Genesis 26:30 — Word Study
WLCוַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וַיֹּאכְל֖וּ וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃
BSASo [Isaac] preparedʻâsâh▸ [made, had ready] a feastmishteh [banquet, celebration] and they ateʼâkal▸ [devoured, consumed] and drankshâthâh▸ [partook, imbibed]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֤עַשׂ | and he prepared | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לָהֶם֙ | for them | Preposition, suffix |
| מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה | a feast | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וַיֹּאכְל֖וּ | and they ate | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃ | and they drank | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank. |
| KJV | And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. |
| ASV | And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. |
| YLT | And he maketh for them a banquet, and they eat and drink, |
| WEB | He made them a feast, and they ate and drank. |
| BBE | Then he made a feast for them, and they all had food and drink. |
The translations agree on the meaning of עָשָׂה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence features a main clause followed by two actions performed by the guests, creating a clear sequence of events.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָשָׂה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 26:30
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Isaac's Hospitalitygenerated
Genesis 26:30 recounts how Isaac, after making a peace agreement, prepared a feast for his guests. This gesture of hospitality reflects the cultural importance of sharing meals, especially in the context of reconciliation and friendship. The following verses illustrate the aftermath of this gathering, emphasizing the peaceful relationship between Isaac and those he hosted.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 19:3 | But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. |
| 2 | Genesis 21:8 | So the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. |
| 3 | Genesis 31:54 | Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. |
| 4 | Romans 12:18 | If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. |
| 5 | Hebrews 12:14 | Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָשָׂה, vai.Ya.'asgenerated
The verb עָשָׂה (asah) means to make or do something, and is used extensively throughout the Hebrew Bible. It encompasses a wide range of actions, from creating and producing to preparing and observing tasks. In this verse, it indicates Isaac's active role in hosting and providing for his guests.
This verb appears in various forms and contexts, indicating both concrete actions, like making a feast, and abstract ones, such as fulfilling a command. The Qal form here shows Isaac's direct involvement in the act of preparation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses prepared for עָשָׂה.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיַּ֤עַשׂ (and he prepared) governs the sentence, indicating Isaac's action. The structure is straightforward, with the feast being the object of the verb, followed by the actions of the guests.
The sentence flows logically, with Isaac's preparation leading directly to the guests' actions of eating and drinking, illustrating the sequence of events.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עָשָׂה as ἐποίησεν (he made), which carries the same sense of creation or preparation. This choice emphasizes the act of making something ready for others.
The translation reflects the same hospitality theme, showing that the Greek translators understood the importance of this act in the narrative.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 26:30 describes how Isaac prepared a feast for his guests, and they ate and drank together. This action highlights Isaac's hospitality and the importance of sharing a meal in fostering relationships.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies Isaac's hospitality and willingness to celebrate and strengthen relationships through shared meals.
Meals often symbolize community, reconciliation, and covenant relationships, reinforcing bonds between people.
Isaac's preparation of a feast teaches us the value of hospitality and the importance of welcoming others.
This verse connects to themes of peace and reconciliation, as seen in other stories where meals signify unity and friendship.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I practice hospitality in my own life, following Isaac's example?
- What are some ways that sharing a meal can strengthen relationships in my community?
- In what situations have I experienced the significance of a shared meal?
- How does the act of eating together reflect deeper spiritual truths in my faith?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers comment on Isaac's hospitality and virtue, drawing lessons from his actions in this verse.
For it is certain that he who serves the Word “is debtor to the wise and the unwise.” Because, therefore, he is producing a feast for the wise, for this reason it is said that “he made” not a small but “a great feast.”And you,Early Church Fathers on Genesis 26 →
Let us imitate Isaac’s goodness; let us imitate his purity. Isaac was certainly a good and virtuous man, devoted to God and faithful to his wife. He did not return evil for evil.Early Church Fathers on Genesis 26 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 26:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he made them a feast,.... Made a feast like a king, for the king and his grandees; he treated them in a generous way, according to their dignity, and agreeable to his own disposition and
Read John Gill on Genesis 26 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThen Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. Then Abimelech went to him.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 26 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsGenesis 26:30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.Ver. 30. And he made them a feast.] Not to mischief them thereat, as Absalom did Amnon, as Alexander did Philotas, as the great Turk doth the nobles whom he intends to strangle; but to show there was no rancour or purpose of revenge. Turk. Hist.
Read John Trapp on Genesis 26 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 30. He made them a feast] Probably on the sacrifice that was offered on the occasion of making this covenant. This was a common custom.
Read AdamClarke on Genesis 26 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges30. a feast] A “feast” was partaken of by the two parties in a covenant. Cf. Genesis 31:54. Here it is an evening “drinking banquet” cf. Genesis 19:3.
Read Cambridge on Genesis 26 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible30. Made them a feast — Thus returning good for evil, and overcoming evil with good.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 26 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
So Isaac prepared a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
So Isaac held a feast for them and they celebrated.
Tyndale line
And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
Then hee made them a feast, and they dyd eate and drinke.
Strictly literal
And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
And he maketh for them a banquet, and they eat and drink,
And he makes a banquet for them, and they eat and drink,
And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.
So Isaac made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
From the Latin
And he made them a feast, and after they had eaten and drunk:
Simplified
So Isaac had a special meal prepared to celebrate the agreement. They ate and drank,
Then he made a feast for them, and they all had food and drink.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is matched by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew. The Septuagint also corresponds closely, maintaining the same key terms, though its word order differs.
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וַיֹּאכְל֖וּ וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ויעשׂ להם משׁתה ויאכלו וישׁתו
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 26:30
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.
עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make
Qal 2524
do (1560 t.)
deal with
oft. in phr. do kindness with
abs. act, act with effect
make (670 t.)
produce, yield
prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
make offering
attend to, put in order
observe, celebrate, religious festival
acquire property of various kinds
appoint priests
bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
use
spend, pass, days of life
Niph.
97be done
be made, of concr. things
be produced from vine
be prepared, of food
be offered
be observed, passover
be used
Pu. I was made
base
[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze
base
H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)
. deal with
. oft. in phr. do kindness with
. abs. act, act with effect
. . make (670 + t.)
. produce, yield
. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
. make offering
. attend to, put in order
. observe, celebrate, religious festival
. acquire property of various kinds
. appoint priests
. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
. use
. spend, pass, days of life
. . be done
. . be made, of concr. things
. be produced from vine
. be prepared, of food
. be offered
. be observed, passover
. be used
. I was made
H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze
6213 `asah aw-saw'
a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and
widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,
appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,
bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal
(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)
execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +
finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go
about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X
indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,
make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,
bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,
provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,
spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be
(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.
: do/perform
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
1a2c) to prepare
1a2d) to make (an offering)
1a2e) to attend to, put in order
1a2f) to observe, celebrate
1a2g) to acquire (property)
1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute
1a2i) to bring about
1a2j) to use
1a2k) to spend, pass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be done
1b2) to be made
1b3) to be produced
1b4) to be offered
1b5) to be observed
1b6) to be used
1c) (Pual) to be made
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.
(Piel) to press, squeeze
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.
: make(OBJECT)
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HRd/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp3mp
מִשְׁתֶּה (mishteh) refers to a feast or banquet, as well as the act of drinking. It is derived from a root meaning to drink and encompasses both the act of drinking and the social gatherings associated with it. The term is noted in various contexts, including celebrations and meals.
מִשְׁתֶּה 45 n.m. 1. feast. 2. drink
base
H4960 מִשְׁתֶּה 1. feast. 2. drink
4960 mishteh mish-teh'
from 8354; drink, by implication, drinking (the act); also
(by implication) a banquet or (generally) feast:--banquet,
drank, drink, feast((-ed), -ing).
see HEBREW for 08354
מִשְׁתֶּה (mish.teh) — feast.
1) feast, drink, banquet
1a) feast, banquet
1b) drink
Aramaic equivalent: mish.teh (מִשְׁתֶּה "feast" H4961)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Feast
As a mark of hospitality (Gen. 19:3; 2 Sam. 3:20; 2 Kings 6:23); on occasions of domestic joy (Luke 15:23; Gen. 21:8); on birthdays (Gen. 40:20; Job 1:4; Matt. 14:6); and on the occasion of a marriage (Judg. 14:10; Gen. 29:22).
אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.
אָכַל 806 vb. eat
Qal
eat, human subject
of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
fig. of fire, devour, consume
of sword, devour, slay
in genl., devour, consume, destroy
fig. of oppression, devour the poor
Niph.
be eaten by man
be devoured by fire, consumed
be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
Pu. be consumed
Hiph.
cause to eat, feed with
cause to devoure, obj. sword
base
H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject
. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour
. fig. of fire, devour, consume
. of sword, devour, slay
. in genl., devour, consume, destroy
. fig. of oppression, devour the poor
. . be eaten by man
. be devoured by fire, consumed
. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh
. be consumed
. . cause to eat, feed with
. cause to devoure, obj. sword
398 'akal aw-kal'
a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at
all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),
feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)
meat, X quite.
אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.
1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to eat (human subject)
1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)
1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)
1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)
1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)
1a6) to devour (of oppression)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be eaten (by men)
1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)
1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to cause to eat, feed with
1c2) to cause to devour
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to feed
1d2) to cause to eat
1e) (Piel)
1e1) consume
Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
שָׁתָה (shathah) means 'to drink' and can refer to both literal drinking and figurative uses, such as feasting or experiencing God's wrath. It is a primitive root that appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating actions like drinking and being drunk. The lexicons note its connection to the Aramaic equivalent שְׁתָה (she.tah), but do not present significant disagreements.
שָׁתָה 217 vb. drink
Qal 216
Niph. all which is (may be) drunk
base
H8354 שָׁתָה drink
8354 shathah shaw-thaw'
a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively):--X
assuredly, banquet, X certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk
(X -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of 8248.)
see HEBREW for 08248
שָׁתָה (sha.tah) — to drink.
1) to drink
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to drink
1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig)
1a2) to feast
1b) (Niphal) to be drunk
Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp