The Meaning of Genesis 26:1 Explained

Genesis 26:1

KJV: And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

YLT: And there is a famine in the land, besides the first famine which was in the days of Abraham, and Isaac goeth unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

Darby: And there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine which had been in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

ASV: And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar.

Discover Genesis 26:1

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Genesis 26:1?

MEANING: What does Genesis 26:1 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Genesis 26:1 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Genesis 26:1?

What is the context of Genesis 26:1?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

What does Genesis 26:1 Mean?

Study Notes

famine
.

A famine was often a disciplinary testing of God's people in the land. (Cf) Genesis 26:1 ; Genesis 42:5 ; Ruth 1:1 ; 2 Samuel 24:13 ; Psalms 105:16 .

The resort to Egypt (the world) is typical of the tendency to substitute for lost spiritual power the fleshly resources of the world, instead of seeking, through confession and amendment, the restoration of God's presence and favour.

Context Summary

Genesis 26:1-17 - Isaac Is Blessed And Grows Rich

There was no harm in Isaac's going to Gerar, as he had a distinct command to that effect, Genesis 26:2-3. But he does not seem to have been strong enough to stand the test of residence there. He might have received into his soul that sufficient grace which is always within the reach of tempted men; but, like so many of us, he looked down and not up. What could have been more reassuring than the promises of the divine presence and blessing! But he was guilty of incredible meanness to the woman who had come so far to be his wife, and of deceit to Abimelech. Notice how the sins of the fathers repeat themselves in the children! It was a disappointing lapse from the glorious height on which he had stood when he yielded himself to God's call on Mount Moriah! But we have experienced the same contrasts within ourselves. Now on the mount of transfiguration, asking to live there, and then in the valley, quarreling for pre-eminence. But, notwithstanding all, God's loving-kindness does not fail. See Genesis 26:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 26

¹ Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him
⁷ He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife
¹² He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity
¹⁸ He digs wells
²³ God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
²⁶ and Abimelech makes a covenant with him
³⁴ Esau's wives

What do the individual words in Genesis 26:1 mean?

And there was a famine in the land besides the famine first that had occurred in the days of Abraham And went Isaac to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar

וַיְהִ֤י רָעָב֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ מִלְּבַד֙ הָרָעָ֣ב הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה בִּימֵ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ יִצְחָ֛ק אֶל־ אֲבִימֶּ֥לֶךְ‪‬ מֶֽלֶךְ־ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים גְּרָֽרָה

וַיְהִ֤י	And there was
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: אֶהְיֶה Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
רָעָב֙	a famine
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: רָעָב Sense: famine, hunger.
בָּאָ֔רֶץ	in the land
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular Root: אֶרֶץ Sense: land, earth.
מִלְּבַד֙	besides
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: בַּד Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
הָרָעָ֣ב	the famine
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: רָעָב Sense: famine, hunger.
הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן	first
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular Root: רִאשֹׁון Sense: first, primary, former.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר	that
Parse: Pronoun, relative Root: אֲשֶׁר Sense: (relative part.).
הָיָ֖ה	had occurred
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: אֶהְיֶה Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בִּימֵ֣י	in the days
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct Root: יׄום Sense: day, time, year.
אַבְרָהָ֑ם	of Abraham
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: אַבְרָהָם Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ	And went
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: הָלַךְ Sense: to go, walk, come.
יִצְחָ֛ק	Isaac
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: יִצְחָק Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
אֲבִימֶּ֥לֶךְ‪‬	Abimelech
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
מֶֽלֶךְ־	king
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: מֶלֶךְ Sense: king.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים	of the Philistines
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
גְּרָֽרָה	in Gerar
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular Root: גְּרָר Sense: a Philistine town south of Gaza, modern ‘Umm’.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 26:1?

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Similar Scriptures for Genesis 26:1

		Genesis 12:10 [6]
		Genesis 21:22-32 [3]
		Genesis 20:1-2 [3]
		Genesis 25:11 [3]