Study Desk

But Jacob said, "First, promise me that you will give it to me." So Esau made a promise to Jacob and sold his part of their father's wealth to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and vegetable soup, and he ate and drank, and then left. So Esau showed how little he cared about his rights as the firstborn son.

Now there was a time of hunger in the land, besides the time of hunger that happened during Abraham's life. So Isaac went to the town of Gerar to see Abimelech king of the Philistines.

So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

His wife Rebekah was very beautiful, and the men of that place asked Isaac about her. Isaac said, "She is my sister," because he was afraid to tell them she was his wife. He thought they might kill him so they could have her.

Abimelech called for Isaac and said, "This woman is your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?" Isaac said to him, "I was afraid you would kill me so you could have her."

So Abimelech warned everyone, "Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death."

He had so many slaves and flocks and herds that the Philistines envied him.

So they stopped up all the wells the servants of Isaac's father Abraham had dug. (They had dug them when Abraham was alive.) The Philistines filled those wells with dirt.

So Isaac left that place and camped in the Valley of Gerar and lived there.

Long before this time Abraham had dug many wells, but after he died, the Philistines filled them with dirt. So Isaac dug those wells again and gave them the same names his father had given them.

But the herdsmen of Gerar argued with them and said, "This water is ours." So Isaac named that well Argue because they argued with him.

He moved from there and dug another well. No one argued about this one, so he named it Room Enough. Isaac said, "Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be successful in this land."

So Isaac built an altar and worshiped the Lord there. He also made a camp there, and his servants dug a well.

So Isaac prepared food for them, and they all ate and drank.

So Isaac named it Shibah and that city is called Beersheba even now.

When Isaac was old, his eyesight was poor, so he could not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, "Son." Esau answered, "Here I am."

So take your bow and arrows and go hunting in the field for an animal for me to eat.

So Esau went out in the field to hunt. Rebekah was listening as Isaac said this to his son Esau.

So obey me, my son, and do what I tell you.