¹tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”
²sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. A. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.
³sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.
⁴tn Heb “say to you.”
⁵tn The Hebrew verb rWG (GWr) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.
⁶tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.
sn I will be with you and I will bless you. The promise of divine presence is a promise to intervene to protect and to bless.
⁷tn The Hebrew term ur~z\ (z\r^u) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
sn To you and to your descendants. The Abrahamic blessing will pass to Isaac. Everything included in that blessing will now belong to the son, and in turn will be passed on to his sons. But there is a contingency involved: If they are to enjoy the full blessings, they will have to obey the word of the Lord. And so obedience is enjoined here with the example of how well Abraham obeyed.
⁸tn The Hiphil stem of the verb <Wq (qW<) here means “to fulfill; to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.
⁹tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”
sn The solemn promise I made. See Gen 15:18-20; 22:16-18.
¹⁰tn Heb “your descendants.”
¹¹tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
¹²tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.
¹³tn Heb “listened to my voice.”
¹⁴sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.
¹⁵sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.
¹⁶tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.
¹⁷tn Heb “kill me on account of.”
¹⁸tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
¹⁹tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”
²⁰tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle hN}h! (h!N@h, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.
²¹tn Or “fondling.”
sn The Hebrew word m=x^j@q (qj@x^m=), from the root x*j*q (qjx), “laugh,” forms a sound play with the name “Isaac” right before it. Here it depicts an action, probably caressing or fondling, that indicated immediately that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, not his sister. Isaac’s deception made a mockery of God’s covenantal promise. Ignoring God’s promise to protect and bless him, Isaac lied to protect himself and acted in bad faith to the men of Gerar.
²²tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.
²³tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).
²⁴tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, §118).
²⁵tn Heb “people.”
²⁶tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”
²⁷tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.
²⁸tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.
²⁹tn Heb “a hundredfold.”
³⁰tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.
³¹tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.
³²tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.
³³tn Heb “and there was to him.”
³⁴tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
³⁵tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
³⁶tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
³⁷tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
³⁸tn Heb “Go away from us.”
³⁹sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).
⁴⁰tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”
sn This valley was actually a wadi (a dry river bed where the water would flow in the rainy season, but this would have been rare in the Negev). The water table under it would have been higher than in the desert because of water soaking in during the torrents, making it easier to find water when digging wells. However, this does not minimize the blessing of the Lord, for the men of the region knew this too, but did not have the same results.
⁴¹tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”
⁴²tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.
⁴³tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.
⁴⁴tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁴⁵tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”
⁴⁶tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).
⁴⁷tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
⁴⁸tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁴⁹tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”
⁵⁰sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
⁵¹tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁵²tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁵³sn The name Sitnah is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary.” The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
⁵⁴tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁵⁵tn Heb “and he called its name.”
⁵⁶sn The name Rehoboth is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
⁵⁷tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁵⁸tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.
⁵⁹tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”
⁶⁰tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”
⁶¹tn Heb “and.”
⁶²tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term u^r}m@ (m@r@u^) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.
⁶³tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.
⁶⁴tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.
⁶⁵tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁶⁶tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive—it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.
⁶⁷tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive—it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).
⁶⁸tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”
⁶⁹tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
⁷⁰tn Heb “touched.”
⁷¹tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
⁷²tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
⁷³tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
⁷⁴tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
⁷⁵tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”
⁷⁶tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”
⁷⁷tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”
⁷⁸tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
⁷⁹sn The name Shibah means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.
⁸⁰sn The name Beer Sheba (B=a@r v*b^u [ub^v* ra@B=]) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.
⁸¹tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.
⁸²tn Heb “the son of forty years.”
⁸³tn Heb “took as a wife.”
⁸⁴tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”