Genesis 26
Christian Standard Bible
The Promise Reaffirmed to Isaac
26 There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time.(A) And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.(B) 2 The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land that I tell you about; 3 stay in this land as an alien, and I will be with you and bless you.(C) For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring,(D) and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.(E) 4 I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed[a] by your offspring,(F) 5 because Abraham listened to me and kept my mandate, my commands, my statutes, and my instructions.”(G) 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
Isaac’s Deception
7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,”(H) for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking,(I) “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.”(J) 8 When Isaac had been there for some time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see[b] Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
10 Then Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”(K) 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly be put to death.”
Conflicts over Wells
12 Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped[c] a hundred times what was sown. The Lord blessed him,(L) 13 and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. 14 He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him. 15 Philistines stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham,(M) filling them with dirt. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us, for you are much too powerful for us.”[d]
17 So Isaac left there, camped in the Gerar Valley, and lived there. 18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. He gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of spring[e] water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek[f] because they argued with him.(N) 21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also, so he named it Sitnah.[g] 22 He moved from there and dug another, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth[h] and said, “For now the Lord has made space for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
The Lord Appears to Isaac
23 From there he went up to Beer-sheba, 24 and the Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.(O) Do not be afraid, for I am with you.(P) I will bless you and multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.”
25 So he built an altar there,(Q) called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. Isaac’s servants also dug a well there.(R)
Covenant with Abimelech
26 Now Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.(S) 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me? You hated me and sent me away from you.”
28 They replied, “We have clearly seen how the Lord has been with you. We think there should be an oath between two parties—between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you: 29 You will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have done only what was good to you, sending you away in peace. You are now blessed by the Lord.”(T)
30 So he prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank. 31 They got up early in the morning and swore an oath to each other.[i](U) Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. 32 On that same day Isaac’s servants came to tell him about the well they had dug, saying to him, “We have found water!” (V) 33 He called it Sheba.[j] Therefore the name of the city is still Beer-sheba[k](W) today.
Esau’s Wives
34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hethite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hethite.(X) 35 They made life bitter[l] for Isaac and Rebekah.(Y)
Footnotes
- 26:4 Or will consider themselves blessed
- 26:8 Or and he looked and behold—
- 26:12 Lit found
- 26:16 Or are more numerous than we are
- 26:19 Lit living
- 26:20 = Argument
- 26:21 = Hostility
- 26:22 = Open Spaces
- 26:31 Lit swore, each man to his brother
- 26:33 Or Shibah
- 26:33 = Well of the Oath
- 26:35 Lit And they became bitterness of spirit
Genesis 26
New King James Version
Isaac and Abimelech
26 There was a famine in the land, besides (A)the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to (B)Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: (C)“Do not go down to Egypt; live in (D)the land of which I shall tell you. 3 (E)Dwell in this land, and (F)I will be with you and (G)bless you; for to you and your descendants (H)I give all these lands, and I will perform (I)the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And (J)I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; (K)and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 (L)because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And (M)he said, “She is my sister”; for (N)he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is (O)beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, [a]showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”
10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and (P)you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who (Q)touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year (R)a hundredfold; and the Lord (S)blessed him. 13 The man (T)began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines (U)envied him. 15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells (V)which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for (W)you are much mightier than we.”
17 Then Isaac departed from there and [b]pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. (X)He called them by the names which his father had called them.
19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar (Y)quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well [c]Esek, because they quarreled with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name [d]Sitnah. 22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name [e]Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall (Z)be fruitful in the land.”
23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord (AA)appeared to him the same night and said, (AB)“I am the God of your father Abraham; (AC)do not fear, for (AD)I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he (AE)built an altar there and (AF)called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.
26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, (AG)and Phichol the commander of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, (AH)since you hate me and have (AI)sent me away from you?”
28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord (AJ)is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a [f]covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. (AK)You are now the blessed of the Lord.’ ”
30 (AL)So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and (AM)swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it [g]Shebah. (AN)Therefore the name of the city is [h]Beersheba to this day.
34 (AO)When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And (AP)they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.
Footnotes
- Genesis 26:8 caressing
- Genesis 26:17 camped
- Genesis 26:20 Lit. Quarrel
- Genesis 26:21 Lit. Enmity
- Genesis 26:22 Lit. Spaciousness
- Genesis 26:28 treaty
- Genesis 26:33 Lit. Oath or Seven
- Genesis 26:33 Lit. Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven
1 Moseboken 26
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)
Isak och kung Avimelek
26 Det kom en svår hungersnöd över landet, så som det hade gjort under Abrahams tid, och Isak flyttade därför till Gerar, till Avimelek, filistéernas kung.[a]
2 Herren visade sig där för honom och sa till honom: ”Far inte till Egypten, utan stanna i det land jag säger till dig! 3 Stanna nu här i detta land. Då ska jag vara med dig och välsigna dig, och jag ska ge alla dessa länder till dig och till dina ättlingar, precis som jag med ed lovade din far Abraham. 4 Jag ska göra dina ättlingar lika många som stjärnorna på himlen. Jag ska ge dem alla dessa länder. Genom din avkomma[b] ska alla jordens folk bli välsignade, 5 eftersom Abraham lydde mig och följde mina föreskrifter, befallningar, bud och lagar.”
6 Isak stannade i Gerar. 7 När männen i staden frågade honom om hans hustru, svarade han: ”Hon är min syster.” Han vågade inte säga att hon var hans hustru, för han var rädd att de skulle döda honom för Rebeckas skull, för hon var mycket vacker.
8 Men efter att han redan varit där en tid, fick Avimelek, filistéernas kung, av en händelse se genom fönstret att Isak kelade med Rebecka. 9 Då ropade Avimelek på Isak och sa: ”Hon är ju din hustru! Varför sa du då att hon var din syster?” ”Därför att jag var rädd att jag skulle bli dödad för hennes skull”, svarade Isak. 10 ”Hur kunde du behandla oss på det sättet?” sa Avimelek. ”Någon kunde ju ha legat med henne, och då skulle du ha dragit skuld över oss.” 11 Sedan utfärdade Avimelek en offentlig varning: ”Den som skadar denne man eller hans hustru kommer att dö.”
Isak vägrar att strida för sin rätt
12 Det året blev Isaks skördar enorma, hundra gånger den säd han sått, för Herren välsignade honom. 13 Han blev snart en rik man med alltmer växande rikedomar, tills han var mycket rik. 14 Han hade hjordar av får och getter, boskapshjordar och många tjänare. Men filistéerna blev avundsjuka på honom, 15 och de fyllde igen hans brunnar med jord, alla de brunnar som hans far Abraham hade grävt.
16 Till slut sa Avimelek till Isak: ”Gå någon annanstans! Du har blivit alltför mäktig för oss.” 17 Då flyttade Isak ner till Gerardalen och bodde där i stället. 18 Än en gång grävde Isak upp de brunnar som hade tillhört hans far Abraham, och som filistéerna hade fyllt igen efter hans fars död, och han gav dem samma namn som hans far en gång hade gett dem. 19 Hans herdar grävde också en ny brunn i Gerardalen och fann en underjordisk källa.
20 Då kom herdarna på orten och grälade med Isaks herdar: ”Det är vårt vatten!” Därför kallade de brunnen för Esek[c]. 21 Isaks män grävde då en annan brunn, men det blev strid om den också. Därför kallades den för Sitna[d]. 22 När han då bröt upp därifrån och grävde ytterligare en brunn, blev det inget mer bråk om den. Därför kallade de brunnen för Rechovot[e]. De sa nämligen: ”Nu till sist har Herren gett oss utrymme, så att vi kan föröka oss här i landet.”
23 Därefter gick Isak till Beer Sheva, 24 och sedan visade sig Herren för honom på natten. ”Jag är din far Abrahams Gud”, sa han. ”Var inte rädd, för jag är med dig och ska välsigna dig. Jag ska ge dig många ättlingar för min tjänare Abrahams skull.” 25 Då byggde Isak ett altare och åkallade Herren. Han bosatte sig där och hans tjänare grävde en brunn.
26 Sedan fick Isak besök från Gerar: Avimelek kom dit tillsammans med sin rådgivare Achussat och Pikol, befälhavaren över kungens här. 27 ”Varför har ni kommit hit?” frågade Isak dem. ”Ni var ju fientliga mot mig och körde ut mig ur landet.” 28 De sa: ”Vi har tydligt sett att Herren är med dig. Låt oss svära en ed och sluta ett förbund med varandra. 29 Lova att du inte kommer att skada oss, på samma sätt som vi inte har skadat dig. Faktum är att vi bara har handlat väl emot dig och sänt dig bort i frid. Och nu har Herren välsignat dig.”
30 Då lagade Isak till en festmåltid åt dem, och de åt och drack. 31 Så snart de steg upp på morgonen, svor de varandra en ed, och sedan skickade Isak hem dem i fred igen.
32 Samma dag kom Isaks tjänare och berättade om brunnen de hade grävt: ”Vi har hittat vatten”, sa de. 33 Därför kallade han brunnen för Shiva[f]. Staden har sedan dess hetat Beer Sheva.
34 Vid 40 års ålder gifte sig Esau med en flicka som hette Judit, dotter till hettiten Beeri. Han gifte sig också med Basemat, hettiten Elons dotter. 35 De gjorde livet bittert för Isak och Rebecka.
Footnotes
- 26:1 Denna händelse inträffade innan Jakob och Esau föddes. Berättelsen finns med för att visa att den välsignelse Abraham fått av Gud gick vidare till hans son Isak. Isak skulle sedan ge den vidare till sin äldste son. Esau hade nu sålt sin förstfödslorätt, och därmed också denna välsignelse, till Jakob.
- 26:4 Bokstavligen din säd. Detta gäller på samtliga ställen i Bibeln med detta uttryck. Se vidare not till Gal 3:16
- 26:20 Betyder gräl.
- 26:21 Betyder strid eller fiendskap.
- 26:22 Betyder utrymme.
- 26:33 Från det hebreiska ordet för ed.
Genesis 26
Expanded Bible
Isaac Lies to Abimelech
26 Now there was a ·time of hunger [L famine] in the land, besides the ·time of hunger [L former famine] that happened during Abraham’s life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar [20:1] to see Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Don’t go down to Egypt, but ·live [settle; dwell] in the land where I tell you to live. 3 ·Stay [Sojourn; Live as an alien] in this land, and I will be with you and bless you [12:3]. I will give you and your ·descendants [L seed] all these lands, and I will ·keep [fulfill] the oath I made to Abraham your father. 4 I will ·give you many descendants [L multiply your seed], as hard to count as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands. Through your ·descendants [L seed] all the nations on the earth will be blessed [12:1–3]. 5 I will do this because your father Abraham ·obeyed me [L listened to my voice]. He did what I said and obeyed my ·instructions [charge], my commands, my teachings, and my ·rules [instructions; laws].”
6 So Isaac ·stayed [resided; settled] in Gerar [20:1]. 7 His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they might kill him so they could have her [12:10–20; 20:1–18].
8 Isaac lived there a long time. One day as Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out his window, he saw Isaac ·holding [fondling; playing with; C a word related to the name Isaac] his wife Rebekah tenderly. 9 Abimelech called for Isaac and said, “This woman is your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?”
Isaac said to him, “I ·was afraid you would kill me so you could have [L thought I might die because of] her.”
10 Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of our ·men [L people] might have ·had sexual relations [lain] with your wife. Then ·we would have been guilty of a great sin [L you would have brought guilt/punishment on us].”
11 So Abimelech ·warned [commanded] ·everyone [all the people], “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death.”
Isaac Becomes Rich
12 Isaac planted seed in that land, and that year he gathered ·a great harvest [L a hundredfold]. The Lord blessed him very much, 13 and ·he [L the man] became rich. He ·gathered more wealth [grew richer and richer] until he became a very rich man. 14 He had so many slaves and flocks and herds that the Philistines envied him. 15 So they stopped up all the wells the servants of Isaac’s father Abraham had dug. (They had dug them ·when Abraham was alive [L in the days of Abraham his father].) The Philistines filled those wells with ·dirt [dust]. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave ·our country [L my people] because you have become much more powerful than we are.”
17 So Isaac ·left that place [L went from there] and camped in the ·Valley [Wadi] of Gerar and ·lived [resided; settled] there. 18 ·Long before this time Abraham [L In the days of Abraham his father they] had dug many wells, but after he died, the Philistines filled them with ·dirt [dust]. So Isaac dug those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Isaac’s servants dug a well in the ·valley [wadi], ·from which a spring of water flowed [L and discovered springing/living water]. 20 But the ·herdsmen [shepherds] of Gerar ·argued [contended] with ·them [L the shepherds of Isaac] and said, “This water is ours.” So Isaac named that well ·Argue [Contention; C Hebrew: Esek] because they ·argued [contended] with him. 21 Then ·his servants [L they] dug another well. When the people also ·argued about it [contended], Isaac named that well ·Fight [Hebrew: Sitnah]. 22 He moved from there and dug another well. No one ·argued about [contended] this one, so he named it Room Enough [C Hebrew: Rehoboth]. Isaac said, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be ·successful [fruitful; 1:22] in this land.”
23 From there Isaac went [L up] to Beersheba [21:14]. 24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Don’t be afraid, because I am with you [C indicating that the covenant with Abraham would be continued with Isaac]. I will bless you and ·give you many descendants [multiply your seed] because of my servant Abraham.” 25 So Isaac built an altar [C a place of sacrifice] and ·worshiped [L called on the name of] the Lord there. He also ·made a camp [L pitched his tent] there, and his servants dug a well.
26 Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought with him Ahuzzath, ·who advised him [his advisor/friend], and Phicol, the commander of his army. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to see me? You ·were my enemy [hate me] and ·forced me to leave your country [L sent me away from you].”
28 They answered, “Now we ·know [L clearly see] that the Lord is with you. Let us swear an oath to each other. Let us ·make [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with you 29 that since we did not ·hurt [L touch] you, you will not ·hurt [harm] us. We were good to you and sent you away in peace. Now the Lord has blessed you.”
30 So Isaac ·prepared food [made a banquet/feast] for them, and they all ate and drank [C customary to celebrate the signing of the treaty]. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them away, and they left in peace.
32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug, saying, “We found water in that well.” 33 So Isaac named it Shibah [C sounds like Hebrew for “seven” or “promise”] and that city is called Beersheba [21:14] even now.
34 When Esau was forty years old, he married two Hittite women—Judith daughter of Beeri and Basemath daughter of Elon. 35 These women brought much ·sorrow [bitterness] to Isaac and Rebekah [C because Esau had married outside the people of God].
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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