Isaac and the Philistines

The Jacob Cycle - Part 3

Structure

Immediately after considerable action between Jacob and Esau, we get an entire chapter dedicated to the life of Isaac as an interruption within the Jacob story. It appears to be chronologically out of order¹ and is highly repetitive of episodes of Abraham in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20) and Gerar (Genesis 20:1-18). At surface level, this may seem incoherent, but the intrusion serves to develop the story of God’s covenant with the seed of the woman, allows us to reflect on what just happened, and frames what will follow.² Isaac experiences an exile in Gerar that foreshadows Jacob’s exile in Haran. Also, we’re still to compare this story with that of Abraham, with differences between the two cycles being particularly instructive. Furthermore, it’s linked to the story of Jacob’s daughter Dinah in Genesis 34, which is itself an interruption between chapters 33 and 35 and also deals with interactions with the people of Canaan.³

Sections

The chapter is divided into seven sections which correspond to the seven sections in the stories of Abraham in Egypt and Gerar.⁴

Parallels with Abraham in Egypt

Parallel	Abraham Cycle verse(s)	Jacob Cycle verse(s)
Famine, wife/sister	Genesis 12:10-20	Genesis 26:1-11
Disputes with the nations	Genesis 13:2-10	Genesis 26:12-22
Separation	Genesis 13:11-12	Genesis 26:23
Divine promise	Genesis 13:14-17	Genesis 26:24
Altar built, encampment	Genesis 13:8	Genesis 26:25
Peace with the nations	Genesis 14	Genesis 26:26-31
Patriarch blessed by the nations	Genesis 14:19-20	Genesis 26:29

Parallels with Abraham in Gerar

Parallel	Abraham Cycle verse(s)	Jacob Cycle verse(s)
Wife/sister	Genesis 20:1-18	Genesis 26:1-11
Disputes about wells	Genesis 21:25	Genesis 26:15-21
Abimelek and Phikhol	Genesis 21:22	Genesis 26:26
“Yahweh has been with you”	Genesis 21:22	Genesis 26:28
Oath	Genesis 21:23	Genesis 26:25
Treaty	Genesis 21:24-31	Genesis 26:30-31
Beersheba named	Genesis 21:31	Genesis 26:32-33

God’s name

God’s covenental name, Yahweh, appears seven times in this episode. Seven is an important number in the Bible, signifying completeness. Structurally, this feature attests to the unity of this segment in the Jacob Cycle. It also shows that God is with Isaac throughout his time in Gerar even when it’s not explicitly apparent.

Divine promises in Gerar

¹ Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelek king of the Philistines. ² And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. ³ Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴ I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, ⁵ because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ⁶ So Isaac settled in Gerar.

–Genesis 26:1-6 (ESV)

As noted above, The Jacob Cycle continues to parallel the Abraham Cycle. Genesis 26:1-6 parallels the beginning of Genesis 12:

¹ Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

–Genesis 12:1-3, 10 (ESV)

As with us, the lived experience of the chosen line stands in contrast with God’s promise: the land experiences famine. Genesis 26:1 starts exactly like Genesis 12:10, but we’re told that this is a different famine than the one Abraham experiences.⁵ Isaac goes to Gerar, like Abraham did, and as before the king of that place is a man named Abimelek. Abimelek means “my father is king,” so it could be a title of the ruler of Gerar. We don’t need to assume that this Abimelek is the same one encountered by Abraham. Rather, the name serves as a link between Abraham and Isaac to prompt questions for us. Will Isaac leave the land like Abraham did? Will he pass Rebekah off as his sister?⁶

The Philistines

The Philistines weren’t a presence in Canaan until later in history (1200 B.C.)⁷ In Judges and Samuel, they’re are portrayed as violent invaders rather than the relatively peaceful people we see in Genesis, and lived in the “pentapolis,” not Gerar.⁸ So, why identify Abimelek and Gerar with the Philistines?

Historically, “Philistines” could have been applied to an earlier group (perhaps the Caphtorim of Deuteronomy 2:23) which settled in Gerar and only later expanded to occupy the Canaanite coast.⁹ Beyond that, maybe there’s a narrative purpose behind using “Philistines.” What other other nation has been called out that would in the future be in conflict with Israel? Edom. So, perhaps Abimelek and Philistia are intended to serve as analogies to Esau and Edom in Genesis 26.

Divine intervention

² And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.

–Genesis 26:2 (ESV)

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

–Genesis 12:10 (ESV)

We learn that Isaac was traveling to Egypt, as Abraham did during the famine in his time. However, God instructs him to stay in the land (Genesis 10:19 states that Gerar was on the border of the settled land of Canaan.)¹⁰ This casts more light on Abraham’s actions. The famine was a test for him, which he failed. Rather than trusting God to provide in the land, he left to search out what he needed on his own. While God’s instruction stops Isaac from following through with going to Egypt, we see his spiritual condition is similar to his father’s when faced with the same test. However, we’ll see that the danger he encounters is less pronounced than it was for Abraham in Egypt and Gerar.¹¹

Promise of blessing

³ Sojourn in this land, and [1] I will be with you and [2] will bless you, for [3] to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and [4] I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴ [5] I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven [6] and will give to your offspring all these lands. And [7] in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, ⁵ because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

–Genesis 26:3-5 (ESV) [emphasis added]

² And [1] I will make of you a great nation, and [2] I will bless you and [3] make your name great, so that [4] you will be a blessing. ³ [5] I will bless those who bless you, and [6] him who dishonors you I will curse, and [7] in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

–Genesis 12:2-3 (ESV) [emphasis added]

While Abraham’s blessing in Genesis 12 is linked to Isaac’s in Genesis 26 through the parallelism established between the Abraham and Jacob cycles, Isaac’s blessing also contains elements of God’s reiterated blessing to Abraham after he was commanded to sacrifice Isaac.

¹⁶ … “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, ¹⁸ and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

–Genesis 22:16b-18 (ESV)

The differences between Abraham’s and Isaac’s blessings emphasize the themes of the Jacob Cycle.

I will be with you

Abraham’s blessings don’t include the promise that God will be with him. This doesn’t mean that the Bible is saying that God wasn’t with Abraham; rather, it reveals that whether God will be with Jacob (and Isaac, here in chapter 26) is a central question that the story will answer.

God repeats this promise to Jacob later in the story at Bethel (Genesis 28:15,) and Jacob makes God being with him part of the condition for him pledging allegiance to Yahweh (Genesis 28:20-22.) More will be discussed about the contractual nature of this exchange later, but it reinforces the idea that Jacob, at least, has no assumption about God being with him wherever he goes.

Your offspring shall posses the gate of his enemies

In the blessing given to Abraham in Genesis 22, it’s promised that a descendant will “possess the gates of his enemies.” This militaristic language has been omitted from Isaac’s blessing, perhaps foreshadowing Isaac’s passive nature in Genesis 26.¹² Furthermore, the absence of “possess the gates” could be set in contrast to “city gate” (sa’ar ‘ir) appearing three times in Genesis 34, the parallel chapter to Genesis 26. There, Jacob, too, is passive, but to the detriment of his family and their standing in the land. God must intervene to prevent them from overtaking Jacob’s camp (Genesis 35:5.) In Isaac’s case, not “possessing the gate of his enemies” is portrayed as a good thing leading to peace and prosperity, where Jacob’s passivity in Genesis 34 inspires his sons to attack and pillage a Hivite city. While the narrative doesn’t outright condone the behavior of Jacob’s sons, it does seem to be critical of Jacob. Ecclesiastes 3:8 may provide a succinct summary of the comparison between Genesis 26 and 34.

A time for war, and a time for peace.

–Ecclesiastes 3:8b (ESV)

It’s worth noting that the promise of a descendant of Abraham possessing the gate of his enemies is messianic. It’s ultimate fulfillment is found through Jesus. Paul references Genesis 22:18 (which follows the gate possession verse) in Galatians 3:16.¹³

¹⁶ Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

–Galatians 3:16 (ESV)

Jesus may have had the promise of Abraham’s descendant possessing the gate of his enemies in mind when he declared that the gates of Hades won’t withstand the assault of his church.¹⁴

¹⁸ “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell [literally Hades] shall not prevail against it.”

–Matthew 16:18 (ESV)

The true enemies of humanity are the rebel spiritual forces and death itself.

²⁴ Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

–1 Corinthians 15:24-26 (ESV)

It’s significant that the first time the promise of Abraham’s descendant possessing the gate of his enemies is given is after the Isaac sacrifice episode. Isaac was saved from death by God providing a substitute. Jesus saves us from death, the final enemy, by being our substitute.

Abraham obeyed

God tells Isaac that the promise of blessing isn’t contingent on anything Isaac has done or will do. It’s based on Abraham’s obedience to God.¹⁵ As noted in Part 1, the source of blessing is a major theme in the Jacob Cycle. Here, we have an early indication that blessing is not something the characters in the story need to strive for; it’s given as a gift.

Charge, commandments, statute, and laws

Elaborating on Abraham’s obedience, God states that Abraham kept his charge, commandments, statutes, and laws. This is almost the exact wording of Deuteronomy 11:1 where Moses expresses what God requires of Israel after he received the second set of tablets that had the ten commandments. (The first set he broke after speaking to God on Mount Sinai and seeing the people worshipping a golden calf in Exodus 32:19.)

¹⁹ “You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.”

–Deuteronomy 11:1 (ESV)

The Sinai covenant hadn’t been established in Isaac’s time, so what does this mean? Abraham lived by faith in God, and therefore he followed the wisdom behind the law. Following the law wasn’t intended as an end unto itself. Rather, it formed Israel as a distinct people marked by their relationship to Yahweh.¹⁶ We find the laws evolve as Israel’s situation changes from wandering to living in the land. For example, laws are established about moving boundary stones in Deuteronomy 19:14. Such a law doesn’t apply to a nomadic context, but the root virtue of honesty was consistent throughout Israel’s history.

Yahweh claimed Abraham’s family as his and Abraham’s obedience to the heart of God’s law set him apart as God’s own. So, Isaac, as Abraham’s son, receives the blessing first given to Abraham.

This is in contrast to how Jacob obtained the birthright.¹⁷ Isaac receives the promises on God’s terms: as a free gift based on his father’s obedience, not by scheming as Jacob did.¹⁸

Isaac obeys

⁶ So Isaac settled in Gerar.

–Genesis 26:6 (ESV)

Isaac obeys God and doesn’t proceed to Egypt.

Wife/sister

In Gerar, Isaac shows that he doesn’t fully trust God as protector. He resorts to the same deception as his father did to protect himself from the perceived danger of having a beautiful wife among the nations.

Perceived threat and deception

⁷ When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah, “ because she was attractive in appearance.

–Genesis 26:7 (ESV)

This is the last of three incidents in Genesis where a patriarch pretends that his wife is only his sister (see Abraham in Egypt and Abraham in Gerar.) As mentioned above, the danger God’s chosen line faces is progressively less pronounced in each of these episodes. Pharaoh took Sarai as his wife in Genesis 12 (see Genesis 12:15 and Genesis 12:19.) In Genesis 20, Abimelek took Sarah, but God prevented him from touching her (Genesis 20:6.) In Genesis 26, we’ll see that Rebekah isn’t taken at all.

Part 1 introduced the idea of exile being a theme explored in the Jacob Cycle, partly by holding multiple historical exiles in tensions. Taken together, the wife/sister scenes work as an oracle for Israel being enslaved by Egypt and the Exodus.¹⁹ While the foreshadowing of enslavement by Egypt solidifies into an inevitability in Genesis, it’s also preluded by the establishment of God’s protection and plan for humanity’s rescue as unshakable. The decreasing danger in the wife/sister scenes, all pointing to Egypt, show that God’s plan to bring humanity back to Eden is never truly threatened, even when Israel is enslaved. That message reverberates forward to the Babylonian exile, Jesus’s “exile” on the cross, and our own communal and personal spiritual exiles.

Immediately in the context of the Jacob Cycle, this scene reflects back on what has happened with the birthright and what will soon follow with the blessing.

Threat disproved

⁸ When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife.

–Genesis 26:8 (ESV)

Isaac and Rebekah stay in Gerar “a long time” without anyone trying to take Rebekah, revealing that the perceived threat was unfounded and the ruse wasn’t necessary. Isaac stayed in Gerar instead of going to Egypt in obedience to God and he was protected there.

Throughout Genesis, a formula is established that indicates when a boundary is on the verge of being crossed. “See” (root r‘h,) “good” (tov,) and “take” (root lqh) are common words used in the formula. The first time they’re used in this way is in the garden of Eden when Eve is tempted to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

⁶ So when the woman saw [tere‘, root r‘h] that the tree was good [tov] for food…she took [tiqqah, root lqh] of its fruit and ate…

Genesis 3:6 (ESV)

The boundary here is the eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve “sees” the “good” fruit on the other side of the boundary and crosses it when she “takes” the fruit.

We see this pattern again in Genesis 6.

¹ When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God saw [yir‘u, root r‘h] that the daughters of man were attractive [tovot, the feminine plural form of tov]. And they took [yiqhu, root lqh] as their wives any they chose.

–Genesis 6:1-2 (ESV)

The “sons of god” are spiritual beings.²⁰ There are various interpretations of their actions in Genesis 6, but those actions should be seen as against God’s will.²¹ The boundary for the sons of God is marrying humans. They “see” the “good” daughters of man/human and cross the boundary when they “take” wives for themselves.

In Genesis 12 and 20, Sarai/Sarah is “taken” for/by Pharaoh and Abimelek. (She’s “seen” by Pharaoh’s officials in Genesis 12:15, but, interestingly, the only “seeing” done in Genesis 20 is by Abraham in an accusation by Abimelek in verse 10, perhaps working as a kind of reversal to emphasize Abraham’s culpability.)

In Genesis 26:7, Isaac’s justification for the ruse is that Rebekah is “attractive (tov) in appearance (mar‘eh, root r‘h.)” He fears he’ll be killed so that the Philistines can take her. In this episode, what’s seen by Abimelek isn’t only something good to be desired, but the truth of the situation. He sees Isaac “laughing” with his wife, a euphemism for physical intimacy employed to create a play on words between “Isaac” and “laughing.” In Genesis Genesis 17:19, God instructs Abraham to name his future son Isaac after Abraham laughed when God foretold the birth of a son in Abraham and Sarah’s old age (Sarah, too, laughs at the prospect in Genesis 18:12). Isaac (yitskhaq) and “laughing” (m^etsakheq) share the same root word in Hebrew (ts-kh-q.) In a sense, Isaac is “Isaac-ing” Rebekah. Jacob will later “Jacob” Esau (Jacob, [ya‘aqov,] sounds like ‘aqov, “to cheat, seize someone by the heel”) by disguising himself as Esau.²² As deception wasn’t needed in Isaac’s situation, it wasn’t needed in Jacob’s. Abimelek recognizes the boundary and doesn’t cross it.

Play on Isaac’s name is also present in the parallel section in the Abraham Cycle which includes the birth of Isaac and and the sending away of Hagar and Ishmael.

⁶ And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”

⁹ But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.

Genesis 21:5, 9 (ESV) [emphasis added]

Isaac’s birth transformed Abraham and Sarah’s incredulous laughter into joyful laughter. Shortly thereafter in the narrative, Ishmael is “laughing” with Isaac, which carries the sense of “mocking” or “making fun of.”²³ Ishmael’s “Isaac-ing” of Isaac serves as a catalyst for his and his mother’s exile, while Isaac remains in the land. Isaac will now experience a reversal: after lying to the Philistines and being discovered through his own “Isaac-ing,” he’ll be the one sent away.

Outrage

⁹ So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” ¹⁰ Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” ¹¹ So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

–Genesis 26:8-11 (ESV)

Abimelek was angry about Isaac’s deception because of the danger it posed to his people. We’re to recall the consequences of Pharaoh taking Sarah: plagues were inflicted on him and his house (Genesis 12:17.) Here, Abimelek’s integrity is seen through his actions, but, in the parallel episode in Genesis 20, it’s made more explicit with vocabulary that creates an interesting contrast with Jacob. When Abraham was in Gerar, Abimelek responds to God’s warning in a dream that he took Sarah in the “integrity of [his] heart” (Genesis 20:6.) “Integrity” is the Hebrew word tam, the same word used to describe Jacob in Genesis 25:27. Abimelek is shown to be more righteous than Isaac, the chosen seed of the woman, and set in contrast to Jacob, who is ironically described as tam before swindling the birthright away from Esau.

Shall surely die

Abimelek’s threat to kill anyone who touches Isaac or Rebekah is an echo from Eden and Abraham’s time in Gerar.

⁶ “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die [mot tamut].”

–Genesis 2:17 (ESV)

⁷ Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die [mot tamut], you and all who are yours.”

Genesis 20:7 (ESV)

Literally, the consequence of not obeying the commands in Genesis 2:17 (and 3:4,) 20:7, and 26:11 is that the offenders will “die die.” The verb “die” (root mwt) is repeated for emphasis, hence the translation “surely die” in the ESV. In Genesis 2 and 20, God is the judge who sets the sentence for crossing the boundary; in Genesis 26, it’s Abimelek. A king of the nations is being shown to be more righteous than the chosen child of promise.

In Part 2, it was suggested that the barrenness of the matriarchs illustrates that it’s not by human effort that the chosen line will continue, it’s by God’s grace. Abimelek being portrayed as being a person of higher character than Isaac perhaps adds to this. The chosen line can’t perpetuate or lose their status through their actions. Later in the chapter, we’ll see that blessing flows through Isaac to Abimelek, even though Abimelek is depicted in a more favorable light.

Response to flourishing

Blessing

¹² And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him, ¹³ and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. ¹⁴ He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵ (Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.)

–Genesis 26:12-15 (ESV)

Famine is experienced by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 41:53-54,) but Isaac is the only patriarch who stays in the land during one. Abraham and Jacob’s family settle in Egypt. Isaac, staying in the land, plants a crop that yields an exceptionally bountiful harvest despite the famine. Furthermore, Isaac attains wealth through livestock and servants. So, we see God’s promise of blessing materializing.²⁴ We also learn more of what is at stake for the son who has the birthright. The right of the firstborn confers a double portion of Isaac’s wealth, so whoever holds it stands to receive two-thirds of the wealth accumulated by Isaac.

Given the links to the Israelite’s flourishing under oppression in Egypt (see Exodus,) and the Esek well scene potentially reflecting back on the sale of the birthright (see Esek: contention,) Isaac’s fruitful crop could be underscoring God’s reversal of Rebekah’s barrenness and looking forward to the growth of God’s people despite situations that would normally result in diminishment. The power of God is greater than the threat that infertile humans or land poses to the chosen line, and only by that power is the chosen line sustained.

Exodus

¹⁶ And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” ¹⁷ So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

–Genesis 26:16-17 (ESV)

Isaac’s wealth leads to the Philistines envying him, and we’re given a note about the Philistines spitefully filling Abraham’s wells. When Abraham was in Gerar, the servants of the Abimelek of his time seized one of his wells, but a treaty was made between Abraham and Abimelek and the well was returned (Genesis 21:25-34.) This treaty was either ignored or forgotten, and Isaac passively acquiesces to Abimelek’s request to “go away” from them because he had become “mightier” than they were. These phrases are a link to passages in Exodus.²⁵

¹⁶ And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much [m^e‘od] mightier [‘atsam^eta, root ‘-ts-m] than we.”

–Genesis 26:16 (ESV)

As a precursor to Pharaoh fearing the Israelites’ strength, their flourishing is described with language from the Genesis 1 commission (Genesis 1:28) and Abimelek’s concern.

But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly [m^e‘od m^e‘od (repeated for emphasis)] strong [ya‘astmu, root ‘-ts-m], so that the land was filled with them.

–Exodus 1:7 (ESV)

At the beginning of Exodus, we see again the nations fearing God’s people because of their strength. The response of Abimelek stands in stark contrast to Pharaoh’s. He asks Isaac to “go away from us” (lek me‘im anu.) Pharaoh and the Egyptians, instead, “set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens” (Exodus 1:11.) It isn’t until 9 plagues have been inflicted on Egypt that Pharaoh says to Moses “get away from me” (lek me‘al ay,) and after the Israelites depart, he pursues them (Exodus 14:5-9.)

The link to Exodus is further strengthened by the word “encamped” (yihan.) It’s a rare word in Genesis, used only here and in the transition leading into Genesis 34 (Genesis 33:18,) the parallel chapter to Genesis 26. It’s extensively used in Exodus and elsewhere to describe the Israelites camping in the wilderness. ²⁶

A likely reason for these link is to foreshadow what’s to come for God’s people. We might also be expected to compare Isaac’s “exodus” with Israel’s. How do different leaders of the nations respond to the strength of God’s chosen line and what are their fates?

Parallels with the Abraham Cycle

Abram and Lot separate

This section is thematically parallel with Abram and Lot separating in Genesis 13:1-13. Abram had also become wealthy, and the land couldn’t support both him and Lot.

² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. ³ And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. ⁵ And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, ⁶ so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, ⁷ and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. ⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” ¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD….¹¹ So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

–Genesis 13:2-7a, 8-10a, 11 (ESV)

The strain led to conflict between Abram and Lot’s herdsmen, so they decided to separate. As the elder and Lot’s uncle (and possibly guardian), Abram had the right to choose the best land for himself.²⁷ However, he allowed Lot to choose what appeared to be the more fruitful land instead of grasping for it, himself.

The note about the Canaanites and Perizzites provides a link to Exodus 3 discussed in Rehoboth: wide open spaces.

Hagar and Ishmael

As introduced above, there are also links to Abraham sending Hagar and Ishmael away in Genesis 21. Hagar “departed” (telek, root hlk) to the wilderness of Beersheba after being sent away with Ishmael by Abraham.

¹⁴ So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed [telek] and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

–Genesis 21:14 (ESV)

Isaac departed (yelek, root hlk) to the Valley of Gerar after being asked to go by Abimelek. With the continued linking of the two stories through shared words, the invitation to compare them is strengthened.

Summary

In these parallels with the Abraham cycle, we see people within and without the chosen line dependent on God with an emphasis on the need for water. Abram surrendered what seemed to be the best, well-watered land to Lot, who culturally had a lower position than him, and Hagar and Ishmael, outcasts from the camp of the chosen line, needed water in the wilderness. We’ll see how these previous stories in Genesis inform the interpretation of Genesis 26.

Isaac’s wells

¹⁸ And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the names that his father had given them.

–Genesis 26:18 (ESV)

Isaac and his camp, now separated from the Philistines in Gerar and the relative protection from the famine there, is in need of water. He re-digs the wells that the Philistines had filled to spite Abraham and restores their names, which might have re-established ownership rights.²⁸ His journey echoes elements of Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael’s.

Esek: contention

¹⁹ But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, ²⁰ the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

–Genesis 26:19-20 (ESV)

These verses have word links with Abram and Lot separating. In both episodes, there was strife/quarreling (root ryv) between herdsman (ro‘e.) Abram allowed Lot to choose what seemed to be the best land. Similarly, Isaac doesn’t perpetuate conflict, but allows the herdsmen of Gerar to have the well.

As will be seen with the other wells Isaac digs, the name of the well not only reflects on the current situation but also on other aspects of the Jacob Cycle. “Esek” means “contention.” This is the only time the noun is used in the Bible. In sources outside the Bible, it’s used in connection to disputed titles of ownership.²⁹ So, besides reflecting on the situation between the herdsman, the name could be reflecting back on Jacob and Esau’s contention about the birthright and stew (Genesis 31:1.)³⁰

While the sale of the birthright could have been legally binding in their culture, Esau later says that Jacob cheated him and took it away (Genesis 27:36,) showing that he disputes the legitimacy of the transaction. As the episode progresses towards Isaac finding water and making peace with Abimelek, Jacob’s grasping for the birthright is revealed to be unnecessary and faithless. Here and in the past, with Abraham and Lot’s separation in the forefront of the audience’s mind effected by the literary links, God has shown that he will provide for the chosen line.

Sitnah: complaint/hostility

²¹ Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also, so he called its name Sitnah.

–Genesis 26:21 (ESV)

The second well is named “Sitnah,” which means “complaint.” The word is used in Ezra 4:6 to indicate a formal accusation against Judah and Jerusalem for rebuilding the temple.³¹ The verb that comes from the root means “to show hostility.”³² Isaac doesn’t levy any accusation against the herdsmen of Gerar or show hostility towards them; instead, he lets them take it. His family won’t follow his example. Esau had claim to Isaac’s blessing, but Rebekah and Jacob trick Isaac into giving it to Jacob instead. This leads to the to the aforementioned complaint Esau lodges against Jacob for cheating him out of the birthright and blessing in Genesis 27:36.³³ There is then hostility between Esau and Jacob which escalates to Esau planning to kill Jacob. (Genesis 27:41.)

Yet, even Esau, the unchosen son who had the cultural rights of the firstborn taken from him, could have trusted in God to provide for him. Ishmael, too, was the unchosen firstborn son. After he and his mother were given a pittance of water and exiled, God gave them enough water, a promise of descendants, and was with Ishmael (Genesis 21:18-20.) Rather than trust that God would be with him as well as Jacob, he echoes Cain in his desire to kill his brother.

So, the second well provides commentary on events yet to occur in the Jacob Cycle. Rebekeh and Jacob are like the herdmen, seizing what isn’t theirs to take. Esau is like Isaac, but, instead of peacefully letting go of Isaac’s blessing, moving on with trust in God’s provision, he plots revenge.

Rehoboth: wide open spaces

²² And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

–Genesis 26:22 (ESV)

The third well that Isaac digs doesn’t result in any conflict with the Gerar herdsmen, so he names it “Rehoboth,” which means “wide open spaces.”³⁴ Isaac recognizes that Yahweh was the one who brought him to this point. Isaac’s hope that his household will be fruitful recalls the Eden commission in Genesis 1 to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28.) His refusal to be provoked by the Philistines has moved him closer to the Eden ideal.

His statement that God has “made room” converges the stories of Abram and Lot’s separation and Israel’s bondage in Egypt. After Abram and Lot separate and God reiterates his promise to Abraham, he tells Abram to walk the land.

“Arise, walk through the length and the breadth [rakhvah, root rkhv] of the land, for I will give it to you.”

–Genesis 13:17 (ESV)

The Hebrew word translated “breadth” shares the same root, rkhv, as Rehoboth and “room” (hirkhv).

Speaking from the burning bush, God says to Moses that he has come down to rescue Israel from Egypt.

⁸ and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad [r^ekhavh] land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

–Exodus 3:8 (ESV)

God promises to bring Israel back to the land of the patriarchs. Included in the list of the peoples of the land are the Canaanites and Perizzites, which were noted in Abram and Lot’s separation above. God giving the land to Abram, leading Isaac to open spaces, and rescuing Israel to bring them to a broad land are interlocked with the Hebrew root rkhv and mentioning the Canaanites and Perizzites.

Looking ahead in the Jacob Cycle, this could prefigure Jacob separating from Esau and the safety it provides from the threat of Esau’s desire to kill him. However, his flight to Haran will be more like Hagar and Ishmael (the unchosen line) being exiled out of the land from Abraham’s camp than Abram’s separation from Lot, which resulted in Abram settling in the land promised to him and his descendants.

Divine promises in Beersheba

²³ From there he went up to Beersheba. ²⁴ And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” ²⁵ So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

–Genesis 26:23-25 (ESV)

Isaac leaves the valley of Gerar and goes “up” to Beersheba. “Up/ascend” (root ‘lh) is a keyword in the Jacob Cycle that signals a return to the promised land and God’s presence. By building an altar and calling on the name of Yahweh, he establishes a site of worship and sacred space in the land and marks himself loyal to Yawheh. His actions also link his ascent to Beersheba with Jacob’s ascent and return to Bethel, where he also builds and altar (Genesis 35:1.)

Given the parallelism between this story and the stories of Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael, there’s an expectation for God to speak to Isaac. God re-iterated previous promises to Abram after he separated from Lot and to Hagar after she and Ishmael separated from Abraham’s camp. He does the same for Isaac after his separation from the Philistines.

¹⁴ The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, ¹⁵ for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. ¹⁷ Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸ So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

–Genesis 13:14-17 (ESV)

¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. ¹⁸ Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

–Genesis 21:17-18 (ESV)

Abram, Hagar, and Ishmael, were all rescued from exile by God. As the one chosen by God to establish a specific people in a specific land to ultimately bring all humanity back to Eden, Abram built an altar to establish worship in that land and mark it as sacred space. Hagar, as one outside the chosen line (and who was leaving the land,) didn’t build an altar. However, she and Ishmael were still blessed and protected by God, showing that he cared for those who weren’t chosen. Furthermore, as we’ll see, these Eden-like, are places aren’t exclusive to the chosen line. The nations are invited in to take part in the blessing.

My servant

The title of “my servant” is significant in the Bible. In the Torah, only the patriarchs, Moses, and Caleb are called God’s servant, and few others receive the title outside of it, the main one being David. The idea of “servant of the Lord” whose suffering is seen to be a part of Israel’s redemption is developed throughout the Old Testament.³⁵ We can see our relationship to Jesus in a similar way to Isaac’s relationship to his father. Because Abraham was obedient, Isaac is blessed. Because Jesus was obedient, we are blessed.

Isaac and Abimelek make peace

²⁶ When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, Isaac said to them, ²⁷ “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” ²⁸ They said, “We see plainly that the LORD has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, ²⁹ that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.” ³⁰ So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. ³¹ In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace.

–Genesis 26:26-31 (ESV)

Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phicol visit while the well is still being dug. Ahuzzath’s title, translated “advisor” literally means “friend.” “Friend of the king” was a title that referred to someone who counseled the king in affairs of state. So, Abimelech brings his chief civilian and military officers.³⁶ The distinguished group, along with Abimelech’s flattering and conciliatory language, indicates Isaac’s strength and the respect afforded him. Isaac speaks with boldness, perhaps more confident after God’s reassurances.

We see a picture of God’s promise fulfilled. Abimelek sees that Isaac is blessed by God and comes seeking peace. A meal is shared, which was a standard part of treaty negotiations in that time.³⁷ There’s an impression that Abimelek is blessed by this encounter, reinforced by the parallel scenes in the Abraham Cycle.

In Genesis 14, Abram rescued Lot and the people of Sodom from the king of Elam. In verses 21-24, the king of Sodom brusquely demanded that his people be returned to him, but offered Abram the possessions taken during the rescue. Abram refused anything for himself, asking only that his allies be given their share, essentially gifting his share to the king of Sodom. In Genesis 21, Abraham gave Abimelek sheep, oxen, and seven eye lambs and made a covenant with him at Abimilek’s request for peace and to resolve a conflict over a well stolen from Abraham (Genesis 21:27.)

So, a pattern is established of the nations coming to the chosen seed of the woman, finding peace and being blessed.

Isaac digs a well in Beersheba

³² That same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.” ³³ He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

–Genesis 26:32-33 (ESV)

We learn that the well is completed. The fact that this happened “that same day” connects the peace treaty with the discovery of water.³⁸ We have another echo of Eden, strengthened if we remember that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in the same place after making his treaty with Abimelek (Genesis 21:32.)

He calls the well Shibah, which means “oath,” and additional meaning is given to “Beersheba.” Abraham originally named the place to commemorate the return of his well and the seven ewe lambs given to Abimelek. b^e‘er means well and sheva‘ means seven. shiv‘ah sounds like sheva‘. Beersheba becomes both the “well of seven” and the “well of oath.”

This looks ahead not only to Jacob and Esau reconciling, but also to the Exodus and Israel settling into a time of peace in Canaan and the ultimate goal of all nations being brought back from exile and reconciled to God.

Bibliography

Aharoni, Y. “The Land of Gerar,” Israel Exploration Society. 6, no. 1 (1956): 26-32.

Cassuto, Umberto. A Commentary on the Book of Genesis: From Adam to Noah. Translated by Israel Abrams. E-book ed. Varda Books, 2005.

Cassuto, Umberto. The Documentary Hypothesis. Translated by Israel Abrams. E-book ed. Varda Books, 2005.

Heiser, Michael. The Unseen Realm. E-book ed. Lexham Press, 2015.

Mackie, Tim, and John Collins, “Deuteronomy: The Law… Again,” The BibleProject Podcast. October 24, 2022. Podcast, website, 01:13:07. https://bibleproject.com/podcast/law-again/.

Sailhamer, John H. Genesis. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. E-book ed. Zondervan Academic, 2017.

Sarna, Nahum M. Genesis. The JPS Torah Commentary. Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989.

Steinmann, Andrew E. “Jesus and Possessing the Enemies’ Gate (Genesis 22:17-18; 24:60),” Bibliotheca Sacra. 174 (January-March 2017): 13-21.

Walton, John H. Genesis. The NIV Application Commentary. E-book ed. Zondervan, 2014.

Wenham, Gordon John. Genesis 16-50, Volume 2. World Biblical Commentary. E-book ed. Zondervan Academic, 2017.

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1. Sarna, Genesis, 183. ↩

2. Walton, Genesis, 558. ↩

3. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 186. ↩

4. Ibid, 187. ↩

5. Sarna, Genesis, 183. ↩

6. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 188. ↩

7. Ibid. ↩

8. Sarna, Genesis, 390. ↩

9. Ibid; Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 188. ↩

10. Aharani, “Gerar,” 26. ↩

11. Walton, Genesis, 551, ↩

12. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 186. ↩

13. Steinmann, “Enemies’ Gate,” 14. ↩

14. Ibid, 19. ↩

15. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 190. ↩

16. Mackey and Collins, “The Law… Again”, 19:35-34:39. ↩

17. Walton, Genesis, 557. ↩

18. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 187. ↩

19. Cassuto, Documentary Hypothesis, 83. ↩

20. Cassuto, Genesis: From Adam to Noah, 292-294. ↩

21. Heiser, Unseen Realm, 107. ↩

22. Walton, Genesis, 559. ↩

23. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 81. ↩

24. Ibid, 190. ↩

25. Ibid. ↩

26. Ibid. ↩

27. Sarna, Genesis, 98. ↩

28. Ibid, 186. ↩

29. Ibid. ↩

30. Walton, Genesis, 559. ↩

31. Sarna, Genesis, 186. ↩

32. Ibid. ↩

33. Walton, Genesis, 559. ↩

34. Sailhamer, Genesis, 436. ↩

35. Sarna, Genesis, 187. ↩

36. Ibid. ↩

37. Ibid. ↩

38. Ibid, 188. ↩