Genesis 26

Chap. XXVI. Ver. i—22. Isaac goeth unto Abimelech in Gerar.—Another famine occurs in Canaan, similar to that in the days of Abraham, which induces Isaac to go among the Philistines, (for he was forbidden to go into Egypt, ver. 2—5.) and he dwelt in Gerar. And here, most unaccountably, Isaac falls into the same error which his father Abraham had twice committed, and of which it seems impossible but that he must have heard repeatedly:—he pretends that Rebekah was his sister, which, in his case, was not an equivocation, as in the instance of Abraham, but a downright falsehood; for which, as the inspired historian makes no apology, neither shall we attempt it. One truth, in all these instances, seems most remarkably verified, that when we take unlawful measures to escape danger, we often plunge more deeply into it.

This was the case both with Abraham and his son Isaac. The danger of being murdered for his wife’s sake, so far as appears, was imaginary only, while that of losing her was great and imminent. ‘The path of duty is the path of safety;’ while that of “crooked policy” leads not to danger only, but to disgrace, as was the case here; for a man of Isaac’s character must surely have blushed deeply at being detected in a falsehood, which, at the same time, libelled the king of Gerar, whose conduct appears most honourable and irreproachable. But honourable as was the character of the King, that of his servants and subjects was far otherwise. The Lord blessed Isaac, notwithstanding all his folly; and in one year he had a crop of barley which yielded a hundred fold increase.

His flocks and herds also multiplied so rapidly, and his servants for husbandry (as the margin expresses it) were so numerous, as to excite the envy of the Philistines, and to provoke disputes between the servants of Abimelech and Isaac. They filled up with earth the wells that Abraham had digged about a hundred years before; and when he digged new ones, they claimed the waters as their own. In this instance, it is worthy of remark how the ancients recorded events, by giving names to places. The first well which Isaac dug, and the natives claimed, is Esek, that is, “contention;” the second, Sitnah, meaning “hatred;” and the third, which was farther out of their way, was called Rehoboth, that is, “room;”

for now, said they, “the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” Thus all their providential blessings were ascribed to God, and nothing was considered as the effect of chance or [fortune]. These circumstances, however, with the frequent complaints of his own people, induced Abimelech to desire Isaac to remove, which he does in the most delicate way, ‘‘For thou art much mightier than we.” So Abraham and Lot parted, because they were too rich, and too great, to dwell together. ((Genesis 13:5-9).) Ver. 23—35. Isaac returns to Beer-sheba, and dwells there.—The first object, when a Hebrew patriarch pitches his tent, is to raise an altar, and the next, to dig a well; the first to provide for the worship of God, the second for the most important article in his domestic economy, water.

And no sooner does Isaac erect an altar, than he is favoured with a prophetic vision. The purport of the vision is a renewal of the promise made to Abraham, with a renewed charge not to fear; for this seems to have been the fatal passion which, notwithstanding their extraordinary faith, plunged into difficulties both father and son. The report of this divine communication was probably one cause of the visit of Abimelech and his courtiers, of which Isaac seems to have been somewhat jealous, if not alarmed. A very satisfactory reason is, however, given—‘‘We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee,” say they, and are come to form a covenant of amity. Isaac therefore makes them a feast, (as usual on such occasions,) and on the morning following, they pledge themselves by a mutual oath to peace and perpetual friendship.

The name Beer-sheba, which had been given by Abraham to a well in the same neighbourhood, is now renewed, and, in subsequent times, is given to a city founded on the same [site]. The closing verses of this chapter relate to Esau, who took to him two wives, the daughters of Hittites, and doubtless both idolaters; which was, therefore, “a grief of mind,” or, as the ra [margin] reads, “a bitterness of spirit,” both to Isaac and Re-

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXVI. Ver. 12. Sowed in that land.—(The author of the History of the Piratical States of Barbary observes, that the Moors of that country are divided into tribes like the Arabians, and like them dwell in tents, formed into itinerant villages; that ‘these wanderers farm lands of the inhabitants of the towns, sow and cultivate them, paying their rent with the produce, such as fruits, corn, wax, &c. They are very skilful in choosing the most advantageous soils for every season, and very careful to avoid the ‘Turkish troops, the violence of the one little suiting the simplicity of the other.’ It is natural to suppose, that Isaac possessed the like sagacity, when he sowed in the land of Gerar, and received that year a hundred fold.

J—Bagster. Such an increase was, at this time, a singular blessing of God, after there had been a considerable dearth; and the soil, perhaps, that afforded so large a crop, not so rich: otherwise we may learn from Varro, that in Syria, near Gadera, and in Africa, about Byzantium, they reaped a hundred bushels from one: nay, Bochart (in his Canaan, lib. 1. c. 25.) shows, from several good authors that some places in Africa are so very fruitful that they produce two or three hundred fold: which makes this account of Moses far from being incredible.—Stackhouse may also be inferred from that a hundred fold was reaped in some cases, our Lord’s words, (Matthew 13:23).

Ver. 13. Was wed great.—[Dr. Adam Clarke remarks, that there is a strange and observable occurrence of the same term in the original; which is literally, “And the man was GREAT, and he went, going on, and was GREAT, until that he was exceeding GREAT.”’ How simple is this language, and yet how forcible.

]—Bagster. Ver. 15. The same mode of taking vengeance which is here mentioned, has been practised in ages subsequent to the time here referred to. Niebuhr tells us that the Turks have made it a custom to give annually, to every Arab tribe which is near the road to Mecca, a certain sum of money, and a certain number of vestments, to keep them from destroying the wells that lie in that route, and to escort the pilgrims across their country.—farmer’s Observations. 55