◄ Genesis 26:23 ►
From there Isaac went up to Beersheba,
Study Bible
From there
This phrase indicates a transition in Isaac's journey. Previously, Isaac had been in the Valley of Gerar, where he faced disputes over wells with the Philistines. The movement signifies a shift in location and possibly a change in circumstances or divine direction. It reflects the nomadic lifestyle of the patriarchs, who often moved in response to God's guidance or external pressures.

Isaac went up
The phrase "went up" suggests a change in elevation, as Beersheba is situated on higher ground compared to the surrounding areas. This ascent can also symbolize a spiritual journey or an act of obedience to God's leading. Isaac's movement is reminiscent of Abraham's journeys, emphasizing the continuity of God's covenant with Abraham's descendants.

to Beersheba
Beersheba holds significant historical and spiritual importance. It is a location associated with Abraham, who made a covenant with Abimelech there and called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 21:31-33). Beersheba later becomes a central location in Israel's history, often mentioned as a boundary marker in the phrase "from Dan to Beersheba." The name itself means "well of the oath" or "well of seven," reflecting the covenantal and divine interactions that occurred there. This return to Beersheba by Isaac can be seen as a reaffirmation of God's promises and a place of divine encounter, as God appears to Isaac there in the following verses.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaac
The son of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac is a patriarch of the Israelite nation. In this chapter, he is navigating challenges related to land and water rights, reflecting his role as a leader and a man of faith.

2. Beersheba
A significant location in the biblical account, Beersheba is a place where God appeared to Isaac, reaffirming His covenant. It is a site of wells and oaths, symbolizing God's provision and faithfulness.

3. Gerar
Prior to moving to Beersheba, Isaac resided in Gerar, where he faced conflict over wells with the Philistines. This location highlights the challenges Isaac faced and his reliance on God's guidance.

4. Philistines
The people who inhabited the region around Gerar. Their interactions with Isaac over the wells demonstrate the tension between Isaac and the surrounding nations.

5. Covenant
The ongoing theme of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and their descendants is central to this passage, emphasizing God's promises and faithfulness.
Teaching Points
God's Faithfulness
Beersheba serves as a reminder of God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises. Just as God reaffirmed His covenant with Isaac, He remains faithful to His promises to us today.

Seeking God's Guidance
Isaac's journey to Beersheba illustrates the importance of seeking God's direction in our lives. We should prioritize prayer and discernment when making decisions.

Resolving Conflict
Isaac's experiences with the Philistines teach us about handling conflict with grace and patience. We should strive for peace and trust God to provide solutions.

Heritage of Faith
Isaac's actions reflect the legacy of faith passed down from Abraham. We are called to continue this heritage by living out our faith and teaching it to future generations.
Bible Study Questions
1. What significance does Beersheba hold in the broader account of Genesis, and how does it relate to God's covenant with Isaac?

2. How can Isaac's response to conflict with the Philistines inform our approach to resolving disputes in our own lives?

3. In what ways does Isaac's journey to Beersheba demonstrate reliance on God's guidance, and how can we apply this principle in our decision-making?

4. How does the theme of God's faithfulness in Genesis 26:23 connect with other instances of God's promises throughout the Bible?

5. Reflect on the legacy of faith in your own life. How can you ensure that this heritage is passed on to future generations, as seen in the lives of the patriarchs?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 21
The earlier events at Beersheba involving Abraham, including the covenant with Abimelech, provide context for Isaac's return to this place of significance.

Genesis 28
Jacob's journey and encounter with God at Bethel echo the theme of divine guidance and covenant promises, similar to Isaac's experiences.

Hebrews 11
The faith of the patriarchs, including Isaac, is celebrated, highlighting their trust in God's promises despite challenges.
Sermons
Contrasts in CharacterJ. Parker, D. D.Genesis 26:17-33
Generations United by Common Labour and JoyHomilistGenesis 26:17-33
Isaac's Peace-Loving NatureA. G. Mercer, D. D.Genesis 26:17-33
Isaac's WellsJ. Parker, D. D.Genesis 26:17-33
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 26:17-33
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 26:17-33
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 26:17-33
Malice Overcome by ZealW. Hardman, LL. D.Genesis 26:17-33
Old and New Wells to be DugA. Fuller.Genesis 26:17-33
Old Wells Dug OutDr. Talmage.Genesis 26:17-33
The Permanence of the HelpfulGenesis 26:17-33
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 26:23-25
Line Upon Line, in God's TeachingR.A. Redford Genesis 26
People
Abimelech, Ahuzzath, Bashemath, Basmath, Beeri, Elon, Esau, Isaac, Judith, Phichol, Rebekah
Places
Beersheba, Egypt, Esek, Gerar, Rehoboth, Shibah, Sitnah, Valley of Gerar
Topics
Beersheba, Beer-sheba, Thence
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 26:23-25

     8626   worship, places

Library
The First Apostle of Peace at any Price
'Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"Thou Art Now the Blessed of the Lord. "
"Thou art now the blessed of the Lord."--Genesis 26:29. THESE words truly describe the position of many whom I address at this time. There are hundreds here upon whom my eye can rest, and to any one of whom I might point with this finger, or rather, to whom I might extend this hand, to give a hearty shake, and say, "Thou art now the blessed of the Lord." I need not say it in the same spirit, nor for the same reason, that the Philistines did. They had behaved basely towards Isaac, and now that he …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

Tithing
There are few subjects on which the Lord's own people are more astray than on the subject of giving. They profess to take the Bible as their own rule of faith and practice, and yet in the matter of Christian finance, the vast majority have utterly ignored its plain teachings and have tried every substitute the carnal mind could devise; therefore it is no wonder that the majority of Christian enterprises in the world today are handicapped and crippled through the lack of funds. Is our giving to be …
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing

Whether Every Lie is a Sin?
Objection 1: It seems that not every lie is a sin. For it is evident that the evangelists did not sin in the writing of the Gospel. Yet they seem to have told something false: since their accounts of the words of Christ and of others often differ from one another: wherefore seemingly one of them must have given an untrue account. Therefore not every lie is a sin. Objection 2: Further, no one is rewarded by God for sin. But the midwives of Egypt were rewarded by God for a lie, for it is stated that …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Elucidation.
The conduct of Father Abraham, although not approved of by Inspiration, but simply recorded (Gen. xxvi. 7), gave early Christians an opinion that the wicked may be justly foiled, by equivocation and deception, for the preservation of innocence or the life of the innocent. In such case the person deceived, they might argue, is not injured, but benefited (Gen. xxvi. 10), being saved from committing violence and murder. The Corinthian maiden was accustomed to be veiled (as Tertullian intimates), and …
Hippolytus—The Extant Works and Fragments of Hippolytus

An Obscured vision
(Preached at the opening of the Winona Lake Bible Conference.) TEXT: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."--Proverbs 29:18. It is not altogether an easy matter to secure a text for such an occasion as this; not because the texts are so few in number but rather because they are so many, for one has only to turn over the pages of the Bible in the most casual way to find them facing him at every reading. Feeling the need of advice for such a time as this, I asked a number of my friends who …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

The Plan for the Coming of Jesus.
God's Darling, Psalms 8:5-8.--the plan for the new man--the Hebrew picture by itself--difference between God's plan and actual events--one purpose through breaking plans--the original plan--a starting point--getting inside. Fastening a Tether inside: the longest way around--the pedigree--the start. First Touches on the Canvas: the first touch, Genesis 3:15.--three groups of prediction--first group: to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3; to Isaac, Genesis 26:1-5; to Jacob, Genesis 28:10-15; through Jacob, …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

And to Holy David Indeed it Might More Justly be Said...
22. And to holy David indeed it might more justly be said, that he ought not to have been angry; no, not with one however ungrateful and rendering evil for good; yet if, as man, anger did steal over him, he ought not to have let it so prevail, that he should swear to do a thing which either by giving way to his rage he should do, or by breaking his oath leave undone. But to the other, set as he was amid the libidinous frenzy of the Sodomites, who would dare to say, "Although thy guests in thine own …
St. Augustine—Against Lying

Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Sundry Sharp Reproofs
This doctrine draws up a charge against several sorts: 1 Those that think themselves good Christians, yet have not learned this art of holy mourning. Luther calls mourning a rare herb'. Men have tears to shed for other things, but have none to spare for their sins. There are many murmurers, but few mourners. Most are like the stony ground which lacked moisture' (Luke 8:6). We have many cry out of hard times, but they are not sensible of hard hearts. Hot and dry is the worst temper of the body. Sure …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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