Genesis 26:12-17

ISAAC TURNS TO AGRICULTURE

"And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year a hundred fold: and Jehovah blessed him. And the man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great: And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household: and the Philistines envied him. Now all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we. And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there."

"And Isaac sowed in that land ..." "This is the first mention of seed-sowing in the Bible."[6] If the famine mentioned earlier was due to drought, which is likely, the abundant rains that followed in the next year would have made such an abundance. With increases of such dimensions as these, Jehovah did indeed bless Isaac. Significantly, his wealth, compared even to that of Abraham, seems to have been multiplied fantastically. Even a king and his people became envious of him, that being always one of the consequences of growing wealthy or powerful.

"The Philistines had stopped ..." This verse (Genesis 26:15) appears to be anticipative, one of the characteristics of Genesis, which occurs over and over, indicating its unity, integrity, and singleness of authorship. This paragraph relates Isaac's removal to the valley of Gerar, the abundant crops mentioned having been reaped in the nearer vicinity of the city of Gerar, the Philistine capital. The wells which Abraham had digged were in the area of Beer-lahairoi and Beersheba, perhaps also being in the valley of Gerar approaching that area; and as the next episode will deal with the wells in the Gerar valley area, the fact of their having been stopped up by the envious Philistines is related here somewhat out of context.

"And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there ..." How long he stayed in that place is not stated; but the next scene finds him again near the home he left when he went unto Abimelech (Genesis 26:1). This place was, "three hours southeast of Gaza, the same as the modern Joorf-el-Gerar."[7]