Genesis 26:7 kjv

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.

Genesis 26:7 nkjv

And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, "She is my sister"; for he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," because he thought, "lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold."

Genesis 26:7 niv

When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful."

Genesis 26:7 esv

When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because she was attractive in appearance.

Genesis 26:7 nlt

When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful."

Genesis 26 verses

Genesis 26 7 Meaning

Genesis 26:7 describes Isaac's deception in Gerar. When the local men inquired about Rebekah, Isaac claimed she was his sister. This falsehood stemmed from his fear that if they knew she was his wife, they would kill him to take her, because she was exceedingly beautiful. This incident highlights Isaac's human frailty, specifically his lack of trust in God's protective promise, and echoes a similar pattern of fear and deception found in his father, Abraham.

Genesis 26 7 Context

Genesis chapter 26 finds Isaac in the land of Gerar, which is under the rule of King Abimelech, during a famine. God had specifically instructed Isaac not to go down to Egypt, as Abraham had done in a similar situation, but to remain in the land where God would bless and confirm His covenant with him. Despite this direct divine command and reassurance, Isaac's faith wavered when faced with personal danger. This verse describes the moment his fear leads him to replicate his father Abraham's past deceit concerning his wife, fearing that his life would be threatened due to Rebekah's great beauty, if her true relationship to him was known. This event directly follows God's recent affirmation of the covenant and blessing (Gen 26:3-5), setting up a poignant contrast between divine faithfulness and human frailty.

Genesis 26 7 Word analysis

• וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ (vayyish'alu) / When ... asked: The Hebrew verb is a Waw-consecutive imperfect, denoting a sequential action. Root (שָׁאַל - sha'al) means to ask, inquire. It implies the men's natural curiosity about a traveler and his companion, indicating they had observed Isaac and Rebekah.
• אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם (anshei hammāqôm) / the men of the place: "Men of the place" refers to the local inhabitants of Gerar. This term is specific, highlighting the threat emanating from the community where Isaac was a sojourner.
• לְאִשְׁתּוֹ (le'ishto) / about his wife: "His wife" (from אִשָּׁה - ishah) denotes the intimate and covenantal relationship between Isaac and Rebekah. The question reveals the men's suspicion or intent regarding their status.
• וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyomer) / he said: Another Waw-consecutive imperfect, signaling Isaac's immediate verbal response.
• אֲחֹתִי הִיא (achotī hī) / 'She is my sister': "My sister" (אָחוֹת - achot). This claim, while possibly carrying nuances in ancient Near Eastern legal or social contexts (like a contractual "sister-wife" status), was primarily spoken by Isaac with a deceptive intent to conceal the marital bond and thus protect himself. It was a half-truth or full lie in terms of intent to mislead.
• כִּי (kī) / for: A causal conjunction, introducing the reason for Isaac's actions. It explicitly states the motive behind his lie.
• יָרֵא (yare) / he was afraid: The Hebrew verb for "afraid" emphasizes a profound fear, a dread that dominated Isaac's thoughts. This fear stems from self-preservation, overshadowing his faith in God's protection.
• לֵאמֹר (lemor) / to say: Infinitival construct, indicating the purpose of his fear.
• אִשְׁתִּי הִיא (ishtī hī) / 'She is my wife': Repetition emphasizes the truth he withheld.
• פֶּן יַהַרְגֻהוּ (pen yaharguhu) / 'The men... might kill me': "Lest they kill him." (הָרַג - harag). "Lest" or "otherwise" indicates the specific negative consequence Isaac anticipated. His fear was rooted in the common ancient practice of killing a husband to acquire his desirable wife. This highlights the dangers faced by strangers in an unfamiliar land without kin protection.
• עַל דִּבְרֵי רִבְקָה (al divrei Rivkah) / 'on account of Rebekah': Literally, "upon the words/matter of Rebekah." This phrase denotes the direct reason for the feared murder. Rebekah herself, specifically her beauty, was the catalyst.
• כִּי טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה הִיא (kī tovat mar'eh hī) / 'for she is beautiful': "For good of appearance she is." "Good" (טוֹב - tov) here denotes pleasing, attractive, or beautiful. "Appearance" (מַרְאֶה - mar'eh) signifies visual beauty. Her extraordinary beauty made her a potential target of desire, leading to the threat Isaac perceived.

Words-group analysis:

• "When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, 'She is my sister'": This phrase immediately establishes the deception and the context of the inquiry. It reveals Isaac's quick and deceptive response under perceived pressure.
• "for he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife'": This directly states Isaac's motivation: fear. It clarifies that his "sister" claim was a deliberate concealment of the truth, driven by apprehension about personal safety, rather than any literal or conventional interpretation of "sister-wife" relationships in this instance.
• "thinking, 'The men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful'": This innermost thought exposes the specific fear and its reasoning. Isaac calculates the threat based on Rebekah's allure and the perceived custom of the locals, revealing his lack of faith that God, who had just blessed him, would protect him and his wife. This fear leads to a direct distrust of God's sovereign care.

Genesis 26 7 Bonus section

• The Abimelech connection: The king of Gerar, Abimelech, is also the recipient of Abraham's deception in Genesis 20. While possibly different individuals, the repetition of the name and locale suggests a continuity of a Philistine cultural setting, possibly implying an existing awareness of "sister-wife" arrangements or a known hazard to outsiders. The Lord’s prior intervention in Genesis 20 might have contributed to a level of reverence or caution toward Abraham’s lineage.
• Lack of Consultation with God: A key point of Isaac's failure here is his omission of consulting God in a moment of perceived crisis. He reacted purely out of human fear and reason, a stark contrast to many instances where patriarchs sought God's guidance.
• Generational Sin: This event is a classic example of a "generational sin" or "family pattern." While sin is a personal choice, certain weaknesses or tendencies can appear across generations within a family line. It serves as a warning against unaddressed fears or reliance on deceptive practices that could pass down if not repented of and placed under God's control.
• The Power of Beauty: Rebekah's beauty is repeatedly highlighted in Scripture (Gen 24:16) as well as here. This passage subtly demonstrates how beauty, while a gift, can also be a source of danger and temptation, both for the person possessing it and for others.

Genesis 26 7 Commentary

Genesis 26:7 stands as a stark testament to the persistence of human frailty, even within the lives of covenant keepers chosen by God. Isaac, despite having God's explicit promises and recent blessings, succumbed to a fear that led him to deceive. This incident is profoundly significant as it almost perfectly mirrors his father Abraham's identical deceptions concerning Sarah in Egypt and later in Gerar. This repetition highlights a generational pattern of sin, emphasizing that even those who walk by faith are not immune to human weakness, particularly when faced with existential threats. Isaac prioritized self-preservation through human cunning rather than relying on the divine protection promised to him just verses earlier (Gen 26:3-4).

The specific danger stemmed from Rebekah's beauty, which, as with Sarah, served as a catalyst for temptation and potential violence in a society where powerful men might readily seize desirable women. Isaac's calculated deception of presenting Rebekah as his "sister" was an attempt to avoid a perceived deadly confrontation, yet it exposed Rebekah to moral and physical peril by implying she was available. This situation demonstrates the inherent tension between God's sovereign plan and human moral failings. Crucially, even in this moment of fear-driven deceit, God's covenant remained steadfast. His providence would later intervene (Gen 26:8-11) to expose Isaac's lie and protect Rebekah, showcasing God's faithfulness even when His people are faithless. This episode serves as a powerful reminder that while fear can lead to sin, God remains committed to His promises and is actively at work in the lives of His people, regardless of their imperfections.