Genesis 26:1
in Genesis 26Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar.
KJV
And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
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This verse in Genesis 26
Commentary
12 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
another famine in the land
on Genesis 26:1-2
A second famine comes, and Isaac turns toward Egypt as his father had done. The LORD stops him: do not go down to Egypt. Abraham had no such word in chapter 12, and the road he took is closed to the son. Isaac is the only one of the three patriarchs who never leaves the land of promise.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In case you might think he was talking about that previous famine, accordingly he added, "besides the famine in the patriarch's time," that is to say, another similar famine beset the land in Isaac's time as in his father's time. The scarcity of the necessities of life threw everyone into great apprehension, compelled them to leave their own home and travel to those places where it was possible to find an abundance of resources.Hence this good man too, on seeing the famine, "took the journey," the text says, "to visit Abimelech in Gerar." This was where Abraham came too, you remember, after his return from Egypt.
The Reformation2 voices
Moses relates that Isaac was tried by nearly the same kind of temptation as that through which his father Abraham had twice passed. I have before explained how severe and violent was this assault.
Moses relates that Isaac was tried by nearly the same kind of temptation as that through which his father Abraham had twice passed. I have before explained how severe and violent was this assault.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
(3.) God appeared to him, and encouraged him, and he returned to his duty, ver. 24-25. (4.) The Philistines at length made court to him, and made a covenant with him, ver. 26-33 III. The disagreeable marriage of his son Esau was an allay to his prosperity, ver. 34.
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And there was a famine in the land,....
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
What shall he think of the promise when the promised land will not find him bread? Is such a grant worth accepting, upon such terms, and after so long a time? Yes, Isaac will still cleave to the covenant; and the less valuable Canaan in itself seems to be the better he is taught to value it, 1.
What shall he think of the promise when the promised land will not find him bread? Is such a grant worth accepting, upon such terms, and after so long a time? Yes, Isaac will still cleave to the covenant; and the less valuable Canaan in itself seems to be the better he is taught to value it, 1.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 (Ps 105:14, 15).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 (Ps 105:14, 15).
There was a famine - When this happened we cannot tell; it appears to have been after the death of Abraham. Concerning the first famine, see Gen 12:10. Abimelech - As we know not the time when the famine happened, so we cannot tell whether this was the same Abimelech, Phichol, etc., which are mentioned Gen 20:1, Gen 20:2, etc., or the sons or other descendants of these persons.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
- The Events of Isaac’s Life 5. משׁמרת mı̂shmeret, “charge, ordinance.” מציה mı̂tsvâh, “command,” special order. חק choq, “decree, statute,” engraven on stone or metal. תירה tôrâh, “law,” doctrine, system of moral truth. 10. עשׂק ‛êśeq, ‘Eseq, “strife.” 21. שׂטנה śı̂ṭnâh, Sitnah, “opposition.” 22. רחבית rechobôt, Rechoboth, “room.” 26. אחזת 'ǎchuzat, Achuzzath, “possession.” 33. שׁבעה shı̂b‛âh, Shib’ah, “seven; oath.” 34. יהוּדית yehûdı̂yt, Jehudith, “praised.” בארי be'ērı̂y, Beeri, “of a well.” בשׂמת bāśemat, Basemath, “sweet smell.” אילן 'êylon, Elon, “oak.” This chapter presents the leading events in the quiet life of Isaac. It is probable that Abraham was now dead.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֤י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| רָעָב֙ | raav | a famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| בָּאָ֔רֶץ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִלְּבַד֙ | milevad | <from> <to> besides | H905 → | 200 times |
| הָרָעָ֣ב | haraav | the famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן | harishon | <the> former | H7223 → | 182 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָיָ֖ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בִּימֵ֣י | bimei | in [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֑ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| יִצְחָ֛ק | yitzchak | Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲבִימֶּ֥לֶךְ | ʾavimelekh | Abimelech | H40 → | 66 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| גְּרָֽרָה׃ | gerarah | Gerar towards | H1642 → | 10 times |
וַיְהִ֤יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
רָעָב֙a famine
raavH7458 →101 times
בָּאָ֔רֶץin the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
מִלְּבַד֙<from> <to> besides
milevadH905 →200 times
הָרָעָ֣בthe famine
haraavH7458 →101 times
הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן<the> former
harishonH7223 →182 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָיָ֖הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
בִּימֵ֣יin [the] days of
bimeiH3117 →2304 times
אַבְרָהָ֑םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
וַיֵּ֧לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
יִצְחָ֛קIsaac
yitzchakH3327 →108 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲבִימֶּ֥לֶךְAbimelech
ʾavimelekhH40 →66 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
גְּרָֽרָה׃Gerar towards
gerarahH1642 →10 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 25:11After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.
it leads to
- Genesis 22:17
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
- Genesis 16:14
Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is located between Kadesh and Bered.
- Genesis 17:19
But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after…
- Genesis 12:2
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
- Genesis 24:62
Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
- Genesis 22:17
Through
Genesis 12:10Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
it leads to
- Genesis 43:1
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
- Genesis 26:1–3
Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
- 1 Kings 17:1–18
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in…
- Genesis 43:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Chuck Missler, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 51.5-6; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.