Esau did not marry from among Abraham's people (Genesis 26:34–35). This angst, combined with Rebekah's clear preference for Jacob (Genesis 25:28) will play into an infamous act of deception, which will occur in the next chapter.

Genesis 26:1–5 contains God's assurances to Isaac that He remains faithful to His covenant promises even after the death of Abraham. In a time of famine, the Lord commands Isaac not to travel to Egypt for relief but to settle in Gerar, the land of the Philistines. Isaac obeys, just as his father had done. This passage emphasizes that Abraham's trust in God was demonstrated through his actions.

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.

Chapter Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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.

Accessed 5/8/2024 4:34:08 PM