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.
7. my sister ] See Gen 12:12-13, Gen 20:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
7 11 (J). Isaac and Rebekah at the Court of Abimelech
In this narrative Isaac from motives of fear tells the inhabitants of Gerar that Rebekah is his sister. The resemblance to the similar narratives in the story of Abraham (1) in Egypt, Gen 12:13, (2) at Gerar, chap. 20, is obvious.
The plea of the relationship of a half-sister could be made for Sarah, but not for Rebekah. The same story was repeated in slightly different versions. It commemorated ( a) the moral weakness of the patriarch, and ( b) the protection which was accorded by Jehovah to the ancestors of the Israelite people. Contact with civilization brought perils no less real than the solitary life of the nomad.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. He said, She is my sister] It is very strange that in the same place, and in similar circumstances, Isaac should have denied his wife, precisely as his father had done before him! It is natural to ask, Did Abraham never mention this circumstance to his son? Probably be did not, as he was justly ashamed of his weakness on the occasion – the only blot in his character; the son, therefore, not being forewarned, was not armed against the temptation. It may not be well in general for parents to tell their children of their former failings or vices, as this might lessen their authority or respect, and the children might make a bad use of it in extenuation of their own sins. But there are certain cases, which, from the nature of their circumstances, may often occur, where a candid acknowledgment, with suitable advice, may prevent those children from repeating the evil; but this should be done with great delicacy and caution, lest even the advice itself should serve as an incentive to the evil. I had not known lust, says St. Paul, if the law had not said, Thou shalt not covet. Isaac could not say of Rebekah, as Abraham had done of Sarah, She is my sister; in the case of Abraham this was literally true; it was not so in the case of Isaac, for Rebekah was only his cousin. Besides, though relatives, in the Jewish forms of speaking, are often called brothers and sisters, and the thing may be perfectly proper when this use of the terms is generally known and allowed, yet nothing of this kind can be pleaded here in behalf of Isaac; for he intended that the Gerarites should understand him in the proper sense of the term, and consequently have no suspicion that she was his wife. We have already seen that the proper definition of a lie is any word spoken with the intention to deceive. See Ge 20:12.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And the men of the place asked [him] of his wife,…. The inhabitants of Gerar inquired of Isaac who she was, whether she was his wife or not, or in what relation she stood in to him; this was not a mere civil inquiry, but what arose from the prevalence of lust in them towards her; and yet it was under some restraint, they being not so abandoned to their lusts as to exercise them upon any; not upon a man’s wife, the sin of adultery being detestable to them, though that of fornication was made no account of by them:
and he said, she [is] my sister; herein imitating his father Abraham in his infirmity and unbelief, who in the same place had made such an answer to a like question concerning Sarah, Ge 20:1; and which if Isaac knew of, as probably he did, one would wonder that he should fall into the same evil, and especially when he had not so much to say to support his assertion as Abraham had; for Rebekah was not so near akin to him as Sarah was to Abraham; and though cousins might be called sisters, yet this was mere dissimulation to call his wife sister, and was done with an intention to deceive, and therefore not justifiable:
for he feared to say, [she is] my wife; which was the real truth; but the fear of men, which brings a snare, led him to this, and from which good men are not always free:
lest, [said he], that is, within himself, in his own mind; and so the Targum of Jonathan, he thought in his heart;
the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; that they might marry her, one or other of them; for, it seems, they had not so great a sense of the sin of murder, as of adultery:
because she [was] fair to look upon; which he feared would be a temptation to them, and stir up their impure desires after her, in order to gratify which he was afraid they would kill him; Rebekah retaining her beauty still, though she had been married in all probability forty years or more, see Ge 24:16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7. And the men of the place asked him. Moses relates that Isaac was tempted in the same manner as his father Abraham, in having his wife taken from him; and without doubt he was so led by the example of his father, that he, being instructed by the similarity of the circumstances, might become associated with him in his faith. Nevertheless, on this point he ought rather to have avoided than imitated his father’s fault; for no doubt he well remembered that the chastity of his mother had twice been put in great danger; and although she had been wonderfully rescued by the hand of God, yet both she and her husband paid the penalty of their distrust: therefore the negligence of Isaac is inexcusable, in that he now strikes against the same stone. He does not in express terms deny his wife; but he is to be blamed, first, because, for the sake of preserving his life, he resorts to an evasion not far removed from a lie; and secondly, because, in absolving his wife from conjugal fidelity, he exposes her to prostitution: but he aggravates his fault, principally (as I have said) in not taking warning from domestic examples, but voluntarily casting his wife into manifest danger. Whence it appears how great is the propensity of our nature to distrust, and how easy it is to be devoid of wisdom in affairs of perplexity. Since, therefore, we are surrounded on all sides with so many dangers, we must ask the Lord to confirm us by his Spirit, lest our minds should faint, and be dissolved in fear and trembling; otherwise we shall be frequently engaged in vain enterprises, of which we shall repent soon, and yet too late to remedy the evil.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) He said, She is my sister.We have already seen that Abraham at Gerar showed no consciousness of having done wrong in denying his wife (Gen. 20:2); and we now find Isaac imitating his example with even less reason for his conduct. The circumstances are, however, different. It is the people who inquire about Isaacs relation to Rebekah, and though she was fair to look upon, yet no annoyance followed upon his denial of her. The king after a long time detects their intimacy; but there are no presents, and no marks of respect to Rebekah, and no friendship. It is only after long quarrels, during which Isaac is obliged to withdraw to a long distance from Gerar, that finally peace is made between them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Should kill me Comp . Gen 12:12; Gen 20:11, notes; and for the agreement and differences of these narratives the note at the beginning of this chapter .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
EXPOSITION
Gen 26:7
And the men of the place (i.e. the inhabitants of Gerar) asked him (literally, asked, or made inquiries; probably first at each other, though ultimately the interrogations might reach Isaac himself) of his wife (being in all likelihood fascinated by her beauty); and he said,falling into the same infirmity as Abraham (Gen 12:13; Gen 20:2)She is my sister:which was certainly an equivocation, since, although sometimes used to designate a female relative generally (vide Gen 24:60), the term “sister” was here designed to suggest that Rebekah was his own sister, born of the same parents. In propagating this deception Isaac appears to have been actuated by a similar motive to that which impelled his fatherfor he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he (sc. to himself, the words describing the good man’s secret apprehensions), the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah;the historian adding, as the explanation of his fearsbecause she was fair to look upon (vide Gen 24:16).
Gen 26:8
And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time (literally, when were prolonged to him there the days), that Abimelech king of the philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wifei.e. caressing and using playful liberties with her, which showed she was not a sister, but a wife (LXX.), jocantem (Vulgate).
Gen 26:9
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said (sc. in my heart, or to myself), Lest I die for her.
Gen 26:10
And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife,literally, within a little (cf. Psa 73:2; Psa 119:87) one of the people might have lain with thy wifeand thou shouldesti.e. (within a little) thou mightesthave brought (or caused to come) guiltiness upon us (cf. Gen 20:9, where is used instead of ).
Gen 26:11
And Abimelech charged all his (literally, the) people, saying, He that touchethin the sense of injureth (cf. Jos 9:19; Psa 105:15)this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. The similarity of this incident to that related in Gen 20:1-18. concerning Abraham in Gerar may be explained without resorting to the hypothesis of different authors, The stereotyped character of the manners of antiquity, especially in the East, is sufficient to account for the danger to which Sarah was exposed recurring in the case of Rebekah three quarters of a century later. That Isaac should have resorted to the miserable expedient of his father may have been due simply to a lack of originality on the part of Isaac; or perhaps the recollection of the success which had attended his father’s adoption of this wretched subterfuge may have blinded him to its true character. But from whatever cause resulting, the resemblance between the two narratives cannot be held as destroying the credibility of either, and all the more that a careful scrutiny will detect sufficient dissimilarity between them to establish the authenticity of the incidents which they relate.
HOMILETICS
Gen 26:7-11
A good man’s transgression.
I. A LIE TOLD.
1. An unmitigated lie. It was scarcely entitled to claim the apology of being what Abraham’s falsehood was, an equivocation, Rebekah not being Isaac’s half-sister, but cousin.
2. A deliberate lie. Asked about his relations to Rebekah, he coolly replies that they are sister and brother. He had no right to suppose his interrogators had ulterior designs against Rebekah’s honor.
3. A cowardly lie. All falsehoods spring from craven fearfear of the consequences that may flow from telling the honest truth.
4. A dangerous lie. By his wicked suppression of the truth he was guilty of imperiling the chastity of her whom he sought to protect. Almost all falsehoods are perilous, and most of them are mistakes.
5. An unnecessary lie. No lie ever can be necessary; but least of all could this have been, when God had already promised to be with him in the land of the Philistines.
6. An unbelieving lie. Had Isaac’s faith been active, he would hardly have deemed it needful to disown his wife.
7. A wholly worthless lie. Isaac might have remembered that twice over his father had resorted to this miserable stratagem, and that in neither instance had it sufficed to avert the danger which he dreaded. But lies generally are wretched hiding-places for endangered bodies or anxious souls.
II. A LIE DETECTED.
1. God by his providence assists in the detection of liars. By the merest accident, as it might seem, Abimelech discovered the true relationship of Isaac and Rebekah; but both the time, place, and manner of that discovery were arranged by God. So the face of God is set against them that do evil, even though they should be his own people.
2. Liars commonly assist in their own detection. Truth alone is sure-footed, and never slips; error is liable to stumble at every step. It is difficult to maintain a disguise for any lengthened period. The best fitting mask is sure in time to fall off. Actions good in themselves often lead to the detection of crimes.
III. A LIE REPROVED. The conduct of Isaac Abimelech rebukes
1. With promptitude. Sending for Isaac, he charges him with his sin. It is the part of a true friend to expose deception whenever it is practiced, and, provided it be done in a proper spirit, the sooner it is done the better. Sin that long eludes detection is apt to harden the sinning heart and sear the guilty conscience.
2. With fidelity. Characterizing it as
(1) a surprising inconsistency on the part of a good man like Isaac;
(2) a reckless exposure of his wife’s person, which was far from becoming in a kindly husband; and
(3) an unjustifiable offence against the people of the land, who, by his carelessness and cowardice, might have been led into grievous wickedness.
3. With forgiveness. That Abimelech did not intend to exact punishment from Isaac, or even cherish resentment against him in consequence of his behavior, he proved by charging his people to beware of injuring in any way either Isaac or Rebekah. It is good and beautiful when mercy seasons judgment, and the reproofs of friendship are accompanied by messages of love.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Gen 26:7. She is my sister, &c. The same remarks are to be made on this transaction, as on the similar one upon which we have commented, ch. Gen 20:2, &c. It was wrong, it was very wrong. But it deserves notice again, from what is said by Abimelech, Gen 26:10 in how great detestation the crime of adultery was held, even by these people, among whom little sense of religion was expected to be found either by Abraham or Isaac. They regarded adultery as so peculiarly offensive to Heaven, that the bare commission of it was sufficient to involve a nation in calamities. How will many of these less enlightened kingdoms rise up in judgment, and condemn some evangelized states of Europe?
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 26:7 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.
Ver. 7. She is my sister. ] How apt are children to imitate their father’s infirmities! P . 1Pe 1:18 Which yet is no excuse, Eze 18:14 but an aggravation. Dan 5:22-23 The orator a therefore was far wide, that said, Me ex ea opinione, quam a Maioribus accepi, de cultu deorum immortalium, nullius unquam oratio aut docti aut indocti movebit. Isaac’s fault here, was greater than Abraham’s, because he was not warned by domestical examples. Seest thou another make shipwreck of a good conscience? look well to thy tacklings. Sin is worse after warning.
For he feared to say, &c.
Because she was fair to look upon.
a Cic., De Natur. Deor.
b Sabina, cum aliquando se non satis bona formia in speeulo cerneret, mori priusquam senesceret, optavit. – Dio.
he said. As Abraham had said (Gen 12:13; Gen 20:2, Gen 20:12).
sister. See note on Gen 20:12.
She is my sister: Gen 12:13, Gen 20:2, Gen 20:5, Gen 20:12, Gen 20:13, Pro 29:25, Mat 10:28, Eph 5:25, Col 3:9
fair: Gen 24:16
Reciprocal: Gen 12:11 – a fair Gen 12:12 – will kill Gen 20:11 – slay Lev 6:2 – lie 1Sa 21:12 – sore 1Ki 12:27 – and they shall Gal 2:13 – the other
Gen 26:7. She is my sister So Isaac enters into the same temptation that his father had been once and again surprised and overcome by, namely, to deny his wife, and to give out that she was his sister! It is an unaccountable thing, that both these great and good men should be guilty of so odd a piece of dissimulation, by which they so much exposed both their own and their wives reputation.
26:7 And the men of the place asked [him] of his wife; and he said, She [is] my sister: {d} 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.
(d) By which we see that fear and distrust is found in the most faithful.
For an explanation of this strange incident, see the notes on chapter 20. When endangered, Isaac, like Abraham, resorted to an ethic in which the end justified the means. "Like father, like son." Isaac and Rebekah must have been childless at this time.
A period of between 70 and 97 years had elapsed between Abraham’s sojourn in Gerar and Isaac’s. Abimelech could have been the same man in both cases since lifespans of 150 years were not uncommon at that time. Abimelech demonstrated pious conduct in both cases. In the first, however, Abimelech took Sarah into his harem, but in the second he wanted to protect Rebekah from his people. Abimelech is a title rather than a personal name and means "royal father." Thus this may have been another ruler than the one Abraham dealt with.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)