For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
14. and a great household ] i.e. a large number of slaves and attendants.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 26:14-16
The Philistines envied him
The prosperous are subject to envy
1.
Great estates subject the best of men to envy.
2. Philistine spirits envy all increase of good to the Church of God (Gen 26:14).
3. Men fearless of God make no scruple of doing the greatest injuries to His servants.
4. All the saints right, persuades not the wicked from doing wrong.
5. A malicious spirit destroyeth that which itself needeth, only to mischief the righteous man.
6. Water-mercies are very great, therefore would the wicked take them from the just (Gen 26:15). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Lessons
1. Powers as well as peasants join together to afflict the saints.
2. Worldly men in power would not suffer the godly to prosper by them.
3. Exilement is the best which wicked powers allow to saints.
4. Gods greatning of His saints causeth the powers of the world to diminish them (Gen 26:16). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
No worldly blessing is unalloyed
Isaacs prosperity was not unalloyed. He suffered from envy. Be sure of this, that for every blessing man pays a price. If the world has gained in medical skill, it has lost that simple life which made it unnecessary. If we heap possessions round us we lose quiet, we get anxiety. Every man pays a price for his advantages, for talents, for property, for high station; he bids adieu to rest, being public property. It was so with Isaac. He had great possessions, and the Philistines envied him. We are told that he met the envy with patience, and removed from well to well. At last the Philistines desisted. Thus patience wears the world out. Endurance, meekness, the gospel spirit, this is the only true weapon against the world. Hence, Christianity can have no addition. It is final. There is nothing beyond this–Love your enemies. Isaac like Christ had conquered by meekness; and then it was that there was shed abroad in his heart that deep peace which is most profound in the midst of storm, the peace of God which passeth all understanding. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 14. He had possession of flocks] He who blessed him in the increase of his fields blessed him also in the increase of his flocks; and as he had extensive possessions, so he must have many hands to manage such concerns: therefore it is added, he had great store of servants – he had many domestics, some born in his house, and others purchased by his money.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Great store of servants; or rather, of husbandry, as this word is elsewhere used; of corn-fields, vineyards, &c.; for he is describing his riches, which then consisted in the two things here expressed, cattle and lands, which he diligently and successfully managed, Gen 26:12.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds,…. Many flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle, of oxen, asses and camels, in which the riches of men in those times and countries chiefly lay:
and great store of servants; to look after his flocks and herds, and fields; or “much husbandry” f; Jarchi interprets it much tillage; as, much land, many farms, fields, and vineyards, and the like; to cultivate which required many servants:
and the Philistines envied him; for his prosperity and success, that his land should bring forth so plentifully, and that he should have such an increase of flocks, and herds, and servants, which made him so very significant great, and honourable.
f “cultura multa”, Drusius; “proventus multus”, Pagninus; “servitium multum”, Schmidt; , Sept.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
14. And the Philistines envied him. We are taught by this history that the blessings of God which pertain to the present earthly life are never pure and perfect, but are mixed with some troubles, lest quiet and indulgence should render us negligent. Wherefore, let us all learn not too ardently to desire great wealth. If the rich are harassed by any cause of disquietude, let them know that they are roused by the Lord, lest they should fall fast asleep in the midst of their pleasures; and let the poor enjoy this consolation, that their poverty is not without its advantages. For it is no light good to live free from envy, tumults, and strifes. Should any one raise the objection, that it can by no means be regarded as a favor, that God, in causing Isaac to abound in wealth, exposed him to envy, to contentions, and to many troubles; there is a ready answer, that not all the troubles with which God exercises his people, in any degree prevent the benefits which he bestows upon them from retaining the taste of his paternal love. Finally, he so attempers the favor which he manifests towards his children in this world, that he stirs them up, as with sharp goads, to the consideration of a celestial life. It was not, however, a slight trial, that the simple element of water, which is the common property of all animals, was denied to the holy patriarch; with how much greater patience ought we to bear our less grievous sufferings! If, however, at any time we are angry at being unworthily injured; let us remember that, at least, we are not so cruelly treated as holy Isaac was, when he had to contend for water. Besides, not only was he deprived of the element of water, but the wells which his father Abraham had dug for himself and his posterity were filled up. This, therefore, was the extreme of cruelty, not only to defraud a stranger of every service due to him, but even to take from him what had been obtained by the labor of his own father, and what he possessed without inconvenience to any one.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) Great store of servants.Marg., husbandry. In Job. 1:3 the word is rendered household in the text, and husbandry again in the margin. Literally it means making employment, and answers to our word business. But if in a mans life there is much activity and plenty to do, there must be people to do it, and profits made whereby to maintain them. And thus the translation, great store of servants, gives the sense; but we see besides that Isaac kept them all actively employed,
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Flocks herds servants envied These four words speak volumes . Prosperity and abundance excite the envy of ignoble natures .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 144:13-14
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 26:14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
Ver. 14. And the Philistines envied him. ] Envy is the constant companion of prosperity, as David felt and complained. Succoth and Pennel contemn Gideon, out of envy of his victory; Joseph’s brethren cannot abide him, because more favoured of his father. Korah maligneth Moses; Saul, David; the Pharisees, our Saviour; their malice wilfully crossing their consciences. Caligula sacrificed to Neptune and Envy, ne sibi, ut ipse dicebat, invideretur. a He thought other men sick, like him, of his disease (as the devil accused God of envy to our first parents); for certainly there was not a more envious person living than he; witness his throwing down the statues of all famous men, and defacing their titles; forbidding any new to be set up without his leave and liking. So that tiger, Tiberius, laid hold, with his spiteful teeth, on all the excellent spirits of his time: he put a poet to death, for making an excellent tragedy; b and banished a certain architect, for building an elaborate porch at Rome, which he could not choose but admire and reward with money. Nero envied all men that were any whit gracious with the people. c Valentinian hated all that were well apparelled, or well learned, or wealthy, or noble d Fortibus etiam detrahere solebat, ut solus videretur bonis artibus eminere, saith Ammianus. e Germanicus had not any more deadly enemies than his own ornaments, f and his adversaries (as here Isaac’s) had – nothing to complain of him, more than his greatness. So true is that of Salust; g Difficillimum inter mortales est, gloria invidiam vincere. Hercules had not more ado with Hydra than a good man shall have with this beast. Envied he shall be of his neighbour, for his labour and right work. Ecc 4:4 “This is also vanity, and vexation of spirit.”
a Dio in Vita Caligula.
b Sueton., cap. 3 and 4. Lucano, quod arte poetics clarus erat vetitum fuit, ne carmen faceret.
c Dio in Neron.
d Seneca.
e Am. Marcell., lib. xxx. cap. 29.
f Tacitus.
g Salust in Catil.
store = body.
had possession: Gen 12:16, Gen 13:2, Job 1:3, Job 42:12, Psa 112:3, Psa 144:13, Psa 144:14, Pro 10:22
servants: or, husbandry
envied: Gen 37:11, 1Sa 18:9, Job 5:2, Psa 112:10, Pro 27:4, Ecc 4:4
Reciprocal: Gen 21:32 – the Philistines Gen 24:35 – flocks Gen 26:3 – Sojourn Gen 26:27 – seeing Gen 26:29 – not Gen 30:43 – General 2Ki 3:4 – a sheepmaster 2Ch 17:5 – he had riches Psa 105:14 – General Eze 31:9 – envied Jam 4:5 – The spirit
26:14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines {g} envied him.
(g) The malicious always envy the graces of God in others.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes