Genesis 26:16 kjv
And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
Genesis 26:16 nkjv
And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."
Genesis 26:16 niv
Then Abimelek said to Isaac, "Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us."
Genesis 26:16 esv
And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."
Genesis 26:16 nlt
Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. "Go somewhere else," he said, "for you have become too powerful for us."
Genesis 26 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 13:5-7 | Abraham and Lot also had flocks and herds and tents… strife arose between the herdsmen… | Resource conflict between related groups |
| Gen 21:22 | Abimelech… said to Abraham, "God is with you in all that you do." | Previous Abimelech acknowledging divine favor |
| Gen 26:12 | Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. | Immediate context: Isaac's great prosperity |
| Ex 1:7-9 | ...Israelites were fruitful… became exceedingly mighty… Pharaoh said... "behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us." | Prosperity of God's people causing fear |
| Num 22:2-3 | Balak… was afraid of the people… said… "this multitude will lick up all that is around us." | Fear of a mighty and numerous people |
| Deut 2:10 | The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. | Acknowledging superior strength/size |
| Deut 28:1-14 | If you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD… blessed shall you be… blessed shall be the fruit of your ground... | Covenant blessings of prosperity |
| Josh 17:16 | "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites… have chariots of iron." | Confrontation with more powerful neighbors |
| 1 Sam 18:8-9 | Saul was very angry… "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands!"… And Saul eyed David from that day on. | Envy and jealousy over another's success |
| Ps 1:3 | He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season... | Righteousness bringing prosperity and stability |
| Ps 112:3 | Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. | Material blessing for the upright |
| Prov 27:4 | Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? | Warning against the power of jealousy |
| Isa 60:3-4 | Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising... | Future vision where nations are drawn to God's people's glory |
| Amos 3:3 | Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? | Implied breakdown of co-existence |
| Matt 5:10-12 | Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake… for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. | Persecution due to divine favor/righteousness |
| Acts 5:17 | But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him… filled with jealousy. | Religious leaders' envy of disciples' influence |
| Acts 7:9 | And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt… | Brothers' envy of Joseph leading to his exile |
| Gal 5:21 | ...envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. | Envy as a work of the flesh |
| Jas 4:1-2 | What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?... You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. | Selfish desires and covetousness as root of conflict |
| 1 Jn 3:12 | We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. | Envy leading to hostility and violence |
| Heb 11:9-10 | By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents… | Abraham's nomadic life, prophetic of Isaac |
| Gen 12:1 | Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country…" | Echoes previous divine command to move |
Genesis 26 verses
Genesis 26 16 Meaning
Genesis 26:16 conveys Abimelech's definitive command to Isaac, compelling him to depart from their region. This order stems from Abimelech's observation and fear that Isaac had become "much mightier" than the Philistine people. Isaac's extraordinary prosperity, a direct result of God's blessing, generated envy and apprehension among the Philistines, leading their king to demand Isaac's removal to mitigate perceived future threats from Isaac's burgeoning strength and resources.
Genesis 26 16 Context
Genesis chapter 26 chronicles Isaac's sojourn in Gerar during a famine, echoing the experiences of his father Abraham. After God reaffirms the covenant promises to him (Gen 26:2-5), Isaac practices deception regarding Rebekah (Gen 26:7), yet is protected by God (Gen 26:11). The subsequent verses (Gen 26:12-14) highlight Isaac's extraordinary success: he sows and reaps a hundredfold, becomes "very wealthy," acquiring great possessions of flocks, herds, and many servants. This rapid and profound prosperity leads the Philistines to envy him (Gen 26:14-15), filling his wells (Gen 26:15), a crucial act of sabotage in an arid land. Verse 16 serves as Abimelech's official response to this growing tension and the perceived threat from Isaac's increasing power, commanding his immediate departure from their territory. This marks a turning point from mere envy to active expulsion. Historically, Philistines were a settled, agricultural, and urban people who valued their land and resources. The nomadic nature of Isaac, combined with his divinely-blessed rapid prosperity and large entourage, would have been seen as a significant disruption and a potential challenge to Philistine authority and resource control.
Genesis 26 16 Word analysis
- Then Abimelech (וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ, wayyōʾmer ʾăvîmelekh):
- Abimelech: Likely a royal title for the king of Gerar, meaning "my father is king" or "king-father," rather than a personal name, similar to Pharaoh in Egypt. This implies an official royal decree, not just a personal request. This King Abimelech is distinct from the one Abraham encountered (Gen 20), although their actions show a recurring dynamic between Philistine rulers and patriarchs.
- Said (וַיֹּאמֶר, wayyōʾmer): Standard verb for speech. Here, it denotes an authoritative utterance from the king, setting the stage for a command.
- said to Isaac (אֶל־יִצְחָק, ʾel-yiṣḥāq):
- Isaac (יִצְחָק, yiṣḥāq): The patriarch, son of Abraham, the inheritor of the covenant promises. His presence and prosperity are the subject of the command.
- "Go away from us (לֵךְ מֵאִתָּנוּ, lēkh mēʾittānû):
- Go away (לֵךְ, lēkh): An imperative verb, "go!" or "depart!" This is a direct command, an expulsion, not a gentle suggestion. It indicates a forcible removal. This echoes God's command to Abram in Gen 12:1 to "go" from his land, but here it's from a human ruler.
- from us (מֵאִתָּנוּ, mēʾittānû): "From with us." This implies a desire to break fellowship and remove Isaac from their proximity and sphere of influence.
- for you are much mightier than we.” (כִּי־עָצַמְתָּ מִמֶּנּוּ מְאֹד, kî-‘āṣamtā mimmennû mĕ’ōd):
- for (כִּי, kî): Introduces the reason or justification for the command.
- you are mightier (עָצַמְתָּ, ‘āṣamtā): From the root עָצַם ('ātsam), meaning to be mighty, powerful, numerous, strong. It implies an increase in strength, influence, and potentially military or demographic power. It encompasses both wealth and the potential threat posed by Isaac's large household and dependants. It's a statement of perceived threat and imbalance of power.
- than we (מִמֶּנּוּ, mimmennû): Literally "from us" or "compared to us." It highlights a perceived qualitative and quantitative superiority of Isaac's group over the Philistines.
- much (מְאֹד, mĕ’ōd): An adverb intensifying "mightier." It means "very," "exceedingly," "greatly." It stresses the degree of Isaac's power, which has grown to an alarming extent for Abimelech.
Genesis 26 16 Bonus section
The repeated interaction between the Abrahamic line and the Philistine Abimelechs (Abraham in Genesis 20 and Isaac in Genesis 26) presents a significant motif. In both instances, there's initial deception by the patriarchs, followed by divine intervention, and eventually, the Philistine king's acknowledgment of God's hand on the patriarch. However, the outcomes differ; while Abraham secured a covenant (Gen 21:22-34), Isaac faces expulsion. This shift highlights the growing prosperity and demographic strength of the covenant people over time, escalating Philistine fear from awe and desire for peace to direct apprehension and removal. The Philistine act of stopping Isaac's wells (Gen 26:15) before this decree further emphasizes their jealousy over resources, a precursor to the direct command for departure.
Genesis 26 16 Commentary
Genesis 26:16 is a pivotal verse, encapsulating the direct consequence of God's blessing on Isaac in a hostile environment. Abimelech's command is a clear demonstration of how divine favor, manifest in extraordinary prosperity, can provoke fear and jealousy among those who do not share in such blessings. The king's acknowledgement that Isaac is "much mightier" isn't merely a statement of observation but an expression of profound concern over the shift in power dynamics. This "might" encompasses not just wealth in livestock and servants, but also implies potential numerical and economic strength that could eventually challenge Philistine sovereignty or control over crucial resources like water and grazing land. The command to "go away" is an act of self-preservation, attempting to restore perceived balance and preempt any future conflict arising from Isaac's unstoppable growth. This incident highlights the paradox that God's blessings, while intended for good, can elicit negative human responses, requiring faith and continued reliance on God's guidance for His people to navigate such opposition. It also serves as a reminder that the land promise often came with challenges and resistance, not just automatic peaceful possession.