Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 26:26

Verses 26-33:

After Isaac moved to Beer-sheba, he had visitors from Gerar. Abimelf5ch, his friend Ahuzzath, and Phichol (see Ge 21:22) came to request a non-aggression treaty. This treaty was ratified at a solemn feast, after which Abimelech and his companions returned to their homeland.

When the treaty was ratified, the servants of Isaac reported that they had cleared out the debris in the well. And as Abraham had done earlier, Isaac renamed the place Beer-sheba, the “well of the covenant.”

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

26. Then Abimelech went to him. We have had an exactly similar narrative in Gen 21:22. The Lord, therefore, followed Isaac with the same favor which he had before shown to his father Abraham. For it was no common blessing, that Abimelech should voluntarily seek his friendship. Besides, he would be relieved from no little care and anxiety, when his neighbors, who had harassed him in so many ways, being now themselves afraid of him, desire to secure his friendship. Therefore the Lord both confers signal honor upon his servant, and provides at the same time for his tranquility. There is not the least doubt that the king was led to this measure, by a secret divine impulse. For, if he was afraid, why did he not resort to some other remedy? Why did he humble himself to supplicate a private man? Why, at least, did he not rather send for him, or command him with authority to do what he wished? But God had so forcibly impressed his mind, that he, forgetting his regal pride, sought for peace and alliance with a man who was neither covetous, nor warlike, nor furnished with a great army. Thus we may learn, that the minds of men are in the hand of God, so that he not only can incline those to gentleness who before were swelling with fury, but can humble them by terror, as often as he pleases.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

8. The Covenant with Abimelech (Gen. 26:26-33). As Abimelech was the standing title of the Philistine kings, so Phicol seems to have been the standing title of the captain (or general) of the army. (Cf. Gen. 21:22 f.) As there was a lapse of seventy years between the visit of Abraham and of Isaac, the Abimelech and Phicol spoken of must have been different persons official titles (CECG, 193). It is fair to conclude that Abimelech was the royal title, just as Pharaoh was in Egypt, and Caesar in Rome. Phicol may also have been a name of office, as mudir or mushir now is in this country. If one of these officers is spoken of, his name is rarely mentioned. I, indeed, never know any but the official title of these Turkish officers (LB, 560). Abimelech brought with him a certain Abuzzah his friend, that is, his confidential adviser, or Vizieran official title common in Egypt from an early period, and amongst the Ptolemies and Seleucids (1Ma. 2:18; 1Ma. 10:65; cf. 2Sa. 16:16 f., 1Ki. 4:5, 1Ch. 27:33 (Skinner, ICCG, 367). (In 1Ch. 27:33, we find the rendering, counsellor). (Ahuzzath: note the Philistine ending of the name: cf. Goliath, 1 Samuel 17, also Gath). Note that one idea stands out in the conversation of these Philistines, namely, we are impressed by the fact of Yahwehs blessings which go with you continually: they do not think it safe to be on bad terms with one who so manifestly stands in Yahwehs favor. That the name Yahweh should be used by Philistines need not surprise us. They naturally do not know Him as the One who is what this name involved. They simply take the heathen attitude: each nation serves its own God: we have heard that Isaac serves Yahweh; it must be Yahweh who has blessed His faithful follower (EG, 731). Abimelech makes the overture. But Isaac chides him for his unkindness in sending him away and his inconsistency in now seeking a conference with him, Gen. 26:27. However, the king sees clearly now that Isaacs God is to be reckoned with: thou art now the blessed of Jehovah; therefore let there now be an oath between us . . . and let us make a covenant with thee, etc. By whatever motive the proposal was dictatedwhether fear of his growing power, or regret for the bad usage they had given him, the king and his courtiers paid a visit to the tent of Isaac (Pro. 16:7). His timid and passive temper had submitted to the annoyances of his rude neighbors; but now that they wish to renew the covenant, he evinces deep feeling at their conduct, and astonishment, or artifice, in coming near him. Being, however, of a pacific disposition, he forgave their offence, accepted their proposals, and treated them to a banquet by which the ratification of a covenant was usually crowned (CECG, 193).

The oath, Gen. 26:28, in this case was what was known as a curse-oath, that is, the curse invoked on violation of the covenant. The Jews in later ages were in the habit of using vain and frivolous oaths in their ordinary talk. They swore by the temple, by the earth, by heaven, by the head, etc. So long as they did not use the name of God in these oaths, they did not deem them particularly binding. This practice is alluded to in Mat. 23:16-22 (ADB, 243). This was known as profane swearing (cf. Mat. 5:33-37, Jas. 5:12). The judicial oath was of an entirely different character. The validity of this type of oath was recognized by Jesus: indeed He allowed Himself to be put under it (cf. Mat. 26:63-68), and He responded to the solemn adjuration. We find also that good men, an angel, and even God Himself, made use of the oath for confirmation (Gen. 21:23-24; 1Sa. 20:42; Heb. 6:17-18; Rev. 10:5-6). It should be noted that the oaths were exchanged on the morning after the feast (Gen. 26:30-31) before the Philistines departed. Apparently the feast, the common meal, was a feature of the covenant ceremony (cf. Gen. 31:53-54) even though the oath-taking did not occur until early the next morning.

9. The Naming of the Well (Gen. 26:32-33). On the same day the oaths were exchanged Isaacs servants found water. This is the well mentioned in Gen. 26:25. It is possible that it is the same well which Abraham had excavated and named Beer-sheba (Gen. 21:31). The Philistines had stopped it up; now Isaac reopened it and gave it the same name it had borne previously (Nachmanides). Rash-bam holds that it was a different well, there being two of that name (SC, 148). To the rationalistic objection that identical names of places are not imposed twice, we may reply, in general, that it is in full accordance with the genius of the Oriental languages and the literary tastes of the people, to suppose that a name may be renewed; in other words, that a new meaning and significance may be attached to an old name. (This is the testimony of a scholar thoroughly acquainted with Oriental manners and customs, Prof. L. J. Porter, in Kittos Biblical Cyclopaedia, II, 132, latest edition.) This fact sweeps away a host of objections urged against this and similar cases. The whole series of events served to recall to Isaacs mind the former name and the circumstances which gave rise to it, hence he renewed it. From Gen. 26:15; Gen. 26:18 we learn that all the wells dug by Abraham had been filled with earth by the Philistines, but that Isaac re-opened them, and called them by the old familiar names. This would seem a sufficient explanation of the case before us (ADB, 410).

This was not the restoration of an old, but the sinking of a new well; and hence, by the formal ceremony of inauguration gone through with Abimelech, Isaac established his right of possession to the adjoining district. . . . One would naturally imagine that the place received this name [Beer-sheba] now for the first time from Isaac. But it had been so called long before by Abraham (Gen. 21:31), in memory of a solemn league of alliance which he formed with a contemporary king of Gerar. A similar covenant, in similar circumstances, having been established between Isaac and the successor of that Gerar monarch, gave occasion to a renewed proclamation of the name: and it is accordant with the practice of the sacred writer to notice an event as newly occurred, while in point of fact it had taken place long before (CECG, 193194). For similar instances of twofold naming, cf. Gen. 35:6-7; Gen. 35:15, with Gen. 28:18-22, as to the name Bethel; Gen. 35:10 with Gen. 32:28, as to the name Israel; Gen. 14:14 with Deu. 34:1, Jos. 19:47, Jdg. 18:29, as to the name Dan; Num. 32:41, with Deu. 3:14 and Jdg. 10:3-4, as to the name Havothjair). (For a description of the present-day Wady-es-Seba and the two deep wells on the northern bank, which are still called Bir es-Seba, the ancient Beer-sheba, see again jamieson, CECG, 193194, quoting Robinsons Biblical Researches, I, 300, 301).

Isaac called the well Shibah, i.e., Sheba) On account of the covenant (connecting Shibah with shebuah (an oath, covenant) according to Rashi (Solomon ben Isaac, 10401105), It was the seventh well which he had dug, according to Ben Jacob Sforno, c, 14751550. (See SC, 148). Cf. Gen. 21:31obviously, the name Beer-sheba is best interpreted the well of the oath, rather than of the seven. On the latter view, seven could have been variously interpreted, either as indicative of the seven ewe lambs given, by Abraham to the Philistine king (Gen. 21:28-30), or as signifying the seventh well which Isaac had dug, or as indicating that either (or both) of the patriarchs had put himself under the influence of the number seven, which was regarded among ancients generally as a sacred number. This last view is suggested by Skinner (ICCG, 326); to the present writer it seems rather farfetched. Both points of view seem well justified: there were originally seven wells; the place was the scene of an oath. One account emphasizes the former; the other, the latter idea. For that matter, Isaac may well have remembered the name given to the place in Abrahams time and may have welcomed the opportunity for establishing that name. The expression unto this day simply carries us up to the writers time and is, of course, very appropriate coming from the pen of Moses (EG, 733). At any rate Beer-sheba came to be the principal city in the Judean Negeb. It was situated at the junction of the highway running southward from Hebron to Egypt and the route that ran northeastward from Arabah to the coast. It marked the southern limit of Israelite occupation, so that the entire land came to be described as the territory extending from Dan to Beersheba (Jdg. 20:1). Beersheba still exists, and retains its ancient name in a slightly modified form. The old wells too are there, of great depth, and of great value to the surrounding Arabs (SIBG, 257).

Review Questions

See Gen. 26:34-35.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(26) Abimelech went to him.The return of Isaac to Beer-sheba was a matter of serious importance also to Abimelech. The Philistines were themselves an alien race, and an alliance between Isaac and Ishmael, and others of the Semitic stock, might end in their expulsion from the country. Abraham had also been confederate with the Amorites (Gen. 14:13), and on friendly terms with the Hittites (Gen. 23:6), the two most powerful races of Canaan, and they might be ready to aid his son. When, then, Isaac thus retraced his steps, Abimelech, uncertain of Isaacs purpose, deter mined to offer peace and friendship, and to propose the renewal of the old covenant which had existed between Abraham and the people of Gerar.

Ahuzzath.This is one of several points peculiar to this narrative; but it is uncertain whether it be a proper name, or whether, with the Targum and Jerome, we are to understand by it a company, that is, an escort of friends. If it be a proper name, the rendering should be, Ahuzzath, his friend, that is, his confidant and privy counsellor.

Phichol.See Note on Gen. 21:22.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

26. Ahuzzath The king and his chief captain now take with them a third person, one of the king’s friends . Comp . Gen 21:22.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The Covenant Between Isaac and Abimeleck Gen 26:26-33 gives the account of the covenant made between Isaac and Abimeleck.

Gen 26:30 Comments – A feast was a part of ratifying the covenant in this ancient oriental culture. It is seen repeatedly throughout the Old Testament and New Testament. In fact, the feast of the Passover was important part of the Old Testament Mosaic covenant. We also see that a love feast was a part of the New Testament church, which has a spiritual meaning (1Co 5:8, 2Pe 2:13, Jud 1:12).

1Co 5:8, “Therefore let us keep the feast , not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

2Pe 2:13, “And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you ;”

Jud 1:12, “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you , feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;”

A feast, which ratifies a covenant, will also be preformed when we enter heaven (Rev 19:9).

Rev 19:9, “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb . And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

Gen 26:33 Word Study on “Shebah” Strong says the Hebrew word “Shebah” ( ) (H7656) means “an oath,” and is derived from the primitive root ( ) (H7650), which means, “to be complete, to seven oneself, i.e., to swear.” This meaning fits the context of the passage, which tells us that it is the place where Isaac and Abimeleck both swore an oath to one another.

Gen 26:33 Word Study on “Beersheba” TWOT says the Hebrew name “Beersheba” ( ) (H884) means “well of seven,” or “well of an oath.” Gesenius also interprets this name to mean, “the well of the oath.” Strong tells us that the name “Beersheba” comes from two Hebrew words, ( ) (H875) which means, “well, pit, spring,” and ( ) (H7651), which means, “seventh.” However PTW interprets this name to means, “well of oaths” with the second part of the word coming from ( ) (H7650), which means, “to swear, to adjure, to take an oath.” BDB translates this word to means, “well of the sevenfold oath.” Smith tells us that this place still retains its ancient name today where there are found “two principle wells and five smaller ones” which are still in use today. Gesenius refers to Seetzen, who says “that there are found there five or seven wells called Szaba, with a valley of the same name.”

Comments – We find that the place was named Beersheba because Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech there, and because Isaac made a covenant with him as well (Gen 26:26-33).

Gen 26:33, “And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.”

Gen 26:34  And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

Gen 26:34 “And Esau was forty years old” Comments – The Hebrew literally reads, “And Esau was the son of forty years,” a construction used frequently throughout the Old Testament when referring to a person’s age. Esau was the same age as Isaac, his father, when he married, both at the age of forty (Gen 25:40). Isaac would have been one hundred years old at this time, being sixty years old at Esau and Jacob’s birth (Gen 25:26).

Gen 25:20, “And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.”

Gen 25:26, “And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.”

Gen 26:34 “when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite” Word Studies on Judith Strong and PTW say the Hebrew name “Judith” “yeh-ho-deeth’” ( ) (H3067) means, “Jewess.” This name is only mentioned once in the Old Testament (Gen 26:34).

Word Studies on Beeri Strong says the Hebrew name “Beeri” “be-ay-ree’” ( ) (H882) means “fountained.” This name is used twice in the Scriptures, once as the Hittite father of Judith (Gen 26:34), and a second time as a different individual, who was the father of Hosea the prophet (Hos 1:1).

Word Studies on Bashemath – Strong says the Hebrew name “Bashemath,” or “Basemath,” or “Basmath,” “bos-math’” ( ) (H1315) means “fragrance.” This name is used seven times in the Old Testament Scriptures. Six times the name refers to Esau’s wife in his genealogy, and one time it refers to a daughter of King Solomon.

Word Studies on Elon Gesenius says the Hebrew name “Elon” “’Eylown” ( ) (H356) means, “oak.” Strong says it means “oak grove.” This name is used seven times in the Old Testament, referring to three individuals and one town by this name. Elon, the father of Bashemath, is only mentioned two times in Esau’s genealogy (Gen 26:34; Gen 36:2).

Comments – Gen 26:34-35 tells us that Esau married two Hittite wives. The Hittites were the descendants of Heth (Gen 23:3). Esau will later take a third wife named Mahalath when he saw that his two Canaanite wives did not please his parents. His third wife will come from the descendants of Ishmael, of the family of Abraham, in an effort to please them.

Gen 23:3, “And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,”

Gen 28:8-9, “And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.”

Esau’s three wives are listed again in his genealogy (Gen 36:1-43). However, there are a number of differences. In this genealogy Judith will be called Aholibaman, Bashemath will be called Adah, and Mahalath will be called Bashemath.

Gen 36:1-3, “Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth.”

Keil-Delitzsch attempt to explain this discrepancy by saying that Moses, as the author, used genealogical documents that reflected these differences in names and chose to record them without changes. He believes the difference in names arose as a part of the ancient oriental custom of giving surnames to people based upon important events. [231] Thus, one genealogy represents an original name, the other a surname of Esau’s wives. However, Gordon Wenham notes that scholars have been unable to reconcile these two conflicting traditions in Esau’s genealogy. [232]

[231] C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Pentateuch, vol. 1, in Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, trans. James Martin, in P.C. Study Bible, v. 3.1 [CD-ROM] (Seattle, WA: Biblesoft Inc., 1993-2000), comments on Genesis 36:1-8.

[232] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, in Word Biblical Commentary: 58 Volumes on CD-Rom, vol. 2, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 2002), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 2.1c [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2000-2004), comments on Genesis 26:34.

Gen 26:35  Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Gen 26:35 Comments – Rebekah’s grief because of Esau’s marriage to two Canannite wives sets the stage for the narrative story that follows, explaining her unusual actions. This mother’s grief led her to bring Isaac’s blessing into Jacob’s lineage, and deprive Esau, by deceiving her own husband Isaac. Thus, the author will come back to this issue of Rebekah’s grief over Esau’s wives in Gen 27:46.

Gen 27:46, “And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Covenant Between Isaac and Abimelech

v. 26. Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzaath, one of his friends, and Phichol, the chief captain of his army. In this case the Philistine king brought not only the general of his army, but also his prime minister, or private counselor.

v. 27. And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

v. 28. And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee; and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee,

v. 29. that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace; thou art now the blessed of the Lord. Though there were evidently selfish motives behind their proposal, since their chief concern was to gain the friendship of Isaac and obtain security for themselves, yet the Lord made use of these motives to shield and protect His servant.

v. 30. And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. Isaac was fully aware of his power and importance as a wealthy nomad prince, and made use of the situation to his advantage, without letting it appear that he was granting a favor.

v. 31. And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another, the oath, in this case, including an imprecation; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. Thus was a new covenant established which safeguarded the interests of Isaac.

v. 32. And it came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, we have found water. Apparently the one well which Abraham’s servants had dug, Gen 21:30, was no longer sufficient for the needs of Isaac’s immense herds, and therefore the report of the servants was highly welcome.

v. 33. And he called it Shebah (an oath) ; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day. History here repeated itself, and the name of the city was given for the double reason, just as the two wells at Bir-es-Saba to this day vouch for the correctness of this account.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Pro 16:7

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Gen 26:26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

Ver. 26. And Abimelech went to him. ] Not of any great love, but as (1.) pricked in conscience; (2.) to provide for posterity. It was a mercy to him, howsoever, that strangers and heathens should do him this honour: as it was to Luther, that when the pope had excommunicated him, the emperor proscribed him, two kings written against him, &c., the elector of Saxony should nevertheless stick to him; and that the great Turk should send him word, not to be discouraged, for he would become his gracious lord, &c., though “from such a lord,” said Luther, “good Lord deliver me.” a

a Man., loc. com.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)