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†. Gen 26:1a . .There was a famine in the land-- aside from the
previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham
That previous famine occurred in chapter 12 before Isaac was born; even
before Ishmael was born. So many good, prosperous years have gone by
since the last famine. This may in fact have been the very first famine that
Isaac ever witnessed, and probably his last too.
The Hebrew word for "famine" is from ra' ab (raw-awb') which means:
hunger (more or less extensive)
People go hungry either because they can't buy the foods they need, or can't
grow it for lack of soil or water. In Isaac's case it was probably a lack of
water that made the difference. He had lots of money. But cattle can't live
on legal tender. Down in the lowlands there would very likely be plenty of
water in wells and springs that could be used for irrigation. So it's off to the
lowlands they go; herds and all.
†. Gen 26:1b . . and Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines,
in Gerar.
This was very likely another Abimelech-- not the same man in chapter 20
whom Abraham knew. That Abimelech was very likely dead by now. The
name "Abimelech" is more like a title than a moniker; sort of like Czar,
Pharaoh, or Caesar.
Gerar hasn't been fully identified, but the site might be in one of the
branches of Wady Sheri'a, at a place called Um Jerrar, near the coast
southwest of Gaza and 9 miles from it. The site answers fairly well to the
statements of Eusebius and Jerome, that it was 25 (Roman) miles south of
Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin). It's actually 30 English miles, but distances
weren't very accurately determined in early times. Gerar was known in the
first 5th century CE, when it was the seat of a bishopric; and its bishop,
Marcian, attended the Council of Chalcedon 451 CE.
According to ERETZ Magazine, issue 64, Abimelech's land is an ample valley
with fertile land and numerous springs; a perfect place for a man with cattle
to weather out the drought.
Isaac's decision to investigate the possibility of living amongst Abimelech's
people was quite possibly influenced by Abraham's pact with them back in
chapter 20. Hopefully they would be inclined to honor his dad's relationship
with the previous Abimelech and let Isaac's community live down there at
least until it started raining again up in the highlands.
†. Gen 26:2a . .The Lord had appeared to him
This is the very first recorded incident where God appeared especially for
Isaac. When he was offered as a burnt offering back in chapter 22, God
appeared to his dad while Isaac was with him. But God was not said to
appear to Isaac. This is the first time.
You know, probably nobody alive today will ever be honored by a divine
close encounter of a third kind. We will live out our pathetically boring little
lives always never quite sure if maybe we were hoodwinked-- hoping against
hope that the Bible is true. And wouldn't the joke be on us if it isn't? What a
bunch of gullible morons Christians would be if there is no Bible's God after
all.
†. Gen 26:2b . . and said: Do not go down to Egypt;
Isaac may have been considering Egypt as plan B if Gerar didn't work out.
†. Gen 26:2c . . stay in the land which I point out to you.
That had to be encouraging. Even if things looked bad in Gerar when Isaac
arrived, he could rest upon the fact that he was going in the right direction.
†. Gen 26:3a . . Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless
you;
Suppose it turned out Isaac didn't like the land God selected for him and
moved to another one? Well he could just forget about the promise: "I will
be with you and bless you" That promise was conditional. He had to live
where God directed him to live.
†. Gen 26:3b-4 . . I will assign all these lands to you and to your
heirs, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will
make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to
your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall
bless themselves by your heirs--
Although some translations render the word "heirs" plural, the word zera' is
one of those Hebrew words that can just as accurately be translated in the
singular as well the plural: like the words sheep, fish, and deer. In this case,
it's probably best to understand zera' in the singular because it most
certainly refers to Jacob rather than to both he and his brother Esau.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 26:1a . .There was a famine in the land-- aside from the
previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham
That previous famine occurred in chapter 12 before Isaac was born; even
before Ishmael was born. So many good, prosperous years have gone by
since the last famine. This may in fact have been the very first famine that
Isaac ever witnessed, and probably his last too.
The Hebrew word for "famine" is from ra' ab (raw-awb') which means:
hunger (more or less extensive)
People go hungry either because they can't buy the foods they need, or can't
grow it for lack of soil or water. In Isaac's case it was probably a lack of
water that made the difference. He had lots of money. But cattle can't live
on legal tender. Down in the lowlands there would very likely be plenty of
water in wells and springs that could be used for irrigation. So it's off to the
lowlands they go; herds and all.
†. Gen 26:1b . . and Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines,
in Gerar.
This was very likely another Abimelech-- not the same man in chapter 20
whom Abraham knew. That Abimelech was very likely dead by now. The
name "Abimelech" is more like a title than a moniker; sort of like Czar,
Pharaoh, or Caesar.
Gerar hasn't been fully identified, but the site might be in one of the
branches of Wady Sheri'a, at a place called Um Jerrar, near the coast
southwest of Gaza and 9 miles from it. The site answers fairly well to the
statements of Eusebius and Jerome, that it was 25 (Roman) miles south of
Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin). It's actually 30 English miles, but distances
weren't very accurately determined in early times. Gerar was known in the
first 5th century CE, when it was the seat of a bishopric; and its bishop,
Marcian, attended the Council of Chalcedon 451 CE.
According to ERETZ Magazine, issue 64, Abimelech's land is an ample valley
with fertile land and numerous springs; a perfect place for a man with cattle
to weather out the drought.
Isaac's decision to investigate the possibility of living amongst Abimelech's
people was quite possibly influenced by Abraham's pact with them back in
chapter 20. Hopefully they would be inclined to honor his dad's relationship
with the previous Abimelech and let Isaac's community live down there at
least until it started raining again up in the highlands.
†. Gen 26:2a . .The Lord had appeared to him
This is the very first recorded incident where God appeared especially for
Isaac. When he was offered as a burnt offering back in chapter 22, God
appeared to his dad while Isaac was with him. But God was not said to
appear to Isaac. This is the first time.
You know, probably nobody alive today will ever be honored by a divine
close encounter of a third kind. We will live out our pathetically boring little
lives always never quite sure if maybe we were hoodwinked-- hoping against
hope that the Bible is true. And wouldn't the joke be on us if it isn't? What a
bunch of gullible morons Christians would be if there is no Bible's God after
all.
†. Gen 26:2b . . and said: Do not go down to Egypt;
Isaac may have been considering Egypt as plan B if Gerar didn't work out.
†. Gen 26:2c . . stay in the land which I point out to you.
That had to be encouraging. Even if things looked bad in Gerar when Isaac
arrived, he could rest upon the fact that he was going in the right direction.
†. Gen 26:3a . . Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless
you;
Suppose it turned out Isaac didn't like the land God selected for him and
moved to another one? Well he could just forget about the promise: "I will
be with you and bless you" That promise was conditional. He had to live
where God directed him to live.
†. Gen 26:3b-4 . . I will assign all these lands to you and to your
heirs, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will
make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to
your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall
bless themselves by your heirs--
Although some translations render the word "heirs" plural, the word zera' is
one of those Hebrew words that can just as accurately be translated in the
singular as well the plural: like the words sheep, fish, and deer. In this case,
it's probably best to understand zera' in the singular because it most
certainly refers to Jacob rather than to both he and his brother Esau.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=