Isaac travels to Gerar. G-d tells Isaac of His oath to Abraham
- There was a famine in the land, like the one in the days of Abraham. G-d told Isaac
"Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land that I will tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and I will bless you, for to you and to your seed will I give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham, your father. And I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and I will give your seed all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will bless themselves by your seed, Because Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My instructions." And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
Abimelech, king of Gerar, takes away Rebeccah then returns her
- In Gerar, Isaac said that Rebeccah is his sister. After some time Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, saw them together and commanded his people saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death."
Isaac gets very wealthy in Gerar. Abimelech sends him away.
- Isaac sowed in that land, and he found in that year a hundred fold, and the Lord blessed him. Over time, Isaac had grown very great. The Philistines envied him and they filled with earth the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham. Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you have become much stronger than we." And Isaac went away from there, and he encamped in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there.
Isaac digs 3 new wells in the valley of Gerar, then moves to Beer sheba.
- Isaac fixed all the wells and his servants found three new wells. Gerar sheperds contended over the first two wells, so Isaac named them Esek & Sitnah. But the third time there was no quarrel, so Isaac named it Rehoboth, and he said, "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land." And he went up from there to Beer sheba.
- And the Lord appeared to him on that night and said,
"I am the G-d of Abraham, your father. Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your seed for the sake of Abraham, My servant." And he built an altar there, and he called in the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there, and Isaac's servants dug a well there.
Abimelech makes an agreement with Isaac
- Abimelech & Pichol (his general) asked Isaac to swear that he would not harm them as they did not harm him before. And they swore to one another. On that day, that Isaac's servants came and told him about another well that they had dug, and they said to him, "We have found water." And he named it Shibah; therefore, the city is named Beer sheba until this very day.
Esau marries Hittities: Judith & Basemath
- When Esau reached 40 years of age, he married Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a vexation of the spirit to Isaac and to Rebecca.
- Shibah Because of the covenant [shevuah in Hebrew means oath].
- forty years old When he was forty years old, he said:“My father married at forty; I, too, will do the same.” [From Gen. Rabbah 65:1]
- a vexation of the spirit All their deeds were to provoke and to grieve. [From Targum Onkelos]
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