CHAPTER 26

26:1-17 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: 7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. 9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. 10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. 11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: 14 For he had possession of flocks, and possessions of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. 15 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. 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. 17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen 26:1) FAMINE ARRIVED AT THE TIME OF ISAAC. — And there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine, which was in the time of Abraham; and Isaac went to Abimelech the king of the Philistines to Gerera. to Abimelech king of the Philistines. In relation to this text we can ask when this event occurred. Was it after Esau had sold his birthright for a meal of lentils, that this begins to be narrated? Or, as is often the case, did the narrator return to this matter by recapitulation, when, abandoning the story about his children, he returned to that passage that we have mentioned of the plate of lentils? We ask ourselves, too, why does Abimelech himself appear here, who had even desired Sarah, and his companion and the chief of his troops is also mentioned (Cf. Gen. 21:22, 32; 26:26.); could they still be alive?  Because, when he became a friend of Abraham, Isaac was not yet born, but his birth was already promised. Suppose that it happened a year before Isaac was born. Then after Isaac, at the age of sixty, had children, but they were young when Esau sold his birthright. Suppose also that they were about twenty years old. Then Isaac's age, when the event of his sons took place, would be about eighty years. Suppose Abimelech was a young man when he desired Sarah and became friends with Abraham.  He could, therefore, be almost a hundred years old, if he went to that land pressed by famine after that event of his children. Nothing, therefore, obliges us to think that the departure of Isaac for Gerera is reported by way of recapitulation.  But as it is said that Isaac remained for a long time in this country, that he dug wells, on the occasion of which there were disputes, and that he became very rich (Cf. Gen 26:14). It would be strange that these things are mentioned if the author does not resort to recapitulation. These things would therefore have been passed over in silence, in order to enable the narrative to speak first of the sons of Isaac to the place where the lentil dish is mentioned. [Question 75]

(Gen 26:12-13) ISAAC BLESSED BY THE LORD. — The following text tells us that what Scripture says about Isaac: and the Lord blessed him. And the man was exalted, and advancing he increased, till he became very great. We must understand it referring to earthly happiness. For the writer describes the riches by means of which he became rich. It follows that Abimelech, impressed by it, feared his presence in that place, lest his power would become dangerous to him (Cf. Gen. 26:14-16).  For that reason, although this means something spiritual, however, from what happened, it was previously said that “the Lord blessed him,” and so we understand rightly that even these temporary goods can only be given by God and should only be expected from him, even if those who desire them are the most humble. So that whoever is faithful in the least may also be faithful in the great, and whoever has been found faithful in the unrighteous riches deserves also to receive true wealth, as the Lord says in the Gospel (Cf. Lk. 16:10-11). It is also said of Abraham that his riches were a blessing from God. This narrative, understood with piety, is not, therefore, mediocre in edifying sincere faith, even though no allegorical meaning could be derived from it. [Questions on Genesis, 76]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 26:12 SO ISAAC SOWED CORN IN THAT LAND, AND FOUND IN THAT YEAR AN HUNDREDFOLD OF BARLEY. Although Isaac had sowed in a foreign land, I do not think that the fruitfulness of the barley would have been so great for him. I consequently consider more appropriate what is contained in the Hebrew and what Aquila translated as well: And in that year he found an hundredfold valued, that is εκατον εικασμενον. For although both valuation and barley are written with the same consonants, valuations, however, is read as SAARIM; but barley as SORIM. Now since Scripture is silent about the actual sort of corn which grew one hundredfold, it seems to me to have indicated the increase of all the virtues in that man. Then follows:

26:13 THE LORD BLESSED HIM AND BECAME A GREAT MAN; HE WALKED SURROUNDED BY PRAISE, WHILE HE WAS STILL GROWING IN HONOR. I do not know whether the abundance of barley could acquire this glory to a man.

26:17 ISAAC DEPARTED FROM THIS PLACE, AND CAME TO THE VALLEY OF GERARA, WHICH HE INHABITED. Instead of valley, the Hebrew says torrent. Isaac, after having been glorified, could not live in the valley. He dwelt in the stream of which it is written, "He will drink the water of the torrent in his course." (Psalms 109:7) The goal of this water during famine; but Isaac being not perfect like Jesus Christ, the torrent withered for him. (1 Kings 17:7) It was in a torrent that Our Lord was delivered, inaugurating our redemption and the sacrament of Baptism. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. But there came a famine in that land, as it had happened in the days of Abraham. (Gen. 26:1) Our last words will serve as a starting point for our teaching today. But for you to know where our last interview ended, where this day's conversation should begin, it is important, my beloved, to remind you of what has been said before. Perhaps you have, in the large number of thoughts that come to distract you, forgotten what you have heard. But my duty is to rescue your memory, so that today's speech will be clearer for everyone. You know that lately we have told you the pious story of Rebekah; from there we came to Esau and Jacob, and you saw the birthright, sold to Jacob by Esau, who was hungry. To his desire to eat, he sacrificed his prerogative. But these facts did not happen at random, but to fulfill the prophecy that said: I loved Jacob, I hated Esau. (Mal. 1:2-3) God to whom prescience belongs, has predicted the virtue of the one; the perversity of the other. But now, what does this birthright mean? Time has not allowed us lately, my beloved, to tell you everything about it, it is necessary to give you an explanation today. Among the ancients it was a very great honor that the birthright; Now, from this honor, here is the cause and the origin. When God wished to deliver the Israelites from the dominion of the Egyptians, and, according to the promise made to the patriarch, to wrest them from the tyranny of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt fought against God, and wished to retain them; the Lord, after various wounds, inflicted the last that you know; he almost forced the Egyptians to hunt the Israelites with their own hands. (Exod. 12) He ordered to put to death, at once, all the firstborn of the Egyptians. It was then, in crowds the houses, cries of pain and tears. And your Egyptians did not believe that the plague would stop there, they thought that death, after such a beginning, continuing its course, would hit them all. Now, all the first-born in Egypt having suffered at the same time death, the Israelites, on the contrary, by divine grace, having remained unimpeded, the God of all creatures wished to make his benevolence more towards his people, and he commanded that henceforth, because of the extermination of the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn among the children of the Jewish people should be offered to him. Hence the distinction which destined the tribe of Levi to the priesthood, and hence the custom of offering to God the first-born, no. only among men, but also among animals, and the first fruits of all things in general. It was further ordered to pay a sum of money, for men and for filthy animals. No doubt, this legislation, concerning the first-born, is posterior; however, even in ancient times, one sees a privilege attached to those who first came out of the maternal flanks. It is, therefore, this natural prerogative which Esau possessed, which, in his intemperance, he carried to his brother. And while one lost what he had of nature, the other won what nature had refused him. and as these events had been foretold by an oracle, Rebekah gave Jacob the name of his beloved son, which you may explain by action of supplanting. Thus Esau lamenting, after the blessing removed from his father, said: It is with reason that he was called Jacob, because here is the second time he has supplanted me; he took away my birthright, and now he takes away the blessing that was due to me. (Gen. 27:36)

See how great was the wisdom of the ancient men, or rather how great was the wisdom of God, which made that the mothers did not give to chance the first names that came to their children, but names that prophesied the future . You will seldom find sons with the same name as their father; perhaps you will not find it anywhere in Scripture; but whether a mother or a father gave a name to his son, it was a singular, strange name. which, in advance, meant a few events to come. So Lamech called his son Noah, saying, This one will make us rest. (Gen. 5:29) And likewise, if you examine the names one by one, you will find absolutely in all a particular sense. This is not what we see today, that parents give without reflection, and by chance, the names that appear. Formerly, it was proposed to attach a lasting memory to the names of his children. But let us leave that, and see now, after this mutation of the birthright, what Blessed Moses tells us of the father of this family. We have already seen in the history of the patriarch Abraham, and we read similarly, concerning Isaac, that a great famine having occurred, he was surrounded by all the solicitude of the Lord, who rewarded him with his own virtue. and fulfilled the promise made to his father. But there was a famine in that land, as one had come in the days of Abraham. It is so that you do not confuse the new famine with the old one, which the text adds: As one had arrived at the time of Abraham; In other words, another famine, similar to the old, arrived a second time in that country, in the time of Isaac, as one had done in the time of his father. The lack of the necessary food threw them all in great distress, and forced them to leave their country to seek abroad the food they needed. From which it follows that, seeing this famine, this righteous man went away, says the text, to Abimelech at Gerara; it was there that Abraham had gone after his return from Egypt. It is likely that Isaac went there because he wanted to go to Egypt from there. And that which proves it is the scripture: For the Lord appeared to him, saith the text, and God said unto him, Go not into Egypt. (Gen. 26:2) I do not want, says the text. that you make this long journey; but I want you to stay here, I do not want you to be in distress, but I will fulfill the promises made to your father; they will receive in you their fulfillment. The promises that have been made to you, it is you who will realize them. Do not go down to Egypt; but remain in the land which I will show you; spend some time there as a stranger.

Then, lest the righteous man imagine that God gives him this command, that to make him suffer the anguish of famine and forbid him to go to Egypt, he says to him, "Do not be anxious; do not worry, stay where you are: for me, I will be with you. Therefore, since you have for yourself one who provides all the goods of any kind, do not worry about anything anymore; for I, the Lord of all creatures, will be with you. And that is not all, but, And I will bless you, that is to say, I will glorify you, I will give you the blessing that comes from me. What a happier condition than that of this righteous man, who received from God such a promise: I will be with you and I will bless you. This will show that you are the happiest, the richest of all men; that will make abundance prevail around you; here is the most brilliant glory for you; this is the ineffable splendor; that's the perfect security; this is the principle of all good things: I am with you, and I bless you. But how will I bless you? To you and to your race, I will give this land. You are taken for a stranger, for a vagabond in these countries; well! know that to you and to your race all this earth will belong. And here to give you confidence, learn that: The oath that I made to Abraham, your father, I will fulfill with you. See the condescension of God. He does not say simply: The pact I made with your father, nor the promises I made him; but what does he say: The oath I swore. I have confirmed my word, he says, by oath, and I am bound to realize, to fulfill the oath that I have made.

See the goodness of God: he does not stop, when he speaks to us, to his own dignity; he accommodates his language to the weakness of our nature. In fact, all too often men make it a point of conscience not to keep their simple promises, but the promises they made under the guarantee of the oath. Likewise here, God, to inspire the just man with full confidence, tells him that his words will have their rigorous fulfillment. Know, he says, that what I swore will come true. What then, it will be said, God has sworn! And by whom did he swear? You see that his language adapts to our weakness; what he calls an oath is only confirmation of the promise. I will fulfill, he says, the oath I swore to Abraham, your father. He then shows him what these promises were, made under the guarantee of the oath: I will multiply your children like the stars of heaven. (Gen. 26:4) This is what he said to the patriarch in the beginning: Your children will equal in number the stars and grains of sand. And I will give to your seed all the lands that you see, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him that comes out of you. And now, here is why the promises that were made to him will be fulfilled in you: It is because Abraham, your father, heard my voice, that he kept the commandments and the ceremonies and the laws that I gave him. given. (Gen. 26:5) See the wisdom of God, as he awakens the thought of the righteous, animates his ardor and arranges him to follow the example of his father, for if that father, he says, because he obeyed at my voice, was deemed worthy of so great a promise; if, in consideration of his virtue, I must fulfill this promise in you who have gone out of him, suppose that you, in his turn, follow his example, that you walk in the same road as him, then consider what will be my benevolence for him. you, of what care, of what solicitude I will surround you. In fact, if the virtue of others is a source of happiness, the personally virtuous man is, still more, the object of divine Providence. But what do these words mean, because he obeyed my voice and kept my commandments and ceremonies? I said to him, Come out of your land and your kinsmen, and come to the land that I will show you. (Gen. 12:1) And he left what he held in his hands; and he pursued what was invisible, without fluctuation of mind, without hesitation; full of ardent zeal, he fulfilled my orders, and obeyed my voice. Besides, I promised him a gift superior to nature, and when age gave him no hope; when neither he nor your mother could wait for posterity, when my word told him that his race would multiply, to the point of filling the whole earth, he was not troubled, he had faith, and his faith been imputed to justice. By his faith in my power, by his hope in my promises, he has shown himself superior to human weakness. And since your birth, when your mother saw with sorrow Ishmael, the son of the servant; when she wished to drive him away with Hagar so that he had nothing in common with you, this patriarch, in spite of his natural affection, in spite of the paternal love which he felt, listened only to the order I gave him. ; to do what Sara wanted; he forgot his natural tenderness; he drove Ishmael away from the servant, and he always obeyed my voice, and kept my commandments. At last, when I ordered him to offer me as a sacrifice that child granted to his old age, this beloved son, he sought no pretext, he showed no indiscreet curiosity; his thought was not confounded; he has revealed neither to your mother, nor to his servants, nor to you the action he was about to take; With a strong soul, with a happy, ardent will, he hastened to fulfill my command. And me, as a result, I crowned his will, without allowing the work to be fulfilled. And that's why, because in all things he showed me the perfection of his obedience, his zeal to keep my commandments, you who are born of him, you are, I want him, the heir to all the promises that have been made to him.

Imitate the obedience of this just man; have faith in my words, to deserve much greater rewards, which will be bestowed upon you in consideration of the virtue of your father, and for your own obedience. And do not go down to Egypt, but stay here. Have you understood the mercy of God? this way of recalling the virtue of the father, to strengthen the soul of the son? Isaac remained in Gerara. (Gen. 26:6) See, he happens to run about the same dangers as his father; for, as he lived in Gerara: The inhabitants of that country asking him who Rebekah his wife was, he answered them: She is my sister (Gen. 26:7), because he was afraid that the people of this country do not put him to death because of the beauty of his wife. For fear, says the text, that the men of this country did not make him die because of Rebekah, because she was beautiful. It was a long time after that, and as he was still in the same place, it happened that Abimelech saw Isaac playing with his wife Rebekah, and he called her and said to her, Is this your woman? Why did you say it's your sister? (Gen. 26:8-9) Convinced by proofs, the righteous no longer conceals the truth; he confesses it, and he explains why he called her his sister. Indeed, says the text, I was afraid that I was killed because of her. It was the fear of death that made me hold this conduct. Perhaps, too, he had learned that his father had, to save his life, resorted to the same means; and he did what his father did. But the king, still remembering what Sara's kidnapping had done to her at the time of the patriarch, immediately came to an end and said, "Why did you do that? some of us had not been able to rest with your wife, and you would have made us fall into ignorance. This cunning, he says, we have formerly experienced from your father; and today if we had not stopped in time, you would have made us fall into ignorance; that is to say, we were once on the point of sinning ignorantly, and even today you almost caused us to commit a sin of ignorance. But Abimelech made this defense to his people: Every man who touches this man, or his wife, shall be punished with death. (Gen. 26:11) See the providence of God; see the ineffable care. For he that said, Do not go down to Egypt, dwell in this land, and I will be with you; it was he who had all these things; which assured just so much security. Consider, in fact, the care taken by the king, so that he has nothing to fear, so that he is freed from all anxiety. It is death that threatens, says the text, whoever will touch him or his wife. Indeed, it was this fear, the fear of death, that is, that had shaken his soul; for this reason, the merciful Lord delivers him, so that he may then live in perfect security. And see what subject of astonishment and admiration! how this industrious wisdom turns all things to its will, discovers, besides every path, the path which suits it, and, in the very obstacles, in the difficulties which oppose it, the circumstances of nature to procure the salvation of its servants . Hence, this king shows so much interest in the just man. He serves him as herald before all who inhabit the country; he announces his glory, all the honors, all the worship of which he must be surrounded. Thus Nebuchadnezzar, after having thrown the three young men into the furnace, after having proved by virtue of the facts the virtue of his prisoners, begins to celebrate their praises, and his tongue becomes everywhere the instrument of their glory.  It is by this that the power of God manifests itself in the highest degree; he causes his very enemies to celebrate his servants. This madman who had ordered the furnace to burn, seeing that the virtue of the three young people, thanks to the help of above, triumphed the flames, he was suddenly converted, he shouted in a loud voice: Servants of the God Very -Top. (Dan. 3:26) See, he exalts not only their elevation, but also the Lord God of the universe: Servants, says the text, of God Most High, go out. What happened? Did not you deliver them to torture? Is it not you who kindled this fiery furnace? No doubt, he says; but what I see now is strange, prodigious. Here the element is forgotten; mysterious bonds enchain him, and the obedient fire, does not dare even touch their hair. This shows that there is something here that surpasses human nature, the ineffable work of a divine power that is most interested in these young people. Have you understood this mercy of God, who never abandons his servants, while allowing them to be thrown into the furnace, because she wants to add to their glory, to burst her power? And that is why it softens the soul of a barbarian; why she shows so much patience. And indeed, where would be the marvel, if God had first of all forbidden them to be thrown into the furnace? What is more marvelous, stranger, is that even within the flames they have suffered nothing; for God has only to will, even in the midst of perils and tortures, he doubles the strength of those who suffer, and the persecuted are stronger than the persecutors. This is what happened to the apostles. Those who held them in their hands, dragged them captive in the midst of the peoples, who gritted their teeth, so to speak, by threatening them, and said to each other: What shall we do with these men? (Acts 4:16) They held them in their hands and they did not know what to do with them. This is power, that is the strength of virtue, here is the weakness of malignity, virtue suffers and triumphs; malignancy succeeds, and only results in betraying its natural impotence.

In these thoughts, my beloved ones, let us attach ourselves to virtue, and flee the evil. In this way we will acquire grace from above, and obtain the goods to come; and may we all conquer them, by the grace and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs, as to the Father, as to the Holy Spirit, the glory, the empire, the honor, now and always; and for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaac sowed afterwards in that land, and gathered the same year a hundredfold. (Gen. 26:12-15) It is the remains of yesterday that you should serve today, my beloved ones; Let us resume the rest of our conversation, and see again what glorious mark received the just Isaac from the providence from on high. For he who had forbidden him to go down to Egypt, saying to him, 'Stay in the land where you are, and I will be with you, has rendered him illustrious to the point of soon exciting the jealousy of the king of Gerara. Indeed, to see every day increase his wealth, he was afraid that he prolonged his stay, and it was forced to leave. But it is necessary to. to extend the very words of Scripture, in order to see in all things the benevolence of God for his servants. Isaac sowed afterwards in that land, and gathered the same year a hundredfold. See here, I pray you, the wisdom of God, just showing that it is he who is the creator of nature; that for him the difficult is easy, and that he who, from the beginning, because he willed it, made the land fertile, is the same who at this moment makes the seed produce a hundredfold ; he sends him goods in such abundance that the righteous needs nothing, and at the same time he proves to others by sensible facts, from what great favor the just man is satisfied by the grace of above. It is indeed the. Ordinary conduct of the Almighty, of the wise God: the benefits which he bestows on his people, serve him to prove to those who are still in error, what is his providence and his power. This he did later, in Egypt again: to the Egyptians he inflicted punishments; for the Israelites he kept them out of harm's way. Thus Egypt learned, not only by the indignation of the God who punished her, the power of the craftsman who did all things, but also by the solicitude, of which he gave so many marks to the Israelites. And now these, to learn how much they were dear to God, had not only the repeated proofs of his Providence, his solicitude for his people, but also so many plagues which, every day, fell on their tyrants. And so, by the same means, God revealed to His servants and His enemies the greatness of His power. It is not even the elements that are not used to serve those who are only servants, when God has resolved to show these servants his benevolence; and that's what happens to that right. The earth shows a fertility which it has no other share; to obey the God of the universe, she of. comes so fertile that it suddenly sets the riches and abundance in the house of Isaac. And the Lord blessed him, says the text. And man rose up and grew in power until he became quite tall. This is because the wealth of the righteous then consisted in the fertility of the earth, in the multitude of herds, which is why the text says. And the Lord blessed him, and the man rose up, that is, became rich; not of ordinary wealth, but, says the text, he was growing in power until he became quite tall. Consider, indeed, what it was like to collect, for his seeds, a hundredfold. If this seems surprising to you, consider that the infinite clemency of God has shown us, with the progress of the times. To men who practice virtue, what he promises, since his advent among us, is not only a hundredfold, it is eternal life, it is the possession of the kingdom of heaven. Do you understand the liberality of the Lord? Do you understand the increase in benefits? Do you understand what largess accompanies the advent of the only Son of God, what ineffable revolution he has wrought? So that each one of us, pondering these thoughts in Himself, and understanding the difference between the promises made to the ancient men before grace, and those made to us today, from grace, still glorifies as such immensity of divine mercy, and is careful not to attribute everything to the diversity of times. But we must resume the rest of our speech, to see how the inhabitants of Gerara, jealous of the riches that abounded in the just man, tried to drive him out of their country. Indeed, says the text, these riches excited the envy of the Philistines. (Gen. 26:14) The divine Scripture, wishing then to show how they manifested their desire, adds: All the wells that the servants of Abraham had dug during his lifetime, they plugged and filled them with earth. (Gen. 26:15)

Consider the wickedness of the people who lived in this country; there they are, who refuse water to the just man; and the king, who had such great power, could not repress this jealousy, but he said: Depart from us, because you have become much more powerful than we. (Gen. 26:16) What delirium! Why do you chase the righteous? Did he do any harm? Did he do anything wrong? But that's it. what is envy always unreasonable. It would have been necessary, since one saw this righteous man in such great favor with the God of the universe, to attach himself more and more to him; to honor it, so that by the honors which one would have returned to it, one would attract oneself to oneself. divine favor. This king not only does not hear him so, but he tries to drive him away, and he says to him: Depart from us, because you have become much more powerful than we are. It is the ordinary conduct of envy; she can not see with complacency the happiness of others; the happiness of the neighbor appears to envy a personal misfortune, and. it dries up when it sees the abundance of others: this is what happens on this occasion. In fact, this king who commanded a people, who had everything under his power, said to this traveler, to this wandering man, who passes from one country to another, "Depart from us, because you have become much more powerful than us. Well! yes, he was truly more powerful, because he had, in all things, for him, help from above, and the right hand of God was his support. Where do you send the fair that you hunt? Do you not know that wherever you constrain him to go, he will always be in the domains that belong to his Lord? Experience has not taught you that it is the hand of God that glorifies this righteous, and preserves it? Why then, in chasing this righteous, do you show your delirium to his Lord? So the perfect sweetness of this patriarch has not triumphed over your jealous hatred, and you, overcome by your evil, you want to accomplish the work of envy, and you force to a new emigration the one who did not make you no offense! Do you not know then that even though you have pushed him into the depths of solitude, he will see his Lord near him, clever enough to put on him, even in the desert, a still more glorious glory? No, nothing is stronger than one who walks with help from above; just as nothing is more infirm than the man deprived of such help.

Have you seen, my beloved, the wickedness of the king of Gerara and all the inhabitants of this land? Now see the extreme sweetness of the righteous; he does not abandon himself to pride, even when the effects prove to him that God assists him; although strong in the power of such a comrade-in-arms, he does not revolt against the King. Like a man who has no support, who does not expect, from any part whatsoever, any help, with a perfect gentleness, without resisting even a word, he does what the king commands him, and immediately he withdraws from this country, he moves away, he soothes the anger and envy of the wicked; at the same time as he shows this rare gentleness which distinguishes him, he softens the hateful sentiments which disturb the heart of the other. And Isaac departed, and came to dwell near the brook of Gerara. (Gen. 26:17) He did what Christ said to his disciples: When they pursue you, flee to another place. (Matt. 10:23) And as David soothed Saul's hatred by withdrawing himself, stealing away from his eyes, and so tempered his anger (I Kings 19); In the same way this just fulfilled the word of the Apostle: Leave room for anger. Then he left the city, and went into the valley. See what a sweetness he showed in this new stay. For this was not the end of his troubles; even in this other residence, as he wanted to dig wells, they provoked quarrels. In fact, says the text: He had other wells dug again that the servants of Abraham his father had dug, and that the Philistines had stopped, and he gave them the same names that his father had given them before.  They also searched the bottom of the torrent, and found therein the living water, that is to say, the water that flowed under it; but the pastors of Gerara made a quarrel again, saying that the water belonged to them. [Homilies on Genesis]

26:18-27 And Isaac dug again the wells of water, which the servants of his father Abraam had dug, and the Phylistines had stopped them, after the death of his father Abraam; and he gave them names, according to the names by which his father named them. 19And the servants of Isaac dug in the valley of Gerara, and they found there a well of living water. 20And the shepherds of Gerara strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying that the water was theirs; and they called the name of the well, Injury, for they injured him. 21And having departed thence he dug another well, and they strove also for that; and he named the name of it, Enmity. 22And he departed thence and dug another well; and they did not strive about that; and he named the name of it, Room, saying, Because now the Lord has made room for us, and has increased us upon the earth. 23And he went up thence to the well of the oath. 24And the Lord appeared to him in that night, and said, I am the God of Abraam thy father; fear not, for I am with thee, and I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for the sake of Abraam thy father. 25And he built there an altar, and called on the name of the Lord, and there he pitched his tent, and there the servants of Isaac dug a well in the valley of Gerara. 26And Abimelech came to him from Gerara, and so did Ochozath his friend, and Phichol the commander-in-chief of his army. 27And Isaac said to them, Wherefore have ye come to me? whereas ye hated me, and sent me away from you.

JEROME OF STRIDON. 26:19 ISAAC'S CHILDREN DUG IN THE VALLEY OF GERARA, AND THERE FOUND A WELL OF LIVING WATER. Here again, instead of the word valley, the word torrent; there’s never find a well of living water in a valley.

26:21 THEY DUG ANOTHER WELL, ABOUT WHICH THEY HAD SOME ALTERCATIONS AND WHICH RECEIVED THE NAME OF ENMITIES. For enmity, the Hebrew says SATANA, την αντικειμενον, or adversary, and εναντιωσιν, or otherwise, according to Symmachus and Aquila. From where we see that Satan means otherwise

26:22 THEY DUG ANOTHER WELL, AND DID NOT QUARREL WITH ONE ANOTHER; THIS WELL RECEIVED THE NAME OF LATITUDE. For latitude, the Hebrew says ROOBOTH, an expression that supports what we said earlier: "He founded the city of Nineveh and Rooboth," that is, "his places." (Gen. 10)

26:26 ABIMELECH WENT TO HIM FROM GERARA, WITH OCHOZATH, WHO HAD PRESIDED AT HIS WEDDING, AND PHICOL, CHIEF OF HIS MILITIA. In place of Ochozath, the Hebrew says the procession of his friends; It is not therefore a man, but a crowd of friends who followed the king, and among whom was his general, Phicol. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Here again, the righteous do not argue, do not resist; he yields to the shepherds; it is that true gentleness does not consist in bearing the offenses of the strongest, but in yielding, even when one is offended by those who appear weaker. In fact, moderation can be attributed solely to gentleness; otherwise one could treat with feigned sweetness the helplessness in which one finds oneself to resist the strongest. This clearly proves that Isaac, yielding to the king, did not shrink from his power, but only listened to his natural sweetness; it is because he has the same attitude towards the shepherds. And as he withdrew when the other said to him, Depart from us; just as he obeyed immediately as an order, so here, when the shepherds want to hurt him, and claim the well for them, he goes away. It was necessary to preserve for ever, in posterity, the memory of this injustice; he gives the well a name taken from what had happened. Indeed, the injustice was blatant, and he called this well Injustice, because of what had happened. It was like a column of brass, which for posterity was to be a monument to the gentleness of the just man and the iniquity of others. The name was composed in such a way that anyone who would ask why the place was so called, would learn and the virtue of the patriarch, and the wickedness of his enemies. Notice, I beg you, how, here again, contrarieties magnify the virtue of the just man, who shows in all things his meekness; and how these wicked, whatever they claim, are agitated only to make the glory of the righteous man better. It is not enough for them to do what they did; another well is dug; new quarrel, new lawsuits. Having started from there, says the text, he dug another well; they quarreled again about this other well, and he called it Enmity. (Gen. 26:21) Notice again the prudence of the just man; they did not quite suppress this well, it seems, but they aroused a quarrel; injustice appeared manifest, and these wicked ones withdrew. This is why the patriarch called this well Enimity; it was an occasion of enmity. It was, moreover, almost every day, the same attacks on the part of the inhabitants of the country. The righteous was not indignant, born showed no weakness. He does not think in himself, he does not say: I'm not even allowed to have wells anymore? Am I not deprived of help from above? Has not the Lord forgotten me altogether? He neither said nor thought anything of the kind, but he suffered everything with perfect gentleness; and from there he deserved to obtain from God a more powerful help. All these events were, so to speak, an exercise destined to strengthen the virtue of the just man. In fact, says the text: Having departed from there, he dug another well, for which they did not quarrel: therefore he gave him the name of Widow, saying: The Lord has put us now off, and made us grow in goods on the earth. (Gen. 26:22)

See the wisdom of the righteous man; when they wished to destroy these first wells, he suffered without complaining, without resisting; but the only names he gave to the wells sufficed to attach to it the ineffaceable memory of the wickedness of these people. Here, on the contrary, no embarrassment was aroused; he was permitted to enjoy, in complete freedom, the fruit of his fatigues; the righteous allots to God. Indeed, says the text: He gave it the name of Width; and then, to explain this name, he says: This is why I call it Width. The Lord now friends us off, and has made us grow in goods on the earth. Have you understood this piety which forgets so many difficulties, so many obstacles; who remembers only blessings, to give thanks to God, and saith, The Lord hath put us now out, and hath made us to grow on the earth? Nothing is as pleasing to God as gratitude, which gives thanks to him; it fills us every day with many benefits, whether we want it or not; whether we know it or not; and yet he demands from us, for the goods he gives us, only thanksgiving; and these thanksgiving, so that he may be allowed to increase our rewards. Enter this thought. See how the recognition of this righteousness has again earned him the visit from above. For, as he had shown noble marks of his virtue, and among the inhabitants of Gerara, and when the king drove him away, and when the shepherds destroyed his wells, the Lord, full of goodness, wishes to strengthen still this virtuous zeal; already he cherished the patriarch for his insignificance. After he had gone from there to go to the well of the Oath, the Lord himself; appeared in the night, and said unto him, I am the God of Abraham your father, fear not because I am with you, and I will bless you, and I will multiply your seed for Abraham your father. (Gen. 26:23-24) The Lord, said the text, appeared to him in the night. See the care that God takes to revive him, to revive his. trust. He appears to him, and saith unto him, I am the God of Abraham your father; I glorified your father, and I made him famous; it was a pilgrim, a traveler, whom I made more illustrious than all the inhabitants of the country. It is I who made his greatness, and in all things I took; care of him; it is me, therefore, do not be afraid. What does it mean Do not be afraid? Do not be surprised at having been driven out by Abimelech, insulted by the shepherds; your father endured a great number of such trials, and his glory increased; so that it does not alarm you, because I am with you. If I permit these things, it is because I wish to manifest your virtue, to make their perversity manifest at the same time, in order to give you the crown for all these reasons; Because I am with you. And therefore you will be invincible, stronger than your persecutors, more powerful than those who attack you, and I will take such care from you, that you will be an object of envy for them, Because I am with you, and I bless you, and I will multiply your race because of Abraham your father.

Consider the goodness of God; he says: I am the God of Abraham your father, he shows how he has attached himself to the patriarch, to the point that he does not disdain to call himself the God of Abraham, to the point that he, the Lord and Creator of the universe, is called the God of one man, not that he wishes to reduce to this only patriarch his whole empire, but because he wishes to testify his singular affection for him; I have attached myself to it, "said he," I made it my property, so much so that to him alone he seemed to compensate all the others; for this reason I will multiply your race because of Abraham your father. I owe him, he says, great rewards for his obedience to me; therefore, because of him, I will multiply your race. At the same time,. he fills the righteous. of confidence,. and, pronouncing the name of his. father, he provokes in him the keen desire to reproduce paternal virtue. Now when he had received the promises of so many goods, he raised up an altar there, said the text, and he invoked the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. (Gen. 26:25) What does it mean: He raised an altar in this place? He gave thanks, says the text, thanksgiving to the Lord who had shown so much solicitude for him, and Isaac's servants dug a well there; the righteous finally lived there safely; For he that said, I am with you, and I will bless you, and multiply your seed, even He glorify him, and make him greater in the sight of all. Well! See therefore this Abimelech, who undertook to drive him away, and said to him, Depart from us; now he's going to find the patriarch. In fact, says the text: Abimelech, and the chief of the gynaeceum, and the general of his army came, and Isaac said to them, Why didst thou come unto me, which hated me, and drove me from afar off you? (Gen. 26:26-27) See, I beg you, the sweetness of the righteous; At the sight of those who had forced him to flee, who had pursued him so hastily, and who now come to him as suppliants, he does not receive them with pride; vanity does not deceive his soul, the thought of things which God has said to him, does not intoxicate him; we do not see him as superb in the strength of the Lord, to rise against the King; it is always the same leniency, the same affability. [Homilies on Genesis]

26:28-35 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; 29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD. 30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. 31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. 33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day. 34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: 35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 26:28) MEANING OF THE WORD CURSE. — Let there be an oath between us and you, that is to say, an oath that obliges with curses, which are to come to him who dares to perjure. It must be observed that this was the meaning of the words used by the servant of Abraham in his speech to those whom he received a wife for his master Isaac. [Question 77]

(Gen 26:32-33) THE NAME GIVEN TO THE WELL DUG BY ISAAC. —  Why is it written that the servants of Isaac came and said to him, We have dug a well and found no water; Isaac called that well "an oath"? Although it had happened this way, there is no doubt that there is a spiritual meaning here, because it literally makes no sense to call that well 'oath ', precisely because there was no water found in it. Other translators have said that Isaac's servants told him rather the opposite, that is, that water had been found. But even supposing this, why is it called an "oath," if no oath had been made? [Questions on Genesis, 78]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 26:28) Videntes vidimus quia est Dominus tecum (We see clearly that the Lord is with you). Scripture willingly uses the word testamentum, in Greek diatheken. What the Latin versions express in this way: Et disponemus tecum testamentum ne facias nobiscum malum (We will make an alliance with you, and you will undertake to do no harm to us), it amounts to this: Ut paciscaris non facere nobiscum malum (you should make an alliance not to do harm with us). [Locutions]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 26:32-33 AND THE SERVANTS OF ISAAC CAME AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THE WELL WHICH THEY HAD DUG, AND THEY SAID TO HIM: WE HAVE FOUND WATER. AND HE CALLED ITS NAME ABUNDANCE. I do not know why in the Septuagint it has And the servants of Isaac came and told him about the well which they had dug, and they said to him: We have not found water. And he called its name Oath. For on that account, what etymology is there that it be called Oath on the grounds that they had not found water? By contrast in the Hebrew, with whose meaning Aquila and Symmachus agree, this verse indicates that they found water and therefore that well was called Abundance; and the city was called Bersabee, that is, The Well of Abundance. For although we have stated above that Bersabee was named after either the word of the oath or the number seven (which is pronounced as sabee) referring to the sheep, in this instance, however, in view of the fact that water was found, Isaac punned on the name of the city which was so called. He deviated a little in the pronunciation of one letter, and instead of the hissing sin of the Hebrew with which sabee begins, he put the Greek sigma that corresponds to the Hebrew samech. Besides, according to the rule of allegory as well, it is in no way consistent that Isaac should not have discovered water, after so many wells in the regions of the virtues. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. And he said to them, Why have you come to me, you who have hated me, and chased me away from you? Why, he told them, did you think of coming to find me, whom you have driven out, whom you have hated? And they said to him, We have seen that the Lord is with you, and we have said, Let us make an alliance between you and you, that shall be sworn on both sides, that ye may do us no harm, as we have nothing. to offend you, and as we have treated you well, having let you go in peace, overflowing with the blessing of the Lord. (Gen. 26:28-29)

See the strength of gentleness, the power of virtue. Those who first drove him away now come to find this traveler, this man who does not belong to any city, this wanderer, and not only do they justify what happened, they ask him to forgive them their wrongs, but they proclaim the virtue of the just man, they show the fear they feel, they confess their weakness, they bear witness to the great power of the just man. Indeed, what is stronger than the one who has God with him? We have seen, says the text, that the Lord is with you. Where did this science come from? assuredly, they answer, facts themselves teach us; we have seen you, driven out stronger than those who chased you; you, tormented; superior to those who tormented you; and the sequence of events has made us understand that you have relief from above. It is the work of divine wisdom, that their thought has been struck by the merits of the just, and that they have acquired this knowledge. For since the Lord is with you, let us make an alliance between you and you, that will be sworn. See how the impulse of consciousness quickly reduces them to accuse themselves, without anyone controlling them, nor reproaching them for what they did. For if you had not done an injustice, why would you ask exactly to make an alliance with you? But such is the ordinary conduct of the unjust man; every day his conscience gnaws at him, and in the silence of the offended, those who have committed injustice, believe that he is due a reparation by punishment. These are anxieties of every day, and the wicked seem to condemn themselves to the punishment of their faults. It is in this thought that they say: Let us make an alliance between ourselves and you, which will be sworn. Then they explain what will be this alliance: So that you do not do us any harm, as we have done nothing to offend you. See the contradiction in which throws fear that disturbs their spirit: So that you do not do us any wrong. Where does this fear come from, what does the righteous inspire when you see him show so much gentleness to those who attack him? It is because there is an incorruptible judge, the conscience, who has awakened them, has shown them all their perversity towards the just man. That's why they are afraid; and fear does not let them see that they contradict each other: so that you do not do us any harm, says the text, as we have done nothing to offend you. Why did you kick me out? but the righteous asks them no explanation, and he does not correct any of their words. And as, says the text, we have treated you well, having let you go in peace, filled with the blessing of the Lord. You see that they dreaded vengeance from above; they knew well that if the just man, full of gentleness, did not take revenge for the harm they had done to him, the one who protected him, so manifestly, would hold his persecutors accountable. For these reasons, they appease the just man; they wish to make a pact with him, and at the same time as they justify themselves from the past, they seek to secure themselves for the future. So Isaac gave them a banquet, said the text, and they ate, and they drank together, and they rose up in the morning, and the covenant was sworn in and out, and Isaac sent them away, and let them return. (Gen. 26:30-31) See the goodness of the righteous man: no desire of revenge is shown in his words; and, not only does he forget what they have done to him, but he offers them generous hospitality. So Isaac gave them a feast, and they ate, and they drank together. This feast proves enough that he forgets the evil they have done to him; and Isaac dismissed them, said the text, and let them return. The divine Scriptures show us that they had come seized with a great fright, filled with anxiety, and that it was, so to speak, in order to guarantee their own preservation, that they had hastened to come, to apologize to the just man. Do you see, as it is true, that nothing is stronger than virtue; that there is no power superior to that supported by the force from above? Then the text adds: The same day the servants of Isaac went away, and dug a well, and said, We have not found water, and he called this well the Oath; and he called the place, the well of the Oath, and the name is preserved to this day. (Gen. 26:33-34) Here again, you see a place that takes its name from the events that happened there: As one dug a well without finding water, the day that one was the oath, the place was called the well of the Oath, in order to preserve the memory of what had happened. Do you see how this righteous, who did not receive the education of the law, who could not propose as a model any virtuous man, but who followed the footsteps of his father, who only listened to the conscience, this natural teacher whom we carry within us, has shown the perfection of wisdom? All these actions did not indicate only the sweetness of this just soul; moreover, his conduct fulfilled the precepts of Christ. You know the precepts, the counsels which Christ addressed to his disciples, he told them not to love only those who love them, but to prove their affection to their enemies. (Matt. 5:44) And this is what the righteous man practiced, so many years ago; and he generously exerted hospitality to his persecuting persecutors, and banished from his soul all desire for vengeance.

What will be our excuse, therefore, to us who, after grace, after so many teachings, instructed by the precepts of the Savior, can not attain to the measure of this righteous, and what do I say, to his measure? We can not even approach him; malice today is overflowing everywhere, so much so that it is rare for us, even to love those who love us. What hope of salvation can we have, if we are not worth publicans, as Christ said: If you only love those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not publicans do it too? (Matt. 5:46) Christ wants, since he wants to see us at the height of virtue, that we are superior to the publicans; but we are trying to stay below. And what do I say, below the publicans? below the robbers and those who plunder the sepulchres; below the murderers. In fact, all those cherish those whom they are loved, and often even for those whom they cherish, they brave all the perils. What condition, then, would be more miserable than ours, if after having experienced such great effects of the mercy of the Lord, we were found inferior to those who commit countless crimes? So, I conjure you, let us meditate on the severity of the ordeal, the heavy burden of confusion that awaits us elsewhere. Let us at least consider, though it is very late, the nobility of our nature, and obey the doctrine of Christ. Let us not only love sincerely those who love us; banish from our souls all hatred, all desire; and if there are any who hate us, let us apply ourselves to love them; otherwise impossible to conquer our salvation; there is only this way. Let us apply to cherish, even more than those who cherish us; let us love especially those enemies who are for us the causes of innumerable goods, for it is by this that we will obtain the remission of our sins; it is by this that we will be given to pray to God in the sincerity of humility and contrition. For once the soul is freed from all hatred, it is quiet, it is robust; and, invoking the Lord, with complete purity, she attracts the fullness of grace from on high. May we all obtain it, by the grace and goodness of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs, as to the Father, as to the Holy Spirit, the glory, now, and always, and in the centuries of centuries. Amen.

Now Esau, being forty years old, marries Judith, daughter of Beel; from the land of Chet, and Basemath, daughter of Elom, from the land of Eva, and they quarreled Isaac and Rebekah. (Gen. 26:34-35) Well, even today, if it is agreeable to you, let us resume the conversation of yesterday, and, to the extent of our strength, seek what is contained in each of the words of the Scripture, so that to collect the fruit that we will win by withdrawing. Let us now see the first words of the text: Now Esau, being forty years old, married Judith, daughter of Beel, of the land of Chet, and Basemath, daughter of Elom, of the land of Eva, and they quarreled Isaac and Rebekah. See all the teaching contained in these few words: why does the Scripture mark the number of Esau's years? It is not without purpose; it is to teach us that Isaac was old, and already well advanced in age; for if we remember the age of Isaac, when he married Rebecca, he was then forty years old; his age, when his sons were born to him, he was then sixty years old; we will conclude that he is now one hundred years old, that is to say, in the most advanced old age. Indeed, Scripture will tell us that old age had made him blind. This is why the text gives us the number of years of Esau, which allows us to determine with certainty the age of Isaac. This is why the text says: Now, Esau being forty years old. Then Scripture wishes to make known to us the inconsiderate mind of this son, taking wives among people whom he ought not to frequent; therefore, one was of the Chettean race, and the other of the race of the Evéens. Yet this is not how one should have behaved who knew what care the patriarch had shown when he commanded his servant to go and fetch a wife from his family, to be the wife of his son Isaac. The mother of Isaac's two children, Rebekah had come from the land of Charran; Esau does not act in the same way; he shows at once the disorder of his manners; without consulting his parents, he marries these two women. And to tell us how much their manners left something to be desired, Scripture tells us: And they quarreled with Isaac and Rebekah. And what is more detestable than this malignity? those who should have shown so much consideration, not only did not do it, but were quick to argue. It is not without design that Scripture gives all these details; Understand, it is so that, in the following, when you see Rebecca's preference for Jacob, you will not be shocked. But let us not anticipate, let us follow the very order of Scripture: Isaac having grown old, his eyes darkened so that he could no longer see. [Homilies on Genesis]