God’s Promise to Isaac
(Genesis 12:1–9)

1And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar.

2And YHWH appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell to you. 3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and I will bless you. For to you and to your seed I will give all these lands, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4And I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and I will give to your seed all these lands. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

Isaac Deceives Abimelech

6And Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7And the men of that place asked about his wife, and he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” lest the men of the place kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful of appearance.

8And it came to pass, when the days had been prolonged to him there, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through the window, and he saw—and behold—Isaac was caressing Rebekah his wife. 9And Abimelech called to Isaac and said, “Surely behold, she is your wife! And how did you say, ‘She is my sister?’”

And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘lest I die on account of her.’”

10And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people had almost lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11And Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “The one who touches this man or his wife, he shall surely be put to death.”

Isaac’s Prosperity

12And Isaac sowed in that land, and he reaped in that year a hundred fold, and YHWH blessed him. 13And the man became great, and he went on, going on and becoming greater, until that he became very great. 14And he had a possession of flock, and a possession of cattle, and much service; and the Philistines envied him. 15And all the wells that the servants of his father had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with earth.

16And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go from us, for you have become much mightier than we.”

17And Isaac departed from there and camped in the Valley of Gerar, and he dwelt there. 18And Isaac returned dug the wells of water that they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he called to them names, according to the names that his father had called them.

19And Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and they found there a well of living water.† 20And the shepherds of Gerar strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” And he called the name of the well Esek,† because they contended with him.

21And they dug another well, and they strove also over it. And he called its name Sitnah.†

22And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not strive over it. And he called its name Rehoboth† and said, “For now YHWH has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

23And he went up from there to Beersheba. 24And YHWH appeared to him in that night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father; do not fear, for I am with you, and I will bless you and I will multiply your seed for the sake of Abraham My servant.”

25And he built there an altar and called on the name of YHWH. And he pitched there his tent, and there the servants of Isaac dug a well.

Isaac’s Covenant with Abimelech

26And Abimelech came to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his companion, and Phichol the commander of his army.

27And Isaac said to them, “Why have you⁺ come to me? And you⁺—you⁺ hated me and you⁺ sent me away from you⁺.”

28And they said, “We have surely seen that YHWH has been with you, and we said, let there be, please, an oath between us—between us and between you—and let us cut a covenant with you, 29that you will do to us no evil, since we have not touched you, and since we have done to you only good and sent you away in peace. You are now blessed of YHWH!”

30And he made for them a feast, and they ate and they drank. 31And they arose early in the morning, and they swore, a man to his brother; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

32And it came to pass on that day that the servants of Isaac came and told to him about the circumstances of the well that they had dug, and they said to him, “We have found water.” 33And he called it Shibah;† upon thus the name of the city is Beersheba† to this day.

Esau’s Wives

34And Esau was a son of forty years, and he took a wife, Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, 35and they were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.