Isaac (Genesis 17:19; Genesis 17:21; Genesis 21:3; Genesis 21:12; Genesis 22:2; Genesis 22:7; Genesis 24:4; Genesis 24:67; Genesis 25:21; Genesis 25:28; Genesis 26:7; Genesis 26:12; Genesis 26:18; Genesis 26:25; Genesis 27:4; Genesis 27:33; Genesis 35:28–29; Galatians 4:28; Hebrews 11:17–20)

The son whom Sarah bare to Abraham at the set time, bound upon the altar on Moriah, given Rebekah as his wife, father of the twin sons Esau and Jacob, who sojourned at Gerar, digged again his father's wells, and blessed Jacob when his eyes were dim.

God said to Abraham, “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him” (Genesis 17:19). Genesis records that “Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac” (Genesis 21:3), and that God said, “in Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Genesis 21:12). Later God told Abraham, “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac” (Genesis 22:2); Abraham bound him on the altar, and a ram was offered in his stead (Genesis 22:9-13).

Abraham sent his servant to take a wife for his son, and when Rebekah came, “Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her” (Genesis 24:67). “Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren: and Jehovah was entreated of him” (Genesis 25:21), and twins were born, Esau and Jacob. In a famine the LORD told him, “Go not down into Egypt” (Genesis 26:2); at Gerar he said of Rebekah, “She is my sister” (Genesis 26:7), yet “Jehovah blessed him” (Genesis 26:12). He digged again the wells of his father, built an altar at Beer-sheba, and made a covenant with Abimelech.

“When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see” (Genesis 27:1), he sought to bless Esau and blessed Jacob instead; he then charged Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram (Genesis 28:1-5). Genesis closes his life with “the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years” (Genesis 35:28). Jacob swears by “the Fear of his father Isaac” (Genesis 31:53), and the book of Exodus gives God's words, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). Paul writes, “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise” (Galatians 4:28), and Hebrews says, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come” (Hebrews 11:20).

Strengths

• Entreated the LORD for his wife
• Meditation in the field
• Digged again his father's wells
• Called upon the name of the LORD
• Loved his wife
• Blessed of the LORD

Weaknesses

• Feared to say, My wife
• Loved Esau for his venison

Themes

• The promised son
• The covenant passed on
• The offering on Moriah
• Wells and blessing
• Two sons, one blessing

The son promised, to be called Isaac (Genesis 17:15–22)

God tells Abraham that Sarah shall bear a son, that he shall call his name Isaac, and that the covenant will be established with him.

Born, circumcised and weaned (Genesis 21:1–8)

Sarah conceives and bears Abraham a son at the set time; Abraham calls him Isaac, circumcises him at eight days old, and makes a great feast on the day he is weaned.

Hagar and her son sent away (Genesis 21:9–21)

Sarah sees the son of Hagar the Egyptian mocking and asks that he not be heir with Isaac; God tells Abraham to hearken to her, for in Isaac shall his seed be called.

The offering on Moriah (Genesis 22:1–19)

God proves Abraham by telling him to offer Isaac as a burnt-offering; Isaac asks where the lamb is, is bound on the altar, and a ram caught in the thicket is offered in his stead.

The offering on Moriah

“God did prove Abraham” (Genesis 22:1), saying, “Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:2). Abraham took Isaac and two young men, and on the third day saw the place afar off (Genesis 22:3-4). “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and they went both of them together” (Genesis 22:6).

“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” (Genesis 22:7). Abraham answered, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8).

“And Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (Genesis 22:9-10). Then the angel of the LORD called out of heaven, “Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him” (Genesis 22:12).

“And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son” (Genesis 22:13). The text records no words of Isaac after his question, and it does not state his age.

A wife brought from Abraham's kindred (Genesis 24:1–9; Genesis 24:58–67)

Abraham sends his servant to take a wife for Isaac from his own kindred; Rebekah is brought back, Isaac meets her in the field at the eventide, and she becomes his wife.

A wife brought from Abraham's kindred

Abraham made his servant, “the elder of his house” (Genesis 24:2), swear that he would not take a wife for Isaac of the daughters of the Canaanites, “but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac” (Genesis 24:4). Abraham told him, “Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again” (Genesis 24:6). The servant is not named in the chapter.

At the well Rebekah gave the servant drink and drew water for his camels (Genesis 24:17-20). Her household called her and asked, “Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go” (Genesis 24:58).

“And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming” (Genesis 24:63). Rebekah alighted from the camel, and “the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done” (Genesis 24:66).

“And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis 24:67).

Abraham's death and Isaac's inheritance (Genesis 25:5–11)

Abraham gives all that he has to Isaac; when Abraham dies, Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah, and God blesses Isaac.

Barrenness, twins and the preference (Genesis 25:19–28)

Isaac is forty when he takes Rebekah; he entreats the LORD for her, she conceives twins, Esau and Jacob are born when he is threescore years old, and Isaac loves Esau.

Barrenness, twins and the preference

“Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah” (Genesis 25:20). “And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren: and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived” (Genesis 25:21).

When the children struggled within her, Rebekah “went to inquire of Jehovah” (Genesis 25:22), and the LORD answered her, “the elder shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). The text does not say that Isaac was told.

“And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them” (Genesis 25:26). “And the boys grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents” (Genesis 25:27).

“Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: and Rebekah loved Jacob” (Genesis 25:28).

Gerar: She is my sister (Genesis 26:1–16)

In a famine Isaac goes to Gerar, where the LORD tells him not to go down into Egypt; he says Rebekah is his sister, Abimelech rebukes him, and Isaac sows, reaps a hundredfold and waxes great.

Gerar: She is my sister

In a famine Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, at Gerar. “And Jehovah appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 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 lands, and I will establish the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father” (Genesis 26:2-3).

“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” (Genesis 26:7).

Abimelech looked out at a window and saw Isaac sporting with Rebekah, and called him: “Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die because of her” (Genesis 26:9). Abimelech charged all the people, “He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death” (Genesis 26:11).

“And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year a hundredfold: and Jehovah blessed him” (Genesis 26:12). The Philistines envied him, and Abimelech said, “Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we” (Genesis 26:16).

The wells and the covenant at Beer-sheba (Genesis 26:17–33)

Isaac digs again the wells of Abraham, moves on from the wells that are striven over to Rehoboth, goes up to Beer-sheba where the LORD appears to him and he builds an altar, and Abimelech makes a covenant with him.

The blessing and Jacob sent away (Genesis 27:1–28:9)

Isaac, old and blind, sends Esau for venison that his soul may bless him; Jacob comes in Esau's place and is blessed, Esau cries out, and Isaac charges Jacob and sends him to Paddan-aram.

The blessing and Jacob sent away

“When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son” (Genesis 27:1) and said, “make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die” (Genesis 27:4). Rebekah heard, and told Jacob to obey her voice; she dressed him in Esau’s garments and put the skins of the kids upon his hands and neck (Genesis 27:5-16).

Isaac asked, “Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not” (Genesis 27:21). “And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him” (Genesis 27:23).

When Esau came in, “Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who then is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed” (Genesis 27:33). To Esau’s plea he answered, “Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants” (Genesis 27:37).

Esau purposed to slay Jacob, and Rebekah sent Jacob away (Genesis 27:41-45). “And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan” (Genesis 28:1). He said, “God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of peoples; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee” (Genesis 28:3-4). “And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram” (Genesis 28:5).

Death and burial (Genesis 35:27–29)

Jacob comes to Isaac at Mamre; Isaac gives up the ghost at a hundred and fourscore years, old and full of days, and Esau and Jacob bury him.

Abraham (Genesis 21:3; Genesis 22:1–13; Genesis 25:5)

His father, who called his name Isaac, bound him on the altar on Moriah, and gave all that he had to him.

Sarah (Genesis 21:1–7; Genesis 24:67)

His mother, who bare him in Abraham's old age; Isaac was comforted after her death.

Rebekah (Genesis 24:67; Genesis 25:20–21; Genesis 27:5–17)

His wife, whom he loved and for whom he entreated the LORD; she conceived the twins.

Esau (Genesis 25:25–28; Genesis 27:1–4; Genesis 27:30–40)

His elder son, whom he loved because he did eat of his venison, and whom he sought to bless.

Jacob (Genesis 27:18–29; Genesis 28:1–5; Genesis 35:27–29)

His younger son, who received the blessing, was charged not to take a wife of Canaan, and came to Isaac at Mamre.

Ishmael (Genesis 21:9–14; Genesis 25:9)

Abraham's son by Hagar; he was sent away when Isaac was weaned, and he and Isaac buried Abraham.

Abraham's servant (Genesis 24:2–9; Genesis 24:66)

Unnamed in the chapter, he swore to Abraham and brought Rebekah from Abraham's kindred.

Abimelech king of the Philistines (Genesis 26:8–11; Genesis 26:26–31)

Rebuked Isaac at Gerar, sent him away, and later came with Ahuzzath and Phicol to make a covenant with him.

The LORD (Genesis 25:21; Genesis 26:2–5; Genesis 26:24)

Was entreated of Isaac for Rebekah, appeared to him at Gerar and at Beer-sheba, and promised to be with him and bless him.

Major sections

• Genesis 17:15–22
• Genesis 21–22
• Genesis 24
• Genesis 25:5–11
• Genesis 25:19–28
• Genesis 26
• Genesis 27:1–28:9
• Genesis 35:27–29

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