Genesis 26:1

1 Then came a time of great need in the land, like that which had been before in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.

Genesis 26:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 26:1

And there was a famine in the land
In the land of Canaan, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it; besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham;
of which see ( Genesis 12:10 ) ; which was an hundred years before this; and Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar;
where his father Abraham had sojourned before he was born; and therefore the present king of this place can scarce be thought to be the same Abimelech that was king of it in Abraham's time; but it is highly probable that this Abimelech was the son of the former king, and that this was a common name to the kings of Gerar or the Philistines, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egypt. Isaac came to this place from Lahairoi, where he had dwelt many years, see ( Genesis 24:62 ) ( 25:11 ) ; which was at or near Beersheba, and was about eight miles from Gerar ^F1.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Bunting's Travels, p. 70.

Genesis 26:1 In-Context

1 Then came a time of great need in the land, like that which had been before in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.

2 And the Lord came to him in a vision and said, Do not go down to Egypt; keep in the land of which I will give you knowledge:

3 Keep in this land, and I will be with you and give you my blessing; for to you and to your seed will I give all these lands, giving effect to the oath which I made to your father Abraham;

4 I will make your seed like the stars of heaven in number, and will give them all these lands, and your seed will be a blessing to all the nations of the earth;

5 Because Abraham gave ear to my voice and kept my words, my rules, my orders, and my laws.