Genesis 26:1

Isaac and Rebekah visit Gerar

1 When a famine gripped the land, a different one from the first famine that occurred in Abraham's time, Isaac set out toward Gerar and toward King Abimelech of the Philistines.

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 When a famine gripped the land, a different one from the first famine that occurred in Abraham's time, Isaac set out toward Gerar and toward King Abimelech of the Philistines.

2 The LORD appeared to him and said, "Don't go down to Egypt but settle temporarily in the land that I will show you.

3 Stay in this land as an immigrant, and I will be with you and bless you because I will give all of these lands to you and your descendants. I will keep my word, which I gave to your father Abraham.

4 I will give you as many descendants as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all of these lands. All of the nations of the earth will be blessed because of your descendants.

5 I will do this because Abraham obeyed me and kept my orders, my commandments, my statutes, and my instructions."