Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and the Lord answered him, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
Genesis 25:21 (NASB)
The rabbis note that the first part of Genesis 25:21 is written backwards. Normally, it would note the ailment (the barrenness), and then follow it with prayer.
But here, Isaac prays for Rebekah, and then the text lists the ailment. The teaching: prayer is primary. Always pray.
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and the Lord answered him, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
Genesis 25:21 (NASB)
A notable contrast between Isaac and Abraham, as it relates to their barren wives, is that Isaac prays for Rebekah. We never saw Abraham pray for Sarah.
But even more, “on behalf of his wife” is literally “in front of his wife.”
Isaac prayed for Rebekah. Who knows? The text may be telling us that he prayed with her.
…and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.
Genesis 25:20 (NASB)
Some translations say “Syrian” instead of “Aramean” in Genesis 25:20, but the Hebrew scholars say that “Aramean” is intended for a very tricky reason.
For starters, we’re going to discover that Rebekah will have twins – Jacob and Esau.
If you know the story, you’ll draw parallels between the worldly Esau and Laben, the one who later tricks Jacob. But then, Rebekah herself is a trickster, and brings Jacob into deception as well.
So the first thing the rabbis note is that Rebekah is being clearly linked to both Bethuel and Laben, so that Esau’s wickedness has a source: he will be like his uncle and his grandfather.
Perhaps this is a teaching about the deep-rooted nature of familial wickedness.
But another clue is in the word “Aramean.”
In Hebrew, it is Arami (אֲרַמִּי):
– Aleph-Resh-Mem-Yod.
This word is a jumble of Ramai (רַמַּאי):
– Resh-Mem-Aleph-Yod
Ramai means… trickster; a cheat.
When we stare at the verse, it becomes clear what the message is: “Look! Rebekah is from a family of tricksters; she’s from a town of tricksters.”
This is going to be a story of God’s people interacting with tricksters. We’ll see it play out in the twins in an ironic way.
After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi. This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.
Genesis 25:11-12 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)
After Abraham dies, Isaac moves to the place that is sacred due to Hagar, Ishmael’s mother.
It’s fascinating that Torah immediately goes into Ishmael’s genealogy here, as though it wants to remind us that Ishmael is blessed by God. God sees him, so we should see him.
When Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be kicked out of Abraham’s house, Isaac was only a child, barely weened. He couldn’t be rightly accused of harboring ill-will against his half-brother, or for being directly responsible for his exile.
Isaac isn’t to blame, but Hagar and Ishmael were kicked out because of Isaac.
When Isaac makes his home near the Sacred Well, I wonder if this teaches us how we are meant to make amends, even for harms we did not cause, but were caused because of us.
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”
It’s an odd question; Isaac isn’t the oldest. But Isaac is living out the special blessing, so it’s like he is the older brother, imbued with carrying the Messiah forward.
When you carry the torch, you are meant to light the way for others.
The rabbis say that Ishmael’s presence at Abraham’s funeral points to Ishmael’s repentance, as though he had done something wrong.
I think Isaac is the one who bridges the gap in this story. I think it tells us to bridge that gap as well, even for harms we didn’t cause.
These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, 175 years.
Genesis 25:7 (NASB)
In Hebrew, Abraham’s years are listed this way: 100 years, and 70 years, and 5 years.
There are only a few people in Scripture who are listed this way. Up to now, the only people written out this way are Adam, Sarah, and Abraham. Every other time, it would have said: five and 70 years, and 100 years.
The sages say that Abraham’s life showed continued refinement and blessings.
Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.
Genesis 25:8 (NASB)
“Breathed his last” is actually the Hebrew word גָּוַע (gava). It has the meaning of “expired,” or “giving up the ghost.”
It is considered a swift and painless death, without physical suffering. Abraham’s death is a good death.
According to the rabbis, “every expiration is a death, but not every death is an expiration.”
Abraham, Isaac, and even Ishmael experience gava.
Later, Abraham’s grandson Jacob has a good death, too.
When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 49:33 (NASB)
They are all “gathered to their people.”
Interestingly, the death that comes to humanity in the flood of Genesis 6 and 7 aren’t described as suffering in their demise. It doesn’t describe panic and terror.
So all creatures that moved on the earth perished: birds, livestock, animals, and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind;
Genesis 7:21 (NASB)
The text says they, too, experienced gava.
Perhaps God is merciful.
Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
Genesis 25:1 (
A redemption story:
Keturah… is Hagar.
This is the conclusion of some of the sages who study the Torah. And it is the most beautiful end, with the most profound theological consequences.