Isaac

Isaac or Yitzchak (Hebrew: יִצְחָק Yiẓḥaq Arabic: إسحٰق, ʾIsḥāq ; "he will laugh") is the son and heir of Abraham and the father of Jacob and Esau, as described in the Hebrew Bible. His story is told in the Book of Genesis.

Isaac in the Hebrew Bible

Birth and Youth

The biblical story of Isaac begins with a prediction from God that Abraham's wife will bear a son named Isaac. Although Abraham already has a son, Ishamel, through Sarah's Egtyptian slave-woman, it is through Isaac that will inherit God's covenant. (Gen. 17:19) Isaac would be the longest lived of the three great patriarchs. His name, meaning to laugh, is related to various verses in which either Sarah or Abraham laugh at the idea that they could have a son at such an old age (she was 90, he 100).

Sarah suckled the child herself and Abraham gave a great feast on his weaning day. During the festivities, however, Hagar's son Ishmael, adopted a mocking attitude (21:9). As there was already bad blood between the two women, Sarah attempted to convince Abraham to be rid of the slave woman and her son. Abraham restists, be the biblical authors inform as that God intervenes on Sarah's behalf, saying:

Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." (21:12-13)

Isaac and Hagar are banished to the desert, and we are told that his mother eventually finds a wife for him in Egypt.

The Binding

An unspecified time elapses, and Isaac, now a young man, faces a tremendous test. God commands Abraham to offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham obeys and takes Isaac, together with two slaves, to the place "the Lord would show him. On the third day, discerning the place (identified elsewhere as Mount Moriah), Abraham cuts wood as for a burn-offering.

Renbrandt's version of the angel hindering the sacrifice of Isaac.

As they go together toward the mount, the bewildered Isaac asks, "We have the fire and the wood, but where is the sacrifice for the burnt-offering?" Whether merely placating his victim or perhaps uttering an unknowing prophecy, Abraham tells Isaac that God himself will provide the sacrifice. He then places the wood on Isaac, and prepares to slay him with a knife.

At this point an angel of Yahweh intervenes and damatically prevents the slaughter saying "do nothing to the lad, for now I know that you fear God." Abraham then discovers a ram caught in a nearby thicket, and this becomes the sacrifice in Isaac's place.

Apparently deeply relieved, God immediately renews his covenant with Abraham, saying:

"I swear by myself.... that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." (Gen. 16-18)

Besides being one of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible, the incident is also one of the most discussed (see below).

Isaac's family now move to Beersheba. However, his mother is reported to have died, at age 127, at Hebron. (Gen. 17:1-2)

Midlife

When Isaac was forty years of age, Abraham sent Eliezer, his steward, into Mesopotamia to procure a wife for him, from Bethuel, his brother-in-law's family. Rebekah was sent and became the wife of Isaac. Being barren, Isaac prayed for her and God granted her the favour of conception. She was delivered of twins, named Esau and Jacob. Isaac favoured Esau, and Rebekah Jacob.

Some years afterwards, a famine obliged Isaac to retire to Gerar, where Abimelech was king, and as his father has done previously, he reported that Rebekah was his sister. Abimelech, having discovered that she was his wife reproved him for the deception.
Isaac grew very rich and his flocks multiplying, the Philistines of Gerar were so envious that they filled up all the wells which Isaac's servants had dug. At the desire of Abimelech he departed and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar where he dug new wells, but was again put to some difficulties. At length, he returned to Beersheba where he fixed his habitation. Here the Lord appeared to him, and renewed the promise of blessing him. Also Abimelech visited him to form an alliance.

Old Age and Death

Isaac, having grown very old (137 years) and his sight being extremely weakened, called Esau, his eldest son, and directed him to procure some venison for him. But while Esau was hunting, Jacob sneakily obtained the blessing, so that Isaac could only give Esau a secondary blessing. Isaac lived some time after this, and sent Jacob into Mesopotamia to take a wife of his own family.

Isaac in the New Testament

In the New Testament, reference is made to his having been "offered up" by his father (Heb. 11:17; James 2:21), and to his blessing his sons (Heb. 11:20). As the child of promise, he is contrasted with Ishmael (Rom. 9:7, 10; Gal. 4:28; Heb. 11:18).

Isaac, many Christians have come to believe, is a representation of us, who were condemned to death by our evil deeds. And it was by his faith that Abraham saved his child from death, and God provided a worthy sacrifice for himself, a sheep, symbolizing Christ.

Isaac in Qur'an

Isaac was given to Sarah, when she and Abraham were old. It is recorded that she laughed when God gave her good tidings of Isaac's birth (14:39)(11:71-72)(37:112-113).

According to the Qur'an, the God (Arabic:Allah) whom Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac worshipped was the same God the sons of Jacob worshipped and surrendered to. They were called neither Jewish nor Arabs in that time, but were considered righteous. Isaac and Jacob were made chiefs who guided by the command of God, and God inspired in them to do good deeds and establish worship and the giving of alms. Isaac and Jacob were worshippers of God alone.
Isaac and Jacob are descendants of Abraham, who is called from a place where people were worshipping idols. Isaac and Jacob are both considered prophets and were given the mercy of God. He assigned to them a high and true renown.
God established the prophethood and the Scripture among the seed of Isaac and Jacob, and they were rewarded in the world (19:49-50)(21:72-73)(29:27).

The Qu'ran states that it makes no distinction between which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which other prophets received from God (2:133-140)(3:84)

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are called the forefathers of Joseph, upon whom God had perfected His grace. Joseph followed the same religion as his father (12:6)(12:38).
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are called bondmen of God and were purified with a pure thought ('remembrance of the Home/Hereafter') and were in the sight of God of the elect and the excellent (38:45-47).

According to Islamic beliefs, it was Ismael and not Isaac whom Abraham nearly sacrificed in the name of Allah {al-Saaffaat 37:99-113}. A modern debate on this topic may be found at: [1].

Critical View

Three explanations for Isaac's name are given: the first is that his mother Sarai(Sarah) laughed when told by God that she would have a son in her old age (Genesis 17:16-17); in the second, it is Sarah who laughs (Genesis 18:10-12); and in the third, Sarah exclaims following the birth that "God has made laughter for me; every one who hears will laugh over me." (Genesis 21:6-7). The name is also translated as "He will rejoice."

Some commentators believe that in the Book of Amos there is some suggestion that Israel may actually be another name for Isaac (Amos 7:9, 16) despite the Bible stating that Israel is the later name given to Isaac's son Jacob (Genesis 32:22-28, especially 28).

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