Genesis 26:1-11

Genesis 26:1-11

[1] And there was a famine  in the land,  beside  the first  famine  that was in the days  of Abraham.  And Isaac  unto Abimelech  king  of the Philistines  unto Gerar.  [2] And the LORD  appeared  unto him, and said,  Go not down  into Egypt;  dwell  in the land  which I shall tell  [3] Sojourn  in this land,  and I will be with thee, and will bless  thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed,  I will give  all these  countries,  and I will perform  the oath  which I sware  unto Abraham  thy father;  [4] thy seed  to multiply  as the stars  of heaven,  and will give  unto thy seed  all these  countries;  and in thy seed  shall all the nations  of the earth  be blessed;  [5] Because  that Abraham  obeyed  my voice,  and kept  my charge,  my commandments,  my statutes,  and my laws.  [6] And Isaac  dwelt  in Gerar:  [7] of the place  asked  him of his wife;  and he said,  She is my sister:  for he feared  to say,  She is my wife;  of the place  should kill  me for Rebekah;  because she was fair  to look upon.  [8] And it came to pass, when he had been there a long  time,  that Abimelech  king  of the Philistines  looked out  at  a window,  and saw,  and, behold, Isaac  was sporting  with Rebekah  his wife.  [9] And Abimelech  called  Isaac,  and said,  Behold, of a surety  she is thy wife:  and how saidst  thou, She is my sister?  And Isaac  said  Lest I die  [10] And Abimelech  said,  What is this thou hast done  unto us? one  of the people  might lightly  have lien  with thy wife,  and thou shouldest have brought  guiltiness  upon us. [11] And Abimelech  charged  all his people,  saying,  He that toucheth  this man  or his wife  shall surely 

What does Genesis 26:1-11 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God prevented Isaac from leaving the Promised Land and renewed the covenant with him, but then He had to protect Rebekah when Isaac lied about his relationship with her to Abimelech.
"In the short span of one chapter, the writer shows how the whole of the life of Isaac was a rehearsal of that which happened to Abraham. Thus the lesson that is conveyed is that God"s faithfulness in the past can be counted on in the present and the future. What he has done for the fathers, he will also do for the sons." [1]
Whereas the events of Isaac"s life repeated those of Abraham"s on several occasions, God dealt with Isaac differently and in harmony with his individual character. The many parallels between this chapter and the story of Abraham (esp. chs12-14,20-21) show that the writer wanted the reader to compare and contrast the two men. [2]
"The figure of even a great man may be dwarfed by comparison with that of a distinguished father or of a famous son. Thus the character of Isaac is overshadowed by the majesty of Abraham and the dramatic interest of Jacob. There was a third factor which diminished the importance of Isaac; he was the husband of a clever and masterful wife. No matter how exciting the scene in which he may appear, he is always assigned to a minor part. At least, by contrast with these other actors, his role in life was prosaic, uneventful, obscure." [3]
"The chapter before us is full of illustrations of how difficulties should and should not be met." [4]