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Isaac

The only son of Abraham by Sarah. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs (Gen. 21:1-3). He was circumcised when eight days old (4-7); and when he was probably two years old a great feast was held in connection with his being weaned.

The next memorable event in his life is that connected with the command of God given to Abraham to offer him up as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Gen. 22). When he was forty years of age Rebekah was chosen for his wife (Gen. 24). After the death and burial of his father he took up his residence at Beer-lahai-roi (25:7-11), where his two sons, Esau and Jacob, were born (21-26), the former of whom seems to have been his favourite son (27, 28).

In consequence of a famine (Gen. 26:1) Isaac went to Gerar, where he practised deception as to his relation to Rebekah, imitating the conduct of his father in Egypt (12:12-20) and in Gerar (20:2). The Philistine king rebuked him for his prevarication.

After sojourning for some time in the land of the Philistines, he returned to Beersheba, where God gave him fresh assurance of covenant blessing, and where Abimelech entered into a covenant of peace with him.

The next chief event in his life was the blessing of his sons (Gen. 27:1). He died at Mamre, “being old and full of days” (35:27-29), one hundred and eighty years old, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah.

In the New Testament reference is made to his having been “offered up” by his father (Heb. 11:17; James 2:21), and to his blessing his sons (Heb. 11:20). As the child of promise, he is contrasted with Ishmael (Rom. 9:7, 10; Gal. 4:28; Heb. 11:18).

Isaac is “at once a counterpart of his father in simple devoutness and purity of life, and a contrast in his passive weakness of character, which in part, at least, may have sprung from his relations to his mother and wife. After the expulsion of Ishmael and Hagar, Isaac had no competitor, and grew up in the shade of Sarah’s tent, moulded into feminine softness by habitual submission to her strong, loving will.” His life was so quiet and uneventful that it was spent “within the circle of a few miles; so guileless that he let Jacob overreach him rather than disbelieve his assurance; so tender that his mother’s death was the poignant sorrow of years; so patient and gentle that peace with his neighbours was dearer than even such a coveted possession as a well of living water dug by his own men; so grandly obedient that he put his life at his father’s disposal; so firm in his reliance on God that his greatest concern through life was to honour the divine promise given to his race.”, Geikie’s Hours, etc.

Male Born: 1896 BC Died: 1716 BC

People and places

Children: Esau (Edom), Jacob (Israel)

Mother: Sarah

Father: Abraham

Partners: Rebekah

Half-siblings: Ishbak, Ishmael (Son of Hagar), Jokshan, Medan, Midian (GEN 25:2), Shuah (GEN 25:2), Zimran

Died in: Mamre (GEN 23:17)

Selected passages

Show passage in OET: GEN 21:1-7

OET-RV GEN 21:1

21 In due course, Yahweh visited Sarah just as he’d said and he did for her exactly what he’d said,

OET-RV GEN 21:2

2 so that Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son for Avraham in his old age at the very time of the year that God had told him.

OET-RV GEN 21:3

3 Avraham named their son Yitshak (Isaac),

OET-RV GEN 21:4

4 and he circumcised him when he was eight days old, just as God had commanded him.

OET-RV GEN 21:5

5 Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitshak was born,

OET-RV GEN 21:6

6 and Sarah said, “God has brought laughter to me. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

OET-RV GEN 21:7

7 And she continued, “Who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would breastfeed children, yet I have given him a son in his old age.”

OET-LV GEN 21:1

21 And_YHWH he _visited DOM Sārāh just_as he _had _said and_ YHWH _he/it _made to_Sārāh just_as he _had _spoken.

OET-LV GEN 21:2

2 And_she/it _conceived/became _pregnant and_ Sārāh _she/it _gave _birth to_ʼAⱱrāhām a _son of_his _old _of_age(s) to_time which god he _had _spoken DOM_him/it.

OET-LV GEN 21:3

3 And_ ʼAⱱrāhām _he/it _called DOM the _name _of his/its_son who_had _been_born to_him/it whom she _had _borne for_him/it Sārāh Yiʦḩāq/(Isaac).

OET-LV GEN 21:4

4 And_ ʼAⱱrāhām _he _circumcised DOM Yiʦḩāq his/its_son a _son _of eight _of days just_as god he _had _commanded DOM_him/it.

OET-LV GEN 21:5

5 And_ʼAⱱrāhām was_a _son _of one _hundred _of year[s] when_was _born to_him/it DOM Yiʦḩāq his/its_son.

OET-LV GEN 21:6

6 And_ Sārāh _she/it _said laughter he _has _made to_me god every _of (the)_one_who_hears he _will _laugh to_me.

OET-LV GEN 21:7

7 And_she/it _said who has _he _said to_ʼAⱱrāhām Sārāh she _has _nursed children if/because I _have _borne a _son of_his _old _of_age(s).

Jump to OET GEN 21:1–7 section.

Jump to OET GEN 22:1–14 section.

Recorded scripture occurrences (123)

References recorded in the source data; this is not an exhaustive list of mentions.

Show passage in OET: GEN 17:19

OET-RV GEN 17:19

19 “No,” God replied, “It’ll be your wife Sarah who gives you a son, and you’ll name him ‘Yitshak’ (Isaac) (meaning ‘one who laughs’). I’ll establish my agreement with him as a never-ending commitment to him and his descendants.

OET-LV GEN 17:19