Study Desk

This was the field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.

After the death of Abraham, God brought good to his son Isaac. And Isaac lived at Beerlahairoi.

Ishmael lived 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was buried with his people.

His people lived from Havilah as far as Shur, east of Egypt on the way toward Assyria. He lived away from all his brothers.

Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she could not give birth and the Lord answered him. Rebekah was able to give birth.

The first to come out was red and he had hair all over his body. They gave him the name of Esau.

Then the brother was born. His hand was holding Esau's heel. So he was given the name of Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red meat, for I am very hungry." That is why his name was called Edom.

Jacob said, "First give me your promise." So Esau promised, and sold his birth-right to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and vegetables, and Esau ate and drank. Then Esau stood up and went on his way. So Esau hated his birth-right.

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

When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of the window. And he saw Isaac loving his wife Rebekah.

So Abimelech told all the people, "Whoever touches this man or his wife will be put to death."

For he had flocks and many cattle and many people working in his house. The Philistines became jealous of him.

They filled all the wells with dirt that his father's servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.

So Isaac left that place. He put up his tents in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham. For the Philistines had closed them up after the death of Abraham. And he gave them the same names that his father had given them.

Then his servants dug another well. And they argued about it also. So he gave it the name Sitnah.

So Isaac built an altar there. And he called upon the name of the Lord. He put up his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well.

Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar, with his friend Ahuzzath, and Phicol, the leader of his army.