14 For he had possession H4735 of flocks, H6629 and possession H4735 of herds, H1241 and great store H7227 of servants: H5657 and the Philistines H6430 envied H7065 him.
15 For all the wells H875 which his father's H1 servants H5650 had digged H2658 in the days H3117 of Abraham H85 his father, H1 the Philistines H6430 had stopped H5640 them, and filled H4390 them with earth. H6083
16 And Abimelech H40 said H559 unto Isaac, H3327 Go H3212 from us; for thou art much H3966 mightier H6105 than we.
17 And Isaac H3327 departed H3212 thence, and pitched his tent H2583 in the valley H5158 of Gerar, H1642 and dwelt H3427 there. H8033
18 And Isaac H3327 digged H2658 again H7725 the wells H875 of water, H4325 which they had digged H2658 in the days H3117 of Abraham H85 his father; H1 for the Philistines H6430 had stopped H5640 them after H310 the death H4194 of Abraham: H85 and he called H7121 their names H8034 after the names H8034 by which H834 his father H1 had called H7121 them.
19 And Isaac's H3327 servants H5650 digged H2658 in the valley, H5158 and found H4672 there a well H875 of springing H2416 water. H4325
20 And the herdmen H7462 of Gerar H1642 did strive H7378 with Isaac's H3327 herdmen, H7462 saying, H559 The water H4325 is ours: and he called H7121 the name H8034 of the well H875 Esek; H6230 because they strove H6229 with him.
21 And they digged H2658 another H312 well, H875 and strove H7378 for that also: and he called H7121 the name of it H8034 Sitnah. H7856
22 And he removed H6275 from thence, and digged H2658 another H312 well; H875 and for that they strove H7378 not: and he called H7121 the name of it H8034 Rehoboth; H7344 and he said, H559 For now H6258 the LORD H3068 hath made room H7337 for us, and we shall be fruitful H6509 in the land. H776
23 And he went up H5927 from thence to Beersheba. H884
24 And the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 unto him the same night, H3915 and said, H559 I am the God H430 of Abraham H85 thy father: H1 fear H3372 not, for I am with H854 thee, and will bless H1288 thee, and multiply H7235 thy seed H2233 for my servant H5650 Abraham's H85 sake.
25 And he builded H1129 an altar H4196 there, and called H7121 upon the name H8034 of the LORD, H3068 and pitched H5186 his tent H168 there: and there Isaac's H3327 servants H5650 digged H3738 a well. H875
26 Then Abimelech H40 went H1980 to him from Gerar, H1642 and Ahuzzath H276 one of his friends, H4828 and Phichol H6369 the chief captain H8269 of his army. H6635
27 And Isaac H3327 said H559 unto them, Wherefore H4069 come H935 ye to me, seeing ye hate H8130 me, and have sent me away H7971 from you?
28 And they said, H559 We saw H7200 certainly H7200 that the LORD H3068 was with thee: and we said, H559 Let there be now an oath H423 betwixt H996 us, even betwixt H996 us and thee, and let us make H3772 a covenant H1285 with thee;
29 That thou wilt do H6213 us no hurt, H7451 as we have not touched H5060 thee, and as we have done H6213 unto thee nothing but H7535 good, H2896 and have sent thee away H7971 in peace: H7965 thou art now H6258 the blessed H1288 of the LORD. H3068
30 And he made H6213 them a feast, H4960 and they did eat H398 and drink. H8354
31 And they rose up betimes H7925 in the morning, H1242 and sware H7650 one H376 to another: H251 and Isaac H3327 sent them away, H7971 and they departed H3212 from him in peace. H7965
32 And it came to pass the same day, H3117 that Isaac's H3327 servants H5650 came, H935 and told H5046 him concerning H182 the well H875 which they had digged, H2658 and said H559 unto him, We have found H4672 water. H4325
33 And he called H7121 it Shebah: H7656 therefore the name H8034 of the city H5892 is Beersheba H884 unto this day. H3117
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 26
Commentary on Genesis 26 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 26
Ge 26:1-35. Sojourn in Gerar.
1. And there was a famine in the land … And Isaac went unto … Gerar—The pressure of famine in Canaan forced Isaac with his family and flocks to migrate into the land of the Philistines, where he was exposed to personal danger, as his father had been on account of his wife's beauty; but through the seasonable interposition of Providence, he was preserved (Ps 105:14, 15).
12. Then Isaac sowed in that land—During his sojourn in that district he farmed a piece of land, which, by the blessing of God on his skill and industry, was very productive (Isa 65:13; Ps 37:19); and by his plentiful returns he increased so rapidly in wealth and influence that the Philistines, afraid or envious of his prosperity, obliged him to leave the place (Pr 27:4; Ec 4:4). This may receive illustration from the fact that many Syrian shepherds at this day settle for a year or two in a place, rent some ground, in the produce of which they trade with the neighboring market, till the owners, through jealousy of their growing substance, refuse to renew their lease and compel them to remove elsewhere.
15. all the wells which his father's servants had digged … the Philistines had stopped, &c.—The same base stratagem for annoying those against whom they have taken an umbrage is practiced still by choking the wells with sand or stones, or defiling them with putrid carcases.
17. valley of Gerar—torrent-bed or wady, a vast undulating plain, unoccupied and affording good pasture.
18-22. Isaac digged again the wells of water—The naming of wells by Abraham, and the hereditary right of his family to the property, the change of the names by the Philistines to obliterate the traces of their origin, the restoration of the names by Isaac, and the contests between the respective shepherds to the exclusive possession of the water, are circumstances that occur among the natives in those regions as frequently in the present day as in the time of Isaac.
26-33. Then Abimelech went to him—As there was a lapse of ninety years between the visit of Abraham and of Isaac, the Abimelech and Phichol spoken of must have been different persons' official titles. Here is another proof of the promise (Ge 12:2) being fulfilled, in an overture of peace being made to him by the king of Gerar. By whatever motive the proposal was dictated—whether fear of his growing power, or regret for the bad usage they had given him, the king and two of his courtiers paid a visit to the tent of Isaac (Pr 16:7). His timid and passive temper had submitted to the annoyances of his rude neighbors; but now that they wish to renew the covenant, he evinces deep feeling at their conduct, and astonishment at their assurance, or artifice, in coming near him. Being, however, of a pacific disposition, Isaac forgave their offense, accepted their proposals, and treated them to the banquet by which the ratification of a covenant was usually crowned.
34. Esau … took to wife—If the pious feelings of Abraham recoiled from the idea of Isaac forming a matrimonial connection with a Canaanitish woman [Ge 24:3], that devout patriarch himself would be equally opposed to such a union on the part of his children; and we may easily imagine how much his pious heart was wounded, and the family peace destroyed, when his favorite but wayward son brought no less than two idolatrous wives among them—an additional proof that Esau neither desired the blessing nor dreaded the curse of God. These wives never gained the affections of his parents, and this estrangement was overruled by God for keeping the chosen family aloof from the dangers of heathen influence.