Genesis 26:12-17

26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, ¹  because the Lord blessed him. ²  26:13 The man became wealthy. ³  His influence continued to grow ⁴  until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had ⁵  so many sheep ⁶  and cattle ⁷  and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous ⁸  of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up ⁹  all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ¹⁰  for you have become much more powerful ¹¹  than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. ¹² 

[26:12]  ¹ tn Heb “a hundredfold.”

[26:12]  ² tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.

[26:13]  ³ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[26:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”

[26:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”

[26:14]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).

[26:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”

[26:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Go away from us.”

[26:16]  ¹¹ sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

[26:17]  ¹² tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”