Genesis 26:12-17

5. Isaac's Successful Venture into Agriculture (Genesis 26:12-17).

Besides planting trees, Abraham was to the end of his life a nomad, Isaac, however, begins to pursue agriculture along with his nomadic life: this venture causes commentators to classify him as a kind of semi-nomad, (The only other allusion to husbandry in the patriarchal history occur in Genesis 30:14; Genesis 37:7). Isaac is described as living in the city of Gerar itself. He tried his hand successfully at a season of farming and his yield was -a hundredfold,-' a statement worth recording because nomads are poor farmers as a rule. Isaac's experiment is an interesting example of a nomad beginning to settle down to semi nomadism. A recurring pattern in the Near East is that nomads are attracted to sown acres, where they plant their crops, thus supplementing the living they get from their flocks. So they become agriculturists; they turn into villagers, usually still grazing their flocks, for that is a noble tradition, in keeping with their origin. Isaac's career apparently marks this transition to that intermediate stage (Cornfeld, AtD, 77).

This account agrees well with the area around Gaza,: the soil is very rich, we are told. As a result, Isaac reaped from his initial venture a rich harvest, to the extent of a hundred measures (a hundred fold). Such a rich harvest was taken as a sign of divine favor. The man became very wealthy: he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household. Since Abraham was very rich (Genesis 13:2, Genesis 14:23) and the bulk of his property had gone to Isaac, such an increase as this in Isaac's wealth must have brought his possessions up to a startling total. His establishment of necessity required also a great number of servants. The man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great, that is to say, he kept growing richer and richer. But a serious problem arose as a consequence of this unusual prosperity: the Philistines grew envious. The statement is an intimation of the clash with them over the wells, the account of which soon follows. Hostilities began when the natives began filling with earth the wells which Abraham had dug at Gerar and which therefore belonged to Isaac. This very act was already an indirect expulsion, for without wells it was not possible that Isaac should live a nomadic life at Gerar. As a matter of fact, Isaac's household was strong enough to constitute a threat to the safety of the Philistines had Isaac been inclined to use his power for personal ends. Genesis 26:16the king's summons is a combination of flattery, thou art much mightier than we, and ungraciousness, go from us. Isaac is a pacifist in the best sense of the word. Power is safe in his hands. He shows no inclination to abuse it. Secure in his strength but mindful primarily of his responsibilities to his God, he yields to pressure and moves farther up the valley, i.e., southeast from Gerar, and there pitches his tent with the intent of staying there permanently (he dwelt there, i.e., he settled down) (EG, 725-726).

Review Questions

See Genesis 26:34-35.