Genesis 26:25-35

25 And so Isaac builded there an altar to the Lord; and when the name of the Lord was inwardly called, he stretched forth a tabernacle; and he commanded his servants that they should dig wells. (And so Isaac built an altar there to the Lord; and after he had inwardly called on the Lord's name, he pitched his tent there; and then he commanded his servants to dig a well.)
26 And when Abimelech, and Ahuzzath, (one of) his friends, and Phicol, [the] duke of knights (the leader of his soldiers), had come from Gerar to that place,
27 Isaac spake to them, (and said,) What came ye to me, a man whom ye have hated, and putted away from you? (Isaac said to them, Why have ye come to me, a man whom ye hate, and whom ye sent away from you?)
28 Which answered, We saw that God is with thee, and therefore we said now, An oath be betwixt us, and make we a covenant of peace, (And they answered, We saw that God was with thee, and so we said, Now let there be an oath between us, and make we a covenant of peace,)
29 (so) that thou do not any[thing of] evil to us, as we (have) touched nothing of thine, neither did that that hurted thee, but with peace we let go thee (but we let thee go away in peace), (and now thou art) increased by the blessing(s) of the Lord.
30 Therefore Isaac made them a feast; and after meat and drink, (And so Isaac made a feast for them; and after food and drink,)
31 they rose early, and swore each to (the) other; and Isaac let go them peaceably into their place. (they rose up early, and swore an oath to each other; and then Isaac let them go away in peace.)
32 Lo! forsooth in that day the servants of Isaac came, telling to him of the well which they had digged, and said, We have found water.
33 Wherefore Isaac called that well Abundance; and the name of the city was set Beersheba till into this present day. (And so Isaac called that well Shebah; and the city there is called Beersheba unto this present day.)
34 Esau forsooth forty years eld wedded two wives (And when Esau was forty years old he wedded two wives), Judith , the daughter of Beeri (the) Hittite, and Bashemath , the daughter of Elon, of the same place;
35 which both offended the soul of Isaac and of Rebecca. (and because both women were heathen, that offended, or greatly distressed, Isaac and Rebecca.)

Genesis 26:25-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 26

This chapter treats of Isaac's removal to Gerar, occasioned by a famine, Ge 26:1; of the Lord's appearance to him there, advising him to sojourn in that place, and not go down to Egypt; renewing the covenant he had made with Abraham, concerning giving that country to him and his seed, Ge 26:2-6; of what happened unto him at Gerar on account of his wife, Ge 26:7-11; of Isaac's great prosperity and success, which drew the envy of the Philistines upon him, Ge 26:12-15; of his departure from hence to the valley of Gerar, at the instance of Abimelech; and of the contentions between his herdsmen, and those of Gerar, about wells of water, which caused him to remove to Beersheba, Ge 26:16-23; of the Lord's appearance to him there, renewing the above promise to him, where he built an altar, pitched his tent, and his servants dug a well, Ge 26:24,25; of Abimelech's coming to him thither, and making a covenant with him, Ge 26:26-31; which place had its name from the oath then made, and the well there dug, Ge 26:32,33; and lastly, of the marriage of Esau, which was a great grief to Isaac and Rebekah, Ge 26:34,35.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.