The Pulpit Commentaries
Genesis 26:23-35
EXPOSITION
And he (viz; Isaac) went up from thence (Rehoboth, where latterly he had been encamped) to Beer-sheba—a former residence of Abraham (Genesis 21:33), situated "near the water-shed between the Mediterranean and the Salt Sea" (Murphy), hence approached from the low-lying wady by an ascent.
And the Lord appeared unto him the same night (i.e. the night of his arrival at Beersheba), and said (in a dream or vision), I (the pronoun is emphatic) am the God (the Elohim) of Abraham thy father (the language is expressive not alone of the covenant relationship which subsisted between Jehovah and the patriarch while the latter lived, but also of the present continuance of that relationship, since Abraham, though dead, had not ceased to he): fear not (cf. Genesis 15:1, in which the same encouraging admonition is addressed to Abraham after his battle with the kings), for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed—a repetition of promises already given to himself (vide Genesis 26:3, Genesis 26:4)—for my servant Abraham's sake—a reason declaring God's gracious covenant, and not personal merit, to be the true source of blessing for Isaac.
And he (i.e. Isaac, in grateful response to the Divine Promiser who had appeared to him) builded an altar there,—the first instance of altar building ascribed to Isaac; "those erected by his father no doubt still remaining in the other places where he sojourned" (Inglis) and called upon the name of the Lord,—i.e. publicly celebrated his worship in the midst of his household (vide on Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8)—and pitched his tent there (the place being now to him doubly hallowed by the appearance of the Lord to himself as well as to his father): and there Isaac's servants digged a well—a necessary appendage to a flockmaster's settlement.
Then (literally, and) Abimelech went to him from Gerar,—the object of this visit was to resuscitate the alliance which had formerly existed between the predecessor of Abimelech and Abraham (Genesis 21:22-1); yet the dissimilarity between the two accounts is so great as to discredit the hypothesis that the present is only another version of the earlier transaction—and Ahuzzath one of his friends,—מֵרֵעֵהוּ; neither ὁ νυμφαγωγὸς αὐτοῦ (LXX.), nor a suite or number of his friends (Onkelos), nor one of his friends (A.V.); but his friend, and probably his privy councilor (Keil, Kalisch, Murphy), whose presence along with the monarch and his general marks the first point of difference between the present and the former incident—and Phichol (vide Genesis 21:22) the chief captain of his army.
And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore—מַדּוּעַ, contr, from מָה יָדוּעַ, what is taught?—for what reason (cf. τί μαθών)—come ye to me, seeing (literally, and) ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? While animadverting to the personal hostility to which he had been subjected, Isaac says nothing about the wells of which he had been deprived: a second point of difference between this and the preceding narrative of Abraham's covenant with the Philistine king.
And they said, We saw certainly—literally, seeing we saw, i.e. we assuredly perceived, or, we have indeed discovered. Abimelech and his ministers first explain the motive which has impelled them to solicit a renewal of the old alliance—that the Lord was with thee:—the use of Jehovah instead of Elohim, as in Genesis 21:22, does not prove that this is a Jehovistic elaboration of the earlier legend. Neither is it necessary to suppose that the term Jehovah is a Mosaic translation of the epithet employed by Abimelech (Rosenmüller). The long-continued residence of Abraham in Gemr and Beersheba afforded ample opportunity for Abimelech becoming acquainted with the patriarch's God. The introduction of Jehovah into the narrative may be noted as a third point of dissimilarity between this and the previous account—and we said, Let there he now an oath—i.e. a treaty secured by an oath or self-imprecation on the transgressor (cf. Genesis 24:41; Deuteronomy 29:11, Deuteronomy 29:13)—betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee,—a farther particularization of the parties to the covenant for the sake of emphasis—and let us make a covenant with thee. The phrase "to cut a covenant," here used in a so-called Jehovistic portion of the history, occurs in Genesis 21:27, Genesis 21:32, which confessedly belongs to the fundamental document.
That thou wilt do us no hurt,—literally, if thou wilt do us evil (sc. thy curse come upon thee!); the force being to negative in the strongest way possible any intention of injury (cf. Genesis 21:23)—as we have not touched thee,—i.e. injured thee; which was not true, as they, through their servants, had robbed Isaac of at least two wells—and as we have done unto thee nothing but good,—Abimelech's estimate of his own behavior, if exceedingly favorable to himself, is at least natural (vide Proverbs 16:2)—and have sent thee away in peace (without open violence certainly, because of Isaac's yielding, but scarcely without hostility): thou art now the blessed of the Lord. Regarded by some as an instance of adroit and pious flattery, these words are perhaps better understood as explaining either why Isaac should overlook the injuries which they had done to him (Calvin, Bush), or why he should grant them the oath which they desired (Ainsworth),—he requiring no guarantee of safety from them, since Jehovah was on his side (Murphy),—or why they had been stirred up to seek his favor and alliance (Rosenmüller).
And he made them a feast,—so Lot did to the angels (Genesis 19:3). There is no mention of any banquet in the case of Abraham's covenant, which may be noted as another point of difference between the two transactions. A similar entertainment accompanied Jacob's covenant with Laban (Genesis 31:54); while in the Mosaic system the sacrificial meal formed an integral part of the regularly-appointed sacrificial worship (Le Genesis 7:15, 31; Deuteronomy 12:7, Deuteronomy 12:17; vide Kurtz, 'Sacrificial Worship,' § 79)—and they did eat and drink.
And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another—literally, a man to his brother. On the derivation of the verb to swear from the word for seven, see Genesis 21:23—and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
And it came to pass the same day (i.e. the day of the treaty), that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged,—the operation of sinking this well had probably commenced on the day of Abimelech's arrival at Beersheba (vide Genesis 26:25). Almost immediately on the king's departure the well-diggers returned to the patriarch's encampment to report the success of their operations—and said unto him, We have found water. The LXX; mistaking לוֹ, to him, for לֹא, not, read, "We have not found water;" the incorrectness of which is sufficiently declared by what follows.
And he called it Shebah ("Oath;" which he would certainly not have done had it not been a well): therefore the name of the city (which ultimately gathered round the well) is Beersheba—i.e. the well of the oath (vide Genesis 21:31). Isaac must have perfectly understood that the place had been so named by his father three quarters of a century previous; but either the name had been forgotten by others, or had not come into general use amongst the inhabitants, or, observing the coincidence between his finding a well just at the time of covenanting with Abimelech and the fact that his father's treaty was also connected with a well, he wished to confirm and perpetuate the early name which had been assigned to the town. It is not certain that this was Abraham's well which had been rediscovered; the probability is that it was another, since at Bir-es-Sheba two wells are still in existence (vide Genesis 21:31) unto this day—an expression used throughout Genesis to describe events separated from the age of Moses by several centuries (vide Genesis 19:37, Genesis 19:38; Genesis 22:14; Genesis 32:32).
And Esau was forty years old—literally, a son of forty years; the age of Isaac when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20)—when he took to wife Judith (Jehudith, "Celebrated," "Praised,'' if Shemitic; but the name is probably Phoenician) the daughter of Beeri—("of a well"? "The Well-finder," vide Genesis 36:24)—the Hittits, and Bashemath ("Sweet-smelling," "Fragrant") the daughter of Elon the Hittite)—adding to them afterwards Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, and sister of Nebajoth (Genesis 28:9). On Esau's wives vide Genesis 36:2, Genesis 36:3.
Which were a grief of mind (literally, bitterness of spirit) unto Isaac and to Rebekah—possibly because of their personal characters, but chiefly because of their Canaanitish descent, and because in marrying them Esau had not only violated the Divine law which forbade polygamy, but also evinced an utterly irreligious and unspiritual disposition.
HOMILETICS
A good man's environment.
I. ISAAC AND JEHOVAH.
1. Jehovah's grace to Isaac.
(1) Revealing his presence. "The Lord appeared unto him." Similiar discoveries are now made to saints in "night' seasons, and at localities like Beersheba, previously consecrated by gracious revelations of himself.
(2) Proclaiming his character. "I am the God of thy father;" an appellation that must have sounded dear to Abraham's son, but not more than the God of our Lord Jesus Christ is to Christians.
(3) Comforting his servant. "Fear not, for I am with thee." So a Christian has the best right to preserve equanimity amid life's vicissitudes and tribulations, Christ's command (Matthew 10:31; Luke 12:32); and the best reason, Christ's presence (Matthew 28:20; Matthew 28:20).
(4) Renewing his promises. "I will bless thee and multiply thy seed." God renews his promises when he revives their impressions on the heart, which he does for his own glory as the faithful Promiser, and for his people's comfort as necessity requires.
2. Isaac's gratitude to Jehovah.
(1) Building an altar; an act expressive of Isaac's personal devotion (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
(2) Invoking God's name; referring to the public recital of God's goodness (vide Genesis 12:8). It becomes saints to remember God's mercies (Psalms 48:9; Psalms 103:1, Psalms 103:2), and to speak of them to others (Psalms 66:16; Psalms 78:4).
(3) Pitching a tent and digging a well; indicative of Isaac's confidence in God. Grateful acknowledgment of past mercies, public celebration of present mercies, hopeful expectation of future mercies, are duties incumbent upon all, but especially on saints.
II. ISAAC AND ABIMELECH.
1. Abimelech's request of Isaac.
(1) The nature of demand for a formal alliance confirmed by the sanctions of religion. "Let there be now an oath betwixt us, and let us make a covenant with thee."
(2) The object of it: his own rather than Isaac's protection. "That thou wilt do us no hurt." Most men suspect their neighbors sooner than themselves. Christianity requires saints to be as careful of their neighbor's interests as of their own (Philippians 2:4).
(3) The motive of it: partly selfish fear, and partly a recognition of Isaac's goodness. "Thou art now the blessed of the Lord."
2. Isaac's reception of Abimelech.
(1) Cautious inquiry. "Wherefore come ye to me?" It is prudent to try injurious men before we trust them.
(2) Generous entertainment. "He made them a feast." Overlooking, as became a good man, their too favorable account of themselves, he gave them welcome to his hospitable board. God's people should not be censorious even in judging enemies; when obliged to suffer, they should forget as well as forgive injuries, and never should they disdain overtures for peace, though made by those who have done them wrong.
3. Solemn adjuration. "And they swore one to another." Though religion does not lie within the sphere of politics, politics lie within the sphere of religion. Nothing should be done by a good man that he cannot sanctify by the word of God and prayer (Colossians 3:17, Colossians 3:23).
4. Peaceful dismissal. "Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace." Those who come for peace should never go without peace. It is the saint's interest as well as duty to follow after peace (Matthew 5:9). No sooner had Isaac dismissed Abimelech and his ministers, than his servants came with tidings of their successful operations in sinking a well. Peace-makers seldom fail to find a recompense (James 3:18).
III. ISAAC AND ESAU.
1. Esau's sinful marriage.
(1) He took more wives than one, which was against the fundamental law of marriage (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5);
(2) he married Canaanitish women, which was against the will of God, as expressed by Abraham in regard to Isaac's marriage, and doubtless also by Isaac with reference to Esau's; and
(3) he acted contrary to 'his parents' counsel in the matter, which was a violation of that filial duty which he owed his aged parents.
2. Isaac's bitter grief.
(1) Deeply seated as to its intensity, being bitterness of spirit (Proverbs 18:14);
(2) truly religious as to its character, being occasioned chiefly by the circumstance that Esau's ill-assorted marriages were not such as Heaven could approve; and
(3) sympathizingly shared by Rebekah, whoso motherly bosom was also stricken with sorrow at her son's impiety.
Learn—
1. That God's gracious visits to his people are always admirably suited to their needs in respect of time, place, and manner.
2. That when a man's ways please God he maketh even his enemies be at peace with him.
3. That while a wise son maketh a glad father, a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.