Genesis 26:2

26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; ¹  settle down in the land that I will point out to you. ² 

Genesis 26:1

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ³  in the days of Abraham. ⁴  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.

Genesis 26:19

26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing ⁵  water there,

Hebrews 11:13-16

11:13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, ⁶  but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners ⁷  on the earth. 11:14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 11:15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 11:16 But as it is, ⁸  they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

[26:2]  ¹ sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.

[26:2]  ² tn Heb “say to you.”

[26:1]  ³ tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ⁴ sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.

[26:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).

[11:13]  ⁶ tn Grk “the promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.

[11:13]  ⁷ tn Or “sojourners.”

[11:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “now.”