John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 26:2
And the Lord appeared unto him ,.... In a vision or dream, when he was at Gerar: and said, go not down into Egypt ; as his father had done in the like case, and where Isaac thought to have gone, and the rather, as that was a fruitful country; and so the Targum of Jonathan,"and it was in the heart of Isaac to go down into Egypt, and the Lord appeared unto him, &c.;'and charged him not to go thither; partly to try his faith in him, and dependence on his providence for support in this... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 26:1-5
Here, I. God tried Isaac by his providence. Isaac had been trained up in a believing dependence upon the divine grant of the land of Canaan to him and his heirs; yet now there is a famine in the land, Gen. 26:1. What shall he think of the promise when the promised land will not find him bread? Isa. such a grant worth accepting, upon such terms, and after so long a time? Yes, Isaac will still cleave to the covenant; and the less valuable Canaan in itself seems to be the better he is taught to... read more