Isaac and his Family

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Edwin Garrison
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1 OUR HEBREW FATHERS

2 Isaac and his Family

3 IN THIS LECTURE: 1. The Birth of Twins 2. The Struggle Continues 3. Divine Provision

4 The Birth of Twins

5 After Isaac pleaded God Rebekah conceived, and now she was carrying twins. The word ע ק ר ה (akarah) means barren. Interestingly this word carries not only a meaning as unfruitful, but also relates to displaced, destroyed, and uprooted. The ancient linguistic logic goes as such: If a woman has no children, she has no roots, and therefore embodies a type of displacement.

6 On the other hand, the word for womb is ר ח ם (rechem) and beautifully connects with ר ח מ ים another Hebrew word (rachamim), which means mercy/mercies. The connection of these Hebrew ideas indicates that a woman who becomes pregnant has received mercy from above. Rebekah conceived and after some months began to feel unusually strong and harsh movements within her womb.

7 The turmoil in her womb and how it made her feel told the mother that something could be wrong. ו י ת ר צ צ ו ה ב נ ים ב ק ר ב ה ו ת אמ ר א ם כ ן ל מ ה ז ה א נ כ י ו ת ל ך ל ד ר ש א ת יהוה But the children struggled in her womb, and she said: If so, why do I exist? She went to inquire of the LORD. (Gen 25:22)

8 The word ו י ת ר צ צ ו (va-yitrotsetsu) usually translated and they struggled does not really convey the רצץ full meaning. The root communicates the idea of breaking, crushing, and oppressing. What she felt inside of her was not just a struggle; it was a war. The narrative quickly continues to introduce the future struggle between Esau and Jacob Rebekah s twin sons who prophetically warred with each other within her womb. This story will have great symbolic significance for Isaac s life and that of his descendants.

9 Isaac s twin sons struggled in Rebekah's womb; they really battled, as the Hebrew implies. ש נ י ג י ים ב ב ט נ ך ו ש נ י ל א מ ים מ מ ע י ך י פ ר ד ו ול א ם מ ל א ם י א מ ץ ו ר ב י ע ב ד צ ע יר Two nations are in your womb, two peoples from your body shall be separated; one people shall be mightier than the other, and the older shall serve the younger. (Gen. 25:23)

10 Here is a literal translation: Two peoples are in your stomach be- shenei ) ש נ י goyim ג י ים ב ב ט נ ך vitnekh). Two peoples from your body will be ו ש נ י other] separated [from each (u-shenei ל א מ ים מ מ ע י ך י פ ר ד ו leumim mimeayikh yiparedu). One people from another people will ול א ם effort/strength exercise (u-leom mi-leom מ ל א ם י א מ ץ ye emats).

Traditional translations render it as the older will serve the

11 The last portion of this verse introduces an ו ר ב י ע ב ד צ ע יר ambiguity (ve-rav yaavod tsair). Traditional translations render it as the older will serve the younger. The syntax suggests this as a likely reading. However, it is possible to interpret it in a different way.

12 The Hebrew phrase is indefinite; it does not say the older or the younger but literally just great and young. If the words were definite, it would include a את directional particle (et) to indicate the direct object. Without that marker, the text is not entirely clear as to whether the younger will serve the older or the other way around, since Hebrew syntax is flexible.

The second feature alerting us to an ambiguity is that we expect the צ ע יר young opposite of ר ב (tsair) to be old, not (rav) great as is written here in Hebrew.

13 The second feature alerting us to an ambiguity is that we expect the צ ע יר young opposite of ר ב (tsair) to be old, not (rav) great as is written here in Hebrew. Yet English translations set the sentence up as if the two opposites are in view (younger vs. older). Can you imagine having to make a translation decision when the text in Hebrew clearly has a built in ambiguity?

14 Rebekah was not imagining things; the twins were struggling with each other even as they emerged from her belly. ו י צ א ה ר א ש ון א ד מ ונ י כ ל ו כ א ד ר ת ש ע ר ו י ק ר א ו ש מ ו ע ש ו The first one emerged reddish, like a fur coat all over; so they named him Esau. (Gen. 25:25) Esau s appearance determined both his name and the name of the nation that would proceed from him.

א ד מ ונ י The Hebrew word (admoni) reddish is related to words such as א ד ם (adom) א ד מ ה blood, (dam) ד ם red, (adamah) earth, and even the first human א ד ם (Adam) Adam, human.

15 א ד מ ונ י The Hebrew word (admoni) reddish is related to words such as א ד ם (adom) א ד מ ה blood, (dam) ד ם red, (adamah) earth, and even the first human א ד ם (Adam) Adam, human. For this reason the descendants of Esau were called Edomites, from the name of the nation א ד ום Edom. Esau became the father of the Edomites, and Jacob the father of the Israelites, with the two nations continuing their struggle throughout most of their history.

16 There is another view connected to the above-mentioned Hebrew root עשה (asah), which carries the meaning of making and doing. In this scenario, the name of Esau has a meaning close to the English expression fully made and expresses the idea of being perfect and ready. On the surface this connection does not seem to work, because Esau is often though of solely as a negative character. Being very hairy can carry a negative connotation for many in the Western world.

17 But this is not true for the Ancient Near East where hairy did not mean unattractive or anything negative. If we consider the beginning of the story (Jacob and Esau s birth) in light of the end of their story (Gen. 33), then we will see that Esau exhibited strong, generous, forgiving characteristics. If we allow ourselves to see Esau in a positive (or at least not exclusively negative) light, then we can see how his name could be related to perfection, in the sense of fully made or complete.

18 Esau was the beloved firstborn of Isaac, which could explain why Isaac loved him so much. The sages of Israel in their commentaries noted that no one honored his father more than Esau in the Bible. The covenant blessing of land and children, however, had to go through Jacob, not because it was his birthright, but rather because God had decided that it would be so.

19 ו א ח ר י-כ ן י צ א א ח יו ו י ד ו א ח ז ת ב ע ק ב ע ש ו ו י ק ר א ש מ ו י ע ק ב: Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Jacob. (Gen. 25:26) When Esau first emerged, they observed something amazing. His twin brother was holding on to his heel, as if not willing to let him go and be born first.

20 י ע קב Jacob s name in Hebrew (Yaakov) relates to the word for heel ע ק ב (akev). For this reason his parents called him a heel-grabber. In modern Hebrew, instead of saying that we are following someone, we literally say we are Jacobing after ל ע ק ב א ח ר י מ ש ה ו someone (laakov acharei mishehu). So it s amusing how to follow someone is to Jacob someone. to be at their heels.

22 The Struggle Continues

23 One theory states that the stories in Genesis were intended for Israelites who were at that time struggling with their Edomite neighbors. In light of such a theory, the narratives regarding Esau and Jacob s births, as well as the their parents feelings toward them, were very important to know and to internalize for the ancient hearers of the stories in Genesis. Only once we understand how the texts relate to the original audience for whom they were written, can we make their lessons relevant to our modern times and our very different lives.

24 The struggle between Esau and Jacob continued as they grew older. ו י ג ד ל ו ה נ ע ר ים ו י ה י ע ש ו א י ש י ד ע צ י ד א י ש ש ד ה ו י ע ק ב א י ש ת ם י ש ב א ה ל ים ו י א ה ב י צ ח ק א ת ע ש ו כ י צ י ד ב פ יו ו ר ב ק ה א ה ב ת א ת י ע ק ב When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in camp. Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (Gen. 25:27-28)

25 Isaac seemed unaware of God s calling and choice of Jacob. Perhaps Isaac was even blinded by his own personal preferences since he connected with Esau better than with Jacob. Yet God's preference for the younger son over the older had already become a familiar pattern beginning with Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:4-5). The same idea is repeated in the narrative of Ishmael and Isaac (Gen. 21:12). And then again this same principle will become a prominent feature in the story of Joseph and his older brothers (Gen. 37:3).

26 While the reason for Rebekah's choice is not shown, the text clearly indicates Isaac s reasoning. We read in ו י א ה ב :25:28 Gen. א ת ע ש ו כ י צ י ד י צ ח ק (va-ye ehav ב פ יו Yitschak et Esav ki tsaid befiv). Translated literally that would say: And Isaac loved Esau because hunted game was in his [Isaac s] mouth.

27 This expression specifies exactly why Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob his desire for hunted game. Hunting may have been a bonding point between Isaac and Esau. When Abraham agreed to take Hagar and father a son through her, he too was blinded to God s will because of his natural desire for a son.

Trouble continued to exist between Esau s clan and Jacob s family for many years. Esau's descendants eventually dominated the southern lands, focusing on agriculture and trade.

28 Trouble continued to exist between Esau s clan and Jacob s family for many years. Esau's descendants eventually dominated the southern lands, focusing on agriculture and trade. One of the ancient trade routes, the king's highway (Num. 20:17), passed through Edom. When the Israelites requested permission to use this route on their exodus from Egypt, the Edomites forbade them to pass.

29 Yet despite this animosity God clearly instructs the Israelites not to hate the Edomites because they are brothers (Deut. 23:8). Moreover, God issues a warning not to provoke the Edomites, because God himself has guaranteed Esau s inheritance (Deut. 2:4-5).

30 Some believe that the book of Genesis (or at the very least its basic narrative structure) was written to encourage the Israelites who left Egypt and were struggling with their troubles and identity. If so, then it was not written in real time, as the events occurred, but many years later. According to this theory, Genesis describes events that took place long ago but that relate to, determine, and inform the realities of the readers lives.

The stories are intended to speak deeply and convincingly to Israelites (the children of Jacob) who at that moment were looking to survive as a people, enter into the Promised Land,

31 The stories are intended to speak deeply and convincingly to Israelites (the children of Jacob) who at that moment were looking to survive as a people, enter into the Promised Land, and establish themselves as the mighty nation that God promised to Abraham. The family stories portrayed in the Bible are brutally honest and oftentimes shock readers with the naked truth.

32 Most families would try very hard to keep such stories private. Consider parental favoritism, deception, sibling rivalry, and sexual misconduct, which happen far more often in our families than we like to acknowledge. Today, as throughout history, parents often connect better with some children than with others for a variety of reasons. Ideally parents would love all their children equally, yet we also know people still tend to favor one over another.

33 In fact, the idea of disliking or hating someone seems to work quite differently in Biblical Hebrew. It can mean to favor less, especially when expressed as a contrast to loving someone else. The phraseology expresses an intense feeling of comparison. In other words, Jacob I loved Esau I hated (Mal. 1:2-3) is rendered quite literally in our modern translations. Yet it could perhaps be more accurate to translate as something like Esau I [loved less], but Jacob I favored with my great covenantal love.

34 A similar case would be Jesus statement that one must love him and hate his parents (Luke 14:26). This comparison is a Hebraism. When understood in that light, it does not actually instruct one to express hatred towards one s parents. That would be absurd, given God s explicit commandment to honor parents.

While the Book of Genesis forms a part of God s instruction, called Torah, many of the narratives are merely descriptive. For example, we should not read them as a manual on parenting.

35 While the Book of Genesis forms a part of God s instruction, called Torah, many of the narratives are merely descriptive. For example, we should not read them as a manual on parenting. Clearly the stories are not teaching us that the favoritism depicted should be emulated. Lessons can be learned from the stories, and as we will shortly see, one of the parents makes a better choice and the other doesn t.

37 Divine Provision

38 Like his father Abraham before him, Isaac experienced a famine in the land and decided to go to Abimelech, the Philistine king in Gerar (located not far from the modern city of Beersheva). This was exactly the same place where Abraham stayed for a short time when he sought to pass Sarah off as his sister. Perhaps the Abimelech mentioned in Isaac s story is the son of the Abimelech in Abraham s story.

Although not mentioned, God s warning against traveling to Egypt presupposes the fact that Isaac wanted to actually move to Egypt, just as Abraham once did under very similar circumstances.

39 Although not mentioned, God s warning against traveling to Egypt presupposes the fact that Isaac wanted to actually move to Egypt, just as Abraham once did under very similar circumstances. In Gen. 26:2-5, we read of God s renewed promise to Isaac, which caused him to reconsider his plans and stay in the land chosen by God for his clan, remaining for the time in Gerar of the Philistines.

40 ו י ר א א ל יו יהוה ו י אמ ר א ל ת ר ד מ צ ר י מ ה ש כ ן ב א ר ץ א ש ר א מ ר א ל י ך ג ור ב א ר ץ ה ז את ו א ה י ה ע מ ך ו א ב ר כ ך כ י ל ך ול ז ר ע ך א ת ן א ת כ ל ה א ר צ ת ה א ל ו ה ק מ ת י א ת ה ש ב ע ה א ש ר נ ש ב ע ת י ל א ב ר ה ם א ב י ך The LORD had appeared to him and said: Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land which I point out to you. Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; I will assign all these lands to you and to your descendants, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. (Gen 26:2-3)

ו ה ר ב ית י א ת ז ר ע ך כ כ וכ ב י ה ש מ י ם ו נ ת ת י ל ז ר ע ך א ת כ ל ה א ר צ ת ה א ל ו ה ת ב ר כ ו ב ז ר ע ך כ ל ג וי י ה א ר ץ I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven,

41 ו ה ר ב ית י א ת ז ר ע ך כ כ וכ ב י ה ש מ י ם ו נ ת ת י ל ז ר ע ך א ת כ ל ה א ר צ ת ה א ל ו ה ת ב ר כ ו ב ז ר ע ך כ ל ג וי י ה א ר ץ I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your descendants all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall be blessed by your descendants. (Gen. 23:4) God assured Isaac of a blessing of fruitfulness, as he did to Abraham, and with that assistance to sustain his family during the famine.

ע ק ב א ש ר ש מ ע א ב ר ה ם ב ק ל י ו י ש מ ר מ ש מ ר ת י מ צ ות י ח ק ות י ו ת ור ת י Inasmuch as Abraham obeyed me and kept my charge: my commandments, my laws, and my teachings. (Gen.

42 ע ק ב א ש ר ש מ ע א ב ר ה ם ב ק ל י ו י ש מ ר מ ש מ ר ת י מ צ ות י ח ק ות י ו ת ור ת י Inasmuch as Abraham obeyed me and kept my charge: my commandments, my laws, and my teachings. (Gen. 23:5) God transferred the covenant to Isaac because of Abraham s faithfulness and merits. Isaac, too, would need to be tested and tried through his own trials, albeit not as dramatic as those of his father.

43 The close correlation between the events of Isaac and Abraham s lives is not coincidental. The writer intentionally emphasizes points of similarities in these stories. One reason would be for the sake of the audience. The Israelites encountered in many ways similar challenges as their forefathers did. They needed to be shown that God remained faithful to his promises and carried their forefathers through every imaginable difficulty. God would surely do the same for them, for the children of Israel who had be brought out of Egypt.

These parallels are numerous. There may be a broader purpose across the Torah of narrative typology and its purpose is far beyond simple similarity of challenges for each generation.

44 These parallels are numerous. There may be a broader purpose across the Torah of narrative typology and its purpose is far beyond simple similarity of challenges for each generation. For example, the descent to Egypt and return by Abraham is a harbinger of Israel s descent and later return to the same place. We can note a connection between the narratives, which form a unified story of God s engagement with both Israel in particular and with humanity in general.

ג ר ר The name of the place (Gerar) is of unknown origin. גרר However, the Hebrew verb can mean to drag or drag away. People are dragged away like fish in nets (Hab.

45 ג ר ר The name of the place (Gerar) is of unknown origin. גרר However, the Hebrew verb can mean to drag or drag away. People are dragged away like fish in nets (Hab. 1:15), strong winds sweep through (Jer. 30:23), and violent people are dragged off by their own violence (Prov. 21:7). It is certainly intriguing to think that both Abraham and Isaac were afraid that their wives, Sarah and Rebekah, would be dragged away from them when they dwelt amongst the Philistines.

According to the narrative, Isaac, just like his father, decided to tell everyone around that Rebekah was his sister, failing to mention that she was also his wife. His fear was wellfounded.

46 According to the narrative, Isaac, just like his father, decided to tell everyone around that Rebekah was his sister, failing to mention that she was also his wife. His fear was wellfounded. By the standards of that society his wife could have been taken from him and he murdered to clear the way for her remarriage or concubine status to someone locally important and powerful. But we read that Abimelech noticed Isaac caressing or otherwise playing with Rebekah and understood the truth of their relationship.

Abimelech confronted Isaac about his lie. And Isaac gave his justification to the ruler. It was exactly the same justification as the one given by Abraham to Abimelech s father.

47 Abimelech confronted Isaac about his lie. And Isaac gave his justification to the ruler. It was exactly the same justification as the one given by Abraham to Abimelech s father. The king reacted in anger and disbelief. Sleeping with another man s wife (as long as the husband was still alive) was considered a grave sin. Therefore, Abimelech s accusation was justified.

48 מ ה ז את ע ש ית ל נ ו כ מ ע ט ש כ ב א ח ד ה ע ם א ת א ש ת ך ו ה ב את ע ל ינ ו א ש ם What have you done to us! One of the people might have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us. (Gen. 26:10) ו י צ ו א ב ימ ל ך א ת כ ל ה ע ם ל אמ ר ה נ ג ע ב א י ש ה ז ה וב א ש ת ו מ ות י ומ ת And Abimelech charged all the people, saying: He that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. (Gen. 26:11)

49 In the ancient times, and even in Eastern cultures today, people thought in terms of communal and individual responsibility as very closely connected. Without doubt, Abilemech s rationale was if one of his men violated Rebekah, everyone in Gerar would have experienced the curses of the gods/god carefully watching. Therefore, Abimelech issued a very stern warning to any individual who would be found guilty of it, exposing everyone to a real danger.

50 Relations with a married woman were forbidden, even in ancient pagan societies, but not because of great respect for women. As a part of his household, the woman literally belonged to a man, in the thinking of that day. She was his possession like many other items he owned. She was his and his alone. Thus violating that relationship resembles theft. Many societies respect the notion of private property, holding such an idea in high regard.

51 Just like Abraham before him, Isaac too is shown to be truly blessed by God to demonstrate the truthfulness of the covenant. He became exceedingly wealthy as his father before him, provoking the envy of those around. The blessings upon Isaac are summarized in Gen. 26:12-14, where we read that: ו י ז ר ע י צ ח ק ב א ר ץ ה ה וא ו י מ צ א ב ש נ ה ה ה וא מ א ה ש ע ר ים ו י ב ר כ ה ו יהוה And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. (Gen. 26:12)

Jacob and the Blessings

READING HEBREW Jacob and the Blessings IN THIS LECTURE: 1. Reading from the Torah 2. Reading from the Siddur 3. Reading from the Dead Sea Scrolls Words of the Week Look for these words while reading year.