Keraia
Genesis 26

Genesis 26:7

Isaac Deceives Abimelech · Genesis 26:6–11
Read Genesis 26

Translations

Modern
But 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.”
Traditional
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.
Literal
And the men of that place asked about his wife, and he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” lest the men of the place kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful of appearance.
Latin
Qui cum interrogaretur a viris loci illius super uxore sua, respondit: Soror mea est: timuerat enim confiteri quod sibi esset sociata conjugio, reputans ne forte interficerent eum propter illius pulchritudinem.

Original

Hebrew
English
But 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.”

Notes

Genesis 26:6–11

While Isaac was living in Gerar, he, like his father Abraham, told people that his wife was his sister. Some think this story repeats the accounts of Abraham’s deception (12:10–20; 20:1–18). But there are more differences than similarities. It is not surprising that a son repeated his father’s lie.

Genesis 26 shows, through many similar patterns, that God’s plan continued through Isaac. Even when Isaac put the covenant at risk, as Abraham had done, God prevented something terrible from happening and protected the marriage. God would bless Abraham’s descendants because of Abraham, but they still needed to trust God themselves to experience those blessings.

True faith in God's promises leads to a life without fear as one follows him. Fear, however, can put the blessing at risk and make a person’s faith seem empty.

Genesis 26:1–35

This section pauses Jacob’s story to focus on Isaac. Isaac’s success and wealth in chapter 26 show that God’s blessing had passed to him (compare 25:11), even though he sometimes failed to trust God.

Theme notes and profiles

Isaac Rebekah Symbolic Numbers

People

Rebekah: Wife of Isaac; mother of Jacob and Esau

Glossary

Abimelech Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Ebla Tablets Genesis, Book of Gerar Nathanael Patriarchs, Period of the Philistia, Philistines Rebecca, Rebekah

Topics

Cowardice: Isaac, in Calling his Wife his Sister Deception: Isaac, in Stating That his Wife Was his Sister Doubting: Exemplified Falsehood: Isaac, Denying That Rebekah Was his Wife Isaac: The Miraculous Son of Abraham: Lives in Gerar Rebekah (Rebecca): Passes As Isaac's Sister Rulers: Righteous: Abimelech, in his Treatment of Isaac Temptation: Yielding to Isaac, to Lie