Genesis 26:1

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

¶ 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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

A famine came over the land, not the same as the first famine, which had taken place when Avraham was alive. Yitz'chak went to G'rar, to Avimelekh king of the P'lishtim.

Berean Standard Bible:

Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.

American Standard Version:

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.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And there was a famine^{H7458} in the land^{H776}, beside^{H905} the first^{H7223} famine^{H7458} that was in the days^{H3117} of Abraham^{H85}. And Isaac^{H3327} went^{H3212} unto Abimelech^{H40} king^{H4428} of the Philistines^{H6430} unto Gerar^{H1642}.

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Commentary for Genesis 26:1

Genesis 26:1 introduces a narrative concerning Isaac, the son of Abraham, during a period of famine in Canaan. This famine is noted as distinct from an earlier one experienced during Abraham's time. The verse sets the stage for a story that echoes the experiences of his father, Abraham, who also faced famine and interacted with a Philistine king named Abimelech (as recounted in Genesis 20).

Themes:
1. **Famine and Providence**: The recurring theme of famine highlights the precariousness of life in Canaan and the ongoing challenge of subsistence for the patriarchs. It also sets up a situation to demonstrate divine providence, as God often provides for the patriarchs during these trials.
2. **Divine Promises**: Despite the hardships, the narrative reinforces the theme of God's promises to the patriarchs. Isaac's journey and the events that follow are part of the larger story of God's covenant with Abraham's descendants.
3. **Repetition of History**: The verse alludes to a pattern in the lives of the patriarchs, where similar challenges and interactions with foreign rulers recur, emphasizing the continuity of their experiences and the testing of their faith.

Historical Context:
The events described in Genesis 26 are set in the early 2nd millennium BCE, during the patriarchal age according to biblical chronology. At this time, the Philistines were one of the Sea Peoples who had settled on the coastal plain of Canaan. The Philistines were a significant cultural and military force in the region and often came into contact with the Hebrew patriarchs.

The famine mentioned would have been a common occurrence in the ancient Near East, often necessitating migration to more fertile lands. The Philistine king Abimelech, while his name is used generically in the text, represents the rulers of the region with whom the patriarchs had to navigate relationships in order to secure their family's well-being.

Isaac's interaction with Abimelech and the subsequent events serve to illustrate the faith and fortitude of the patriarchs, as well as God's protection and fulfillment of His covenantal promises.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H7458
   There are 88 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָעָב
   Transliteration: râʻâb
   Pronunciation: raw-awb'
   Description: from רָעֵב; hunger (more or less extensive); dearth, famine, [phrase] famished, hunger.
   
2. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
   
3. Strong's Number: H905
   There are 50 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בַּד
   Transliteration: bad
   Pronunciation: bad
   Description: from בָּדַד; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of atree, bar forcarrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides; alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.
   
4. Strong's Number: H7223
   There are 174 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רִאשׁוֹן
   Transliteration: riʼshôwn
   Pronunciation: ree-shone'
   Description: or רִאשֹׁן; from רִאשָׁה; first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun); ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.
   
5. Strong's Number: H3117
   There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יוֹם
   Transliteration: yôwm
   Pronunciation: yome
   Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger.
   
6. Strong's Number: H85
   There are 1159 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אַבְרָהָם
   Transliteration: ʼAbrâhâm
   Pronunciation: ab-raw-hawm'
   Description: contracted from אָב and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram; Abraham.
   
7. Strong's Number: H3327
   There are 101 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יִצְחָק
   Transliteration: Yitschâq
   Pronunciation: yits-khawk'
   Description: from צָחַק; laughter (i.e. mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham; Isaac. Compare יִשְׂחָק.
   
8. Strong's Number: H3212
   There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָלַךְ
   Transliteration: yâlak
   Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
   Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak.
   
9. Strong's Number: H40
   There are 1102 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ
   Transliteration: ʼĂbîymelek
   Pronunciation: ab-ee-mel'-ek
   Description: from אָב and מֶלֶךְ; father of (the) king; Abimelek, the name of two Philistine kings and of two Israelites; Abimelech.
   
10. Strong's Number: H4428
    There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
    Transliteration: melek
    Pronunciation: meh'-lek
    Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
    
11. Strong's Number: H6430
    There are 244 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: פְּלִשְׁתִּי
    Transliteration: Pᵉlishtîy
    Pronunciation: pel-ish-tee'
    Description: patrial from פְּלֶשֶׁת; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth; Philistine.
    
12. Strong's Number: H1642
    There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: גְּרָר
    Transliteration: Gᵉrâr
    Pronunciation: gher-awr'
    Description: probably from גָּרַר; a rolling country; Gerar, a Philistine city; Gerar.