Genesis 26 Footnotes

26:1-11 Because of the strong similarities between this incident and 12:10-20 and 20:1-18, some modern interpreters have expressed the opinion that this episode is a copy of those earlier episodes and never actually happened. They also note that the king here is named “Abimelech,” just as in Gn 20. However, there are key differences between the passages, and it is not uncommon for different kings to have the same name (e.g., Darius I and II of the Medo-Persian Empire). In addition, it is possible that “Abimelech” (a compound of the words for “father” and “king”) is a Philistine royal title, like Pharaoh in Egypt. Perhaps Isaac had heard the stories of what his father, Abraham, had done in the earlier incidents and decided to mimic his behavior. This would be a classic example of the repetition of “the sins of the fathers” by a later generation.

26:34-35 Though Esau married at age 40, as did Isaac his father (25:20), he nevertheless made rash, foolish choices. His wives were Hethites who worshiped many gods, none of which was the one true God of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac is partly responsible for these religiously mixed marriages, since he had not made it clear to Esau what his standards were (28:1,6-9). There are two possible explanations for why Judith, the first named wife of Esau (26:34) is not mentioned in Esau’s family records (Gn 36). Either she did not live long enough to have children, or the marriage ended quickly in divorce.