Γένεσις 26

1 ἐγένετο δὲ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς χωρὶς τοῦ λιμοῦ τοῦ πρότερον ὃς ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τῷ Αβρααμ ἐπορεύθη δὲ Ισαακ πρὸς Αβιμελεχ βασιλέα Φυλιστιιμ εἰς Γεραρα

Some time later there was a severe (famine/scarcity of food) there. That was different from the famine that occurred when Abraham was alive. So Isaac went [southeast] to Gerar [town, to talk] to Abimelech, the king of the Philistine people-group. [What happened was this: Isaac considered going to Egypt],

2 ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ κύριος καὶ εἶπεν μὴ καταβῇς εἰς Αἴγυπτον κατοίκησον δὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾗ ἄν σοι εἴπω

but Yahweh appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt! Live in the land where I will tell you to go!

3 καὶ παροίκει ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ καὶ ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εὐλογήσω σε σοὶ γὰρ καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ στήσω τὸν ὅρκον μου ὃν ὤμοσα Αβρααμ τῷ πατρί σου

Stay in this land for a while, and I will help you and bless you, because it is to you and your descendants that I will give all these lands, and I will do what I solemnly promised to your father.

4 καὶ πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τοὺς ἀστέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ δώσω τῷ σπέρματί σου πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς

I will cause your descendants to be as numerous as the stars in the sky. I will give to your descendants all these lands, and I will cause your descendants to be a blessing to the people of [MTY] all nations on the earth.

5 ἀνθ’ ὧν ὑπήκουσεν Αβρααμ ὁ πατήρ σου τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς καὶ ἐφύλαξεν τὰ προστάγματά μου καὶ τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ τὰ δικαιώματά μου καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου

I will do that because your father Abraham obeyed me. He obeyed everything that I told him to do, everything that I declared and all the laws that I gave him.” So Isaac [went and asked King Abimelech if he would permit him to live in the Gerar area. The king said, “Okay,”]

6 καὶ κατῴκησεν Ισαακ ἐν Γεραροις

[so Isaac] stayed there [along with his wife and sons].

7 ἐπηρώτησαν δὲ οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου περὶ Ρεβεκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μού ἐστιν μήποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου περὶ Ρεβεκκας ὅτι ὡραία τῇ ὄψει ἦν

When the men in Gerar [town] asked who Rebekah was, Isaac said, “She is my sister.” He said that because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “Rebekah is very beautiful, so they will want her. [If I say that she is my sister, they know they will have to negotiate about a bride price because I am her older brother; but if I say that she is my wife, no negotiation will be possible]. They will just kill me to get her.”

8 ἐγένετο δὲ πολυχρόνιος ἐκεῖ παρακύψας δὲ Αβιμελεχ ὁ βασιλεὺς Γεραρων διὰ τῆς θυρίδος εἶδεν τὸν Ισαακ παίζοντα μετὰ Ρεβεκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ

When Isaac had been there a long time, one day Abimelech, the king of the Philistine people-group, looked down from a window [in his palace] and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

9 ἐκάλεσεν δὲ Αβιμελεχ τὸν Ισαακ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἄρα γε γυνή σού ἐστιν τί ὅτι εἶπας ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ Ισαακ εἶπα γάρ μήποτε ἀποθάνω δῑ αὐτήν

So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said to him, “Now I realize that she is really your wife! So why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied to him, “I said that because I thought that someone here might kill me to get her.”

10 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ Αβιμελεχ τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας ἡμῖν μικροῦ ἐκοιμήθη τις τοῦ γένους μου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός σου καὶ ἐπήγαγες ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἄγνοιαν

Abimelech said, “(You should not have done this to us!/Why did you do this?) [RHQ] One of our people might have (had sex with/slept with) [EUP] your wife, and you would have caused us to be guilty of a great sin!”

11 συνέταξεν δὲ Αβιμελεχ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ λέγων πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου ἢ τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ θανάτου ἔνοχος ἔσται

Then Abimelech commanded all his people, saying, “Do not harm/molest this man or his wife! Anyone who does that will surely be executed!”

12 ἔσπειρεν δὲ Ισαακ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εὗρεν ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἐκείνῳ ἑκατοστεύουσαν κριθήν εὐλόγησεν δὲ αὐτὸν κύριος

Isaac planted grain in that land that year, and he harvested a very large crop, because Yahweh blessed him.

13 καὶ ὑψώθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ προβαίνων μείζων ἐγίνετο ἕως οὗ μέγας ἐγένετο σφόδρα

Isaac continued to acquire more and more possessions, until finally he became very wealthy.

14 ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτῷ κτήνη προβάτων καὶ κτήνη βοῶν καὶ γεώργια πολλά ἐζήλωσαν δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ Φυλιστιιμ

He had large herds of sheep and goats and cattle, and many slaves. Because of that, the Philistine people envied him.

15 καὶ πάντα τὰ φρέατα ἃ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐνέφραξαν αὐτὰ οἱ Φυλιστιιμ καὶ ἔπλησαν αὐτὰ γῆς

So all the wells that the servants of his father Abraham had dug during the time when he was alive, the people filled up with dirt.

16 εἶπεν δὲ Αβιμελεχ πρὸς Ισαακ ἄπελθε ἀφ’ ἡμῶν ὅτι δυνατώτερος ἡμῶν ἐγένου σφόδρα

Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “You people have become more numerous than we are, so I want you to get out of our area.”

17 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν Ισαακ καὶ κατέλυσεν ἐν τῇ φάραγγι Γεραρων καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐκεῖ

So Isaac [and his family] moved from there. They set up their tents in Gerar Valley [and started to live there].

18 καὶ πάλιν Ισαακ ὤρυξεν τὰ φρέατα τοῦ ὕδατος ἃ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες Αβρααμ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνέφραξαν αὐτὰ οἱ Φυλιστιιμ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν Αβρααμ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα κατὰ τὰ ὀνόματα ἃ ἐπωνόμασεν Αβρααμ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ

There were several wells in that area that had been dug when Isaac’s father Abraham was living, but Philistine people had filled them up [with dirt] after Abraham died. Now Isaac and his servants removed the dirt, and Isaac gave the wells the same names that his father had given to them.

19 καὶ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες Ισαακ ἐν τῇ φάραγγι Γεραρων καὶ εὗρον ἐκεῖ φρέαρ ὕδατος ζῶντος

Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water.

20 καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο οἱ ποιμένες Γεραρων μετὰ τῶν ποιμένων Ισαακ φάσκοντες αὐτῶν εἶναι τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ φρέατος Ἀδικία ἠδίκησαν γὰρ αὐτόν

But other men who lived in Gerar [Valley] who took care of their animals argued/quarreled with the men who took care of Isaac’s animals, and said, “The water in this well is ours!” So Isaac named the well Esek, which means ‘dispute’, because they disputed about who owned it.

21 ἀπάρας δὲ Ισαακ ἐκεῖθεν ὤρυξεν φρέαρ ἕτερον ἐκρίνοντο δὲ καὶ περὶ ἐκείνου καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐχθρία

Then Isaac’s servants dug another well, but they quarreled about who owned that one also. So Isaac named it Sitnah, [which means ‘opposition]’.

22 ἀπάρας δὲ ἐκεῖθεν ὤρυξεν φρέαρ ἕτερον καὶ οὐκ ἐμαχέσαντο περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Εὐρυχωρία λέγων διότι νῦν ἐπλάτυνεν κύριος ἡμῖν καὶ ηὔξησεν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

They moved on from there and dug another well, but this time no one quarreled about who owned it. So Isaac named it Rehoboth, [which means ‘uninhabited place’], saying, “Yahweh has given us an uninhabited place to live in, a place that is not wanted by other people, and we will become very prosperous here.”

23 ἀνέβη δὲ ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὅρκου

From there Isaac went up to Beersheba.

24 καὶ ὤφθη αὐτῷ κύριος ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ καὶ εἶπεν ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς Αβρααμ τοῦ πατρός σου μὴ φοβοῦ μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι καὶ ηὐλόγηκά σε καὶ πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου διὰ Αβρααμ τὸν πατέρα σου

The first night that he was there, Yahweh appeared to him and said, “I am God, whom your father Abraham worshiped. Do not be afraid of anything. I will help you and bless you, and because of what I promised my servant Abraham, I will greatly increase the number of your descendants.”

25 καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐπεκαλέσατο τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου καὶ ἔπηξεν ἐκεῖ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ ὤρυξαν δὲ ἐκεῖ οἱ παῖδες Ισαακ φρέαρ

So Isaac built a stone altar there [and offered a sacrifice] to worship Yahweh. He [and his servants] set up their tents there, and his servants started to dig a well.

26 καὶ Αβιμελεχ ἐπορεύθη πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ Γεραρων καὶ Οχοζαθ ὁ νυμφαγωγὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ Φικολ ὁ ἀρχιστράτηγος τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ

[While they were digging the well], King Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, along with Ahuzzath, his advisor, and Phicol, the commander of his army.

27 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ισαακ ἵνα τί ἤλθατε πρός με ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐμισήσατέ με καὶ ἀπεστείλατέ με ἀφ’ ὑμῶν

Isaac asked them, “You (acted in a hostile way toward me/treated me like an enemy) before, and sent me away. So why have you come to me now?”

28 καὶ εἶπαν ἰδόντες ἑωράκαμεν ὅτι ἦν κύριος μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εἴπαμεν γενέσθω ἀρὰ ἀνὰ μέσον ἡμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον σοῦ καὶ διαθησόμεθα μετὰ σοῦ διαθήκην

One of them answered, “We have seen that Yahweh helps you. So we said to each other, ‘We should have an agreement between us and you. We should make a peace treaty with you,

29 μὴ ποιήσειν μεθ’ ἡμῶν κακόν καθότι ἡμεῖς σε οὐκ ἐβδελυξάμεθα καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐχρησάμεθά σοι καλῶς καὶ ἐξαπεστείλαμέν σε μετ’ εἰρήνης καὶ νῦν σὺ εὐλογητὸς ὑπὸ κυρίου

stating that you will not harm us, in the same way that we did not molest [EUP] you.’ We always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now Yahweh is blessing you.”

30 καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτοῖς δοχήν καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον

So Isaac made a feast for them, and they all ate and drank.

31 καὶ ἀναστάντες τὸ πρωὶ ὤμοσαν ἄνθρωπος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς Ισαακ καὶ ἀπῴχοντο ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ μετὰ σωτηρίας

Early the next morning they all (swore/solemnly promised) each other that they would do what they had promised. Then Isaac sent them home peacefully.

32 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ παραγενόμενοι οἱ παῖδες Ισαακ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ φρέατος οὗ ὤρυξαν καὶ εἶπαν οὐχ εὕρομεν ὕδωρ

That day Isaac’s servants came to him and told him about the well that they had finished digging. They said, “We found water in the well!”

33 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ Ὅρκος διὰ τοῦτο ὄνομα τῇ πόλει Φρέαρ ὅρκου ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας

Isaac named the well Shibah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘oath’]. To the present time the town there has the name Beersheba [which means ‘Friendship Agreement Well’].

34 ἦν δὲ Ησαυ ἐτῶν τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἔλαβεν γυναῖκα Ιουδιν τὴν θυγατέρα Βεηρ τοῦ Χετταίου καὶ τὴν Βασεμμαθ θυγατέρα Αιλων τοῦ Ευαίου

When Esau was 40 years old, he married Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon. Both of those women were descendants of Heth, [not from Isaac’s clan].

35 καὶ ἦσαν ἐρίζουσαι τῷ Ισαακ καὶ τῇ Ρεβεκκα

Esau’s two wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.