Genesis 26:24 Kommentar

In this chapter we have, I. Isaac in adversity, by reason of a famine in the land, which, 1. Obliges him to change his quarters (Gen 26:1). But, 2. God visits him with direction and comfort (Gen 26:2-5). 3. He foolishly denies his wife, being in distress and is reproved for it by Abimelech (Gen 26:6-11). II. Isaac in prosperity, by the blessing of God upon him (Gen 26:12-14). And, 1. The Philistines were envious at him (Gen 26:14-17). 2. He continued industrious in his business (Gen 26:18-23). 3. God appeared to him, and encouraged him, and he devoutly acknowledged God (Gen 26:24, Gen 26:25). 4. The Philistines, at length, made court to him, and made a covenant with him (Gen 26:26-33). 5. The disagreeable marriage of his son Esau was an alloy to the comfort of his prosperity (Gen 26:34, Gen 26:35).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 26 This chapter treats of Isaac's removal to Gerar, occasioned by a famine, Gen 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, Gen 26:2; of what happened unto him at Gerar on account of his wife, Gen 26:7; of Isaac's great prosperity and success, which drew the envy of the Philistines upon him, Gen 26:12; 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, Gen 26:16; 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, Gen 26:24; of Abimelech's coming to him thither, and making a covenant with him, Gen 26:26; which place had its name from the oath then made, and the well there dug, Gen 26:32; and lastly, of the marriage of Esau, which was a great grief to Isaac and Rebekah, Gen 26:34.

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar,.... After Isaac was settled at Beersheba, and was still increasing in his family and substance, of which Abimelech very probably was informed; and fearing lest he should resent his being sent out of his country by him, and the ill treatment he met with afterwards from the herdmen of Gerar in the valley about the wells, and should employ his riches and power against him, and fall upon him, and take his kingdom from him, he took a journey from Gerar to Beersheba, to pay Isaac a visit, and make a covenant with him: and Ahuzzath one of his friends; Jarchi and Jonathan take Ahuzzath for an appellative, and interpret it of a collection or company of his friends, which the king took along with him to attend him in his journey: but it seems rather to be the proper name of a man, who was very intimate and familiar with the king, and always kept him company, and so went along with him to Beersheba: and Phichol the chief captain of his army; his general, as the other was his principal counsellor or prime minister. There was one of this name, and in the same office, in the days of Abraham, and who attended the then present king, who also was called Abimelech on a like account as here, Gen 21:22; but as the one affair was at the distance of an hundred years or more from the other, it is probable, that as this Abimelech might be the son of that Abimelech that lived in the times of Abraham, so this Phichol might be the son of him that lived then, and who succeeded his father in his office; though some think that Phichol is the name of an office, and signifies "the mouth of all", by whom the addresses of the people were made to the king; but this is not likely, since he is described by his office as general of the army; which is very different from the master of the ceremonies, or anything of that kind, and plainly shows it to be the name of a man.

As therefore the Lord himself accommodates his form in correspondence to the place and time and certain individual conditions, so also the saints, who prefigured him, should be believed to have represented types of mysteries in correspondence to places and times and conditions. [This] also we see now to be the case in Isaac, of whom we have heard it read, “He went up,” the text says, “from there to the well of the oath, and the Lord appeared to him that night and said, I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not. For I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your seed because of Abraham your father.”The apostle Paul set forth two figures of this Isaac to us. One, about which he said that Ishmael indeed, the son of Hagar, represented the people according to the flesh, but Isaac the people who are of faith. The other, about which he said, “He did not say, and to his seeds, as of many, but to his seed, as of one, which is Christ.” Isaac therefore represents the people and Christ. Now it is certain that Christ is spoken of as the Word of God not only in the Gospels but also in the law and prophets. But in the law he teaches beginners; in the Gospels he teaches the perfect. And Isaac therefore represents now the Word that is in the law or the prophets.

We have also already said previously that the embellishment of the temple and of those divine services which were performed therein was an ascent of the law. The increase of the prophets also can be called an ascent of the law. And for this reason perhaps Isaac is said to have gone up to the well of the oath and there the Lord is said to have appeared to him. For through the prophets “the Lord has sworn and he will not repent, that he is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” God appeared to him, therefore, “at the well of the oath” confirming the fulfillment of the promises made to him.

A famine in the land obliges Isaac to leave Beer-sheba and go to Gerar, v. 1. God appears to him, and warns him not to go to Egypt, v. 2. Renews the promises to him which he had made to his father Abraham, vv. 3-5. Isaac dwells at Gerar, v. 6. Being questioned concerning Rebekah, and fearing to lose his life on her account, he calls her his sister, v. 7. Abimelech the king discovers, by certain familiarities which he had noticed between Isaac and Rebekah, that she was his wife, v. 8. Calls Isaac and reproaches him for his insincerity, vv. 9, 10. He gives a strict command to all his people not to molest either Isaac or his wife, v. 11. Isaac applies himself to husbandry and breeding of cattle, and has a great increase, vv. 12-14. Is envied by the Philistines, who stop up the wells he had dug, v. 15. Is desired by Abimelech to remove, v. 16. He obeys, and fixes his tent in the valley of Gerar, v. 17. Opens the wells dug in the days of Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up, v. 18. Digs the well, Eze 19:1-14, 20; and the well Sitnah, Eze 20:21; and the well Rehoboth, Eze 20:22. Returns to Beer-sheba, Eze 20:23. God appears to him, and renews his promises, Eze 20:24. He builds an altar there, pitches his tent, and digs a well, Eze 20:25. Abimelech, Ahuzzath, and Phichol, visit him, Eze 20:26. Isaac accuses them of unkindness, Eze 20:27. They beg him to make a covenant with them, Eze 20:28, Eze 20:29. He makes them a feast, and they bind themselves to each other by an oath, Eze 20:30, Eze 20:31. The well dug by Isaac's servants (Gen 26:25) called Shebah, Gen 26:33. Esau, at forty years of age, marries two wives of the Hittites, Gen 26:34, at which Isaac and Rebekah are grieved, Gen 26:35.

The Lord appeared unto him - He needed especial encouragement when insulted and outraged by the Philistines; for having returned to the place where his noble father had lately died, the remembrance of his wrongs, and the remembrance of his loss, could not fail to afflict his mind; and God immediately appears to comfort and support him in his trials, by a renewal of all his promises.

SOJOURN IN GERAR. (Gen. 26:1-35) And there was a famine in the land . . . And Isaac went unto . . . Gerar--The pressure of famine in Canaan forced Isaac with his family and flocks to migrate into the land of the Philistines, where he was exposed to personal danger, as his father had been on account of his wife's beauty; but through the seasonable interposition of Providence, he was preserved (Psa 105:14-15).