וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִצְחָ֖ק בִּגְרָֽר׃

Isaac lived in Gerar. Since he was prohibited from leaving for Egypt, Isaac remained in Gerar.

וַֽיִּשְׁאֲל֞וּ אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ לְאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא כִּ֤י יָרֵא֙ לֵאמֹ֣ר אִשְׁתִּ֔י פֶּן־יַֽהַרְגֻ֜נִי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ עַל־רִבְקָ֔ה כִּֽי־טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה הִֽיא׃

The men of the place asked him with regard to his wife. He said: She is my sister. Isaac thereby followed Abraham’s example (12:13, 20:2). In a sense his claim was justified, as Rebecca was related to him. It is possible that Isaac and Rebecca were similar enough in appearance that this contention would be accepted. As he was afraid to say: She is my wife, for he said to himself: Lest the men of the place kill me over Rebecca, because she is of fair appearance. An earlier verse already mentioned Rebecca’s beauty as a young girl (24:16), but her age at the time of this incident is not stated. Perhaps due to the negative experience of the residents of Gerar during Abraham’s earlier visit (20:1–18), they accepted Isaac’s claim at face value, and were careful not to take a woman from his tribe.

וַיְהִ֗י כִּ֣י אָֽרְכוּ־ל֥וֹ שָׁם֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים וַיַּשְׁקֵ֗ף אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים בְּעַ֖ד הַֽחַלּ֑וֹן וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה יִצְחָק֙ מְצַחֵ֔ק אֵ֖ת רִבְקָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

Yet, it was when the days he was there were extended, and Isaac was less careful; Avimelekh king of the Philistines looked out through the window, as he presumably lived in a palace that was taller than the surrounding buildings, and behold, he saw Isaac in his house playing, engaging in sexual activity, with Rebecca his wife.

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ לְיִצְחָ֗ק וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַ֣ךְ הִנֵּ֤ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֙ הִ֔וא וְאֵ֥יךְ אָמַ֖רְתָּ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ יִצְחָ֔ק כִּ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי פֶּן־אָמ֖וּת עָלֶֽיהָ׃

Avimelekh summoned Isaac and said: Behold, I have seen that she is your wife; how did you say: She is my sister? Why did you deceive me? Isaac said to him: Because I said, or I thought to myself: Lest I die over her. If I reveal that she is my wife, they might kill me and take her.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ מַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לָּ֑נוּ כִּ֠מְעַט שָׁכַ֞ב אַחַ֤ד הָעָם֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתֶּ֔ךָ וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ עָלֵ֖ינוּ אָשָֽׁם׃

Avimelekh said: What is this that you have done to us, by cheating us? One of the men of the people almost lay with your wife; you would have brought guilt, sin, upon us. Whether this is the same Avimelekh as in the days of Abraham or a different individual, what unfolded when Sarah was taken (see chap. 20) had not been forgotten in Avimelekh’s household. Therefore, Isaac did not rely on the moral probity of the residents of Gerar.

וַיְצַ֣ו אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הַנֹּגֵ֜עַ בָּאִ֥ישׁ הַזֶּ֛ה וּבְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃

Avimelekh commanded all the people, saying: Anyone who touches this man or his wife, as it has now been established that Rebecca is Isaac’s wife, shall be put to death.

וַיִּזְרַ֤ע יִצְחָק֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֔וא וַיִּמְצָ֛א בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַהִ֖וא מֵאָ֣ה שְׁעָרִ֑ים וַֽיְבָרֲכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃

Up to this point, the incidents in Isaac’s life parallel events that occurred in Abraham’s life. The focus now turns to deeds performed by Isaac that were apparently not done by his father. It is likely that Abraham the nomad was occupied mainly with shepherding. In contrast, Isaac, who lived in Gerar, engaged also in agriculture. Isaac sowed in that land and found in that year one hundredfold. He reaped one hundred times what he sowed, a very respectable yield even nowadays. And the explanation for this unusually large crop is that the Lord blessed him.