Genesis 26

1 And there fell a derth in ye lande passinge the first derth yt fell in the dayes of Abraham. Wherfore Isaac went vnto Abimelech kinge of ye Philistias vnto Gerar.
2 The the LORde apeared vnto him and sayde goo not doune in to Egipte but byde in ye land which I saye vnto ye:
3 Sogeorne in this lade and I wyll be with ye and wyll blesse ye: for vnto the and vnto thy sede I will geue all these cotreis And I will performe the oothe which I swore vnto Abraha thy father
4 and will multiplye thy seed as ye starres of heave and will geue vnto thy seed all these contreis. And thorow thy seed shall all the natios of the erth be blessed
5 because yt Abraha harkened vnto mi voyce and kepte mine ordinauces comaudmetes statutes and lawes
6 And Isaac dwelled in Gerar.
7 And yt me of the place asked hi of his wife and he sayde yt she was his sister: for he feared to calle her his wife lest the me of the place shulde haue kylled hym for hir sake because she was bewtyfull to ye eye.
8 And it happened after he had bene there longe tyme yt Abimelech kinge of ye Philistias loked out at a wyndow and sawe Isaac sportinge with Rebecca his wife.
9 And Abimelech sende for Isaac and sayde: se she is of a suertie thi wife and why saydest thou yt she was thi sister? And Isaac saide vnto hi: I thoughte yt I mighte peradventure haue dyed for hir sake.
10 The fayde Abimelech: whi hast thou done this vnto vs? one of ye people myght lightely haue lyne by thy wife and so shuldest thou haue broughte synne vpon vs
11 Tha Abimelech charged all his people saynge: he yt toucheth this man or his wife shall surely dye for it.
12 And Isaac sowed in yt lade and founde in ye same yere an hudred bushels: for ye LORde blessed hi
13 and the man waxed mightye and wet forth and grewe till he was exceadinge great
14 yt he had possessio of shepe of oxe and a myghtie housholde: so yt the Philestians had envy at him:
15 In so moch yt they stopped and fylled vp with erth all the welles which his fathers servauntes dygged in his father Abrahams tyme.
16 Than sayde Abimelech vnto Isaac: gett the fro me for thou art myhhtier then we a greate deale.
17 Than Isaac departed thense and pitched his tente in the valey Gerar and dwelt there,
18 And Isaac digged agayne the welles of water which they dygged in the dayes of Abraha his father which the Philestias had stoppe after ye deth of Abraha and gaue the the same names which hys father gaue the.
19 As Isaacs seruautes dygged in the valey they founde a well of springynge water.
20 And the herdme of Gerar dyd stryue with Isaacs herdme saynge: the water is oures Than called he the well Eseck because they stroue with hym.
21 Than dygged they another well and they stroue for yt also. Therfore called he it Sitena.
22 And than he departed these and dygged a nother well for the which they stroue not: therfore called he it Rehoboth saige: ye LORde hath now made vs rowme and we are encreased vpo the erth.
23 Afterward departed he thece and came to Berseba
24 And the LORde apered vnto hi the same nyghte and sayde. I am the God of Abraha thy father feare not for I am with the and will blesse the and multiplye thy sede for my seruaute Abrahams sake.
25 And than he buylded an aulter there and called vpo the name of the LORde and there pitched his tente. And there Isaacs servauntes dygged a well.
26 Than came Abimelech to him fro Gerar and Ahusath his frende and Phicol his chefe captayne.
27 And Isaac sayde vnto the: wherfore come ye to me seige ye hate me and haue put me awaye fro you?
28 Than sayde they: we sawe that the LORde was with the and therfore we sayde that there shulde be an oothe betwixte vs ad the and that we wolde make a bonde with the:
29 yt thou shuldeste do vs no hurte as we haue not touched the and haue done vnto the nothinge but good and sed the awaye in peace: for thou art now the blessed of the LORde.
30 And he made the a feast and they ate ad droke.
31 And they rose vp by tymes in the mornynge and sware one to another. And Isaac sent the awaye. And they departed from him in peace.
32 And ye same daye came Isaacs servautes and tolde hi of a well which they had dygged: and sayde vnto hi that thei had founde water.
33 And he called it Seba wherfore the name of the cyte is called Berseba vnto this daye.
34 When Esau was .xl. yere olde he toke to wyfe Judith the doughter of Bely an Hethite and Busmath the doughter of Elon an Hethite
35 also which were dishobedient vnto Isaac and Rebecca.

Genesis 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

Isaac, because of famine, goes to Gerar. (1-5) He denies his wife and is reproved by Abimelech. (6-11) Isaac grows rich, The Philistines' envy. (12-17) Isaac digs wells God blesses him. (18-25) Abimelech makes a covenant with Isaac. (26-33) Esau's wives. (34,35)

Verses 1-5 Isaac had been trained up in a believing dependence upon the Divine grant of the land of Canaan to him and his heirs; and now that there is a famine in the land, Isaac still cleaves to the covenant. The real worth of God's promises cannot be lessened to a believer by any cross providences that may befall him. If God engage to be with us, and we are where he would have us to be, nothing but our own unbelief and distrust can prevent our comfort. The obedience of Abraham to the Divine command, was evidence of that faith, whereby, as a sinner, he was justified before God, and the effect of that love whereby true faith works. God testifies that he approved this obedience, to encourage others, especially Isaac.

Verses 6-11 There is nothing in Isaac's denial of his wife to be imitated, nor even excused. The temptation of Isaac is the same as that which overcame his father, and that in two instances. This rendered his conduct the greater sin. The falls of those who are gone before us are so many rocks on which others have split; and the recording of them is like placing buoys to save future mariners. This Abimelech was not the same that lived in Abraham's days, but both acted rightly. The sins of professors shame them before those that are not themselves religious.

Verses 12-17 God blessed Isaac. Be it observed, for the encouragement of poor tenants who occupy other people's lands, and are honest and industrious, that God blessed him with a great increase. The Philistines envied Isaac. It is an instance of the vanity of the world; for the more men have of it, the more they are envied, and exposed to censure and injury. Also of the corruption of nature; for that is an ill principle indeed, which makes men grieve at the good of others. They made Isaac go out of their country. That wisdom which is from above, will teach us to give up our right, and to draw back from contentions. If we are wrongfully driven from one place, the Lord will make room for us in another.

Verses 18-25 Isaac met with much opposition in digging wells. Two were called Contention and Hatred. See the nature of worldly things; they make quarrels, and are occasions of strife; and what is often the lot of the most quiet and peaceable; those who avoid striving, yet cannot avoid being striven with. And what a mercy it is to have plenty of water; to have it without striving for it! The more common this mercy is, the more reason to be thankful for it. At length Isaac digged a well, for which they strove not. Those that study to be quiet, seldom fail of being so. When men are false and unkind, still God is faithful and gracious; and his time to show himself so is, when we are most disappointed by men. The same night that Isaac came weary and uneasy to Beer-sheba, God brought comforts to his soul. Those may remove with comfort who are sure of God's presence.

Verses 26-33 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him, ( Proverbs 16:7 ) . Kings' hearts are in his hands, and when he pleases, he can turn them to favour his people. It is not wrong to stand upon our guard in dealing with those who have acted unfairly. But Isaac did not insist on the unkindnesses they had done him; he freely entered into friendship with them. Religion teaches us to be neighbourly, and, as much as in us lies, to live peaceable with all men. Providence smiled upon what Isaac did; God blessed his labours.

Verses 34-35 Esau was foolish in marrying two wives together, and still more in marrying Canaanites, strangers to the blessing of Abraham, and subject to the curse of Noah. It grieved his parents that he married without their advice and consent. It grieved them that he married among those who had no religion. Children have little reason to expect God's blessing who do that which is a grief of mind to good parents.

Chapter Summary

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.

Genesis 26 Commentaries

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