Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Genesis, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
God, Humanity, and Creation
Mistrust, Disobedience, and Death
Covenants and Faith in God’s Promises
The Role of Women
Summary
Analysis
There is a famine in the land, so Isaac goes to King Abimelech of the Philistines in Gerar. The LORD warns Isaac not to go to Egypt, but to settle in Gerar as an alien; God will be with him and bless him and his descendants here, fulfilling his oath to Abraham. So Isaac settles in Gerar, telling the local men that Rebekah is his sister, not his wife—like Abraham, he fears that he will be killed and Rebekah taken, because she is beautiful. One day, King Abimelech sees Isaac “caressing” Rebekah and realizes the truth. He warns his people that nobody may touch Rebekah.
Abraham had dealings with a King Abimelech earlier in Genesis, so it’s unclear whether this is the same king or a successor of the same name. In any case, God promises to bless Isaac in this land and not to venture to Egypt. Isaac nevertheless finds that his beautiful wife makes him vulnerable, which was often the case with Abraham and Sarah. The Hebrew word used for “caressing” implies laughter, suggesting Isaac (whose name means “laughter”) was just being himself with Rebekah.
Themes
God blesses Isaac, and he reaps a great harvest in his new land, becoming wealthy. The Philistines become envious, so Abimelech tells Isaac to move away. Isaac moves into the nearby valley of Gerar, and after some quarrels over wells with the local herders, he finds a well for himself, which he names Rehoboth. After that he moves to Beer-sheba, where the LORD appears to him and reminds him of his promised blessing. After Isaac digs a well there, Abimelech and his men visit and propose a covenant, since it’s clear that the LORD is with Isaac. Isaac’s and Abimelech’s men celebrate a feast and exchange oaths, promising not to harm one another.
God fulfills his promise to establish Isaac in the land of Canaan, though not everyone receives his presence kindly, and it takes a while to find peace. (Rehoboth means “broad places” or “room.”) Like Abraham’s before him, Isaac’s success causes others to see God’s hand at work, and Isaac and Abimelech form a covenant to peacefully coexist.
Themes
Isaac’s son Esau marries two Hittite women, Judith and Basemath. These women make Isaac’s and Rebekah’s lives difficult.
Unlike Jacob, Esau does not choose wives from among his parents’ people. It’s implied that these wives are poor choices, further highlighting Esau’s foolishness.
Themes
