Genesis 26:7
in Genesis 26But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, My wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
KJV
And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
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This verse in Genesis 26
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHe said, She is my sister - It is very strange that in the same place, and in similar circumstances, Isaac should have denied his wife, precisely as his father had done before him! It is natural to ask, Did Abraham never mention this circumstance to his son? Probably be did not, as he was justly ashamed of his weakness on the occasion - the only blot in his character; the son, therefore, not being forewarned, was not armed against the temptation.
This site's exposition
So Isaac settled in Gerar
on Genesis 26:6-7
Isaac tells the men of that place that Rebekah is his sister, the third time this happens in Genesis. It is the second time in this town, and Isaac had not been born for either of the first two, at 12:13 and 20:2. Genesis never says how the son learned it.
This site's exposition
She is my sister
Isaac repeats the fear his father voiced at 12:12 and 20:11. Adam Clarke asked whether Abraham had ever told his son of his own lapse. He guessed that Abraham kept silent from shame, so Isaac met the same temptation unwarned.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Those who assert that sometimes we must lie make inappropriate mention of Abraham as having lied about Sarah whom he called his sister. For he did not say "She is not my wife" but "She is my sister," because Sarah was in fact of a family so closely related that without lying she could be called his sister. This fact Abraham confirmed afterward when Sarah was returned by him who had led her away. Abraham replied to him, saying, "Also she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother," that is to say, belonging to his father's family but not to his mother's. Thus he concealed something of the truth but did not say anything false in concealing the fact that she was his wife and in saying that she was his sister. His son Isaac also did this, for we know that he too chose a relative of his as wife. Hence it is not a lie when truth is passed over in silence but when falsehood is brought forth in speech.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
How he was detected, and the cheat discovered, by the king himself. Abimelech (not the same that was in Abraham's days, ch. 20 , for this was nearly 100 years after that, but this was the common name of the Philistine kings, as Cæsar of the Roman emperors) saw Isaac more familiar and pleasant with Rebekah than he knew he would be with his sister (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He said, she is my sister - So Isaac enters into the same temptation that his father had been once and again surprised and overcome by, viz. to deny his wife, and to give out that she was his sister!
He said, she is my sister - So Isaac enters into the same temptation that his father had been once and again surprised and overcome by, viz. to deny his wife, and to give out that she was his sister!
And the men of the place asked him of his wife,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the men of the place asked him of his wife,....
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיִּשְׁאֲל֞וּ | vaiyishalu | and they asked | H7592 → | 171 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֤י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הַמָּקוֹם֙ | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| לְאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ | leishto | of wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| וַיֹּ֖אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲחֹ֣תִי | ʾachoti | [is] sister my | H269 → | 114 times |
| הִ֑וא | hi' | she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָרֵא֙ | yare' | he was afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| לֵאמֹ֣ר | lemor | to say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִשְׁתִּ֔י | ʾishti | wife my | H802 → | 781 times |
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| יַֽהַרְגֻ֜נִי | yaharguni | they should kill me | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אַנְשֵׁ֤י | ʾanshei | [the] men of | H582 → | 566 times |
| הַמָּקוֹם֙ | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רִבְקָ֔ה | rivkah | Rebekah | H7259 → | 30 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| טוֹבַ֥ת | tovat | [was] good of | H2896 → | 538 times |
| מַרְאֶ֖ה | mareh | appearance | H4758 → | 103 times |
| הִֽיא׃ | hi' | she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וַֽיִּשְׁאֲל֞וּand they asked
vaiyishaluH7592 →171 times
אַנְשֵׁ֤י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הַמָּקוֹם֙the place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
לְאִשְׁתּ֔וֹof wife his
leishtoH802 →781 times
וַיֹּ֖אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֲחֹ֣תִי[is] sister my
ʾachotiH269 →114 times
הִ֑ואshe
hi'H1931 →1879 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יָרֵא֙he was afraid
yare'H3372 →315 times
לֵאמֹ֣רto say
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִשְׁתִּ֔יwife my
ʾishtiH802 →781 times
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
יַֽהַרְגֻ֜נִיthey should kill me
yaharguniH2026 →167 times
אַנְשֵׁ֤י[the] men of
ʾansheiH582 →566 times
הַמָּקוֹם֙the place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רִבְקָ֔הRebekah
rivkahH7259 →30 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
טוֹבַ֥ת[was] good of
tovatH2896 →538 times
מַרְאֶ֖הappearance
marehH4758 →103 times
הִֽיא׃she
hi'H1931 →1879 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
Proverbs 29:25The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
it leads to
- Psalms 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
- Luke 12:4
I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
- Psalms 91:14
“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
- Proverbs 16:20
Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
- Psalms 118:8
Through
Genesis 20:2Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
it leads to
- Genesis 12:15
When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
- Genesis 12:15
Through
Genesis 12:13Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”
it leads to
- Genesis 20:2
Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
- Genesis 20:12–13
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.
- Genesis 20:2
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Against Lying 10.23; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; 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.