Genesis 26:6 — Word Study
WLCוַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִצְחָ֖ק בִּגְרָֽר׃
BSASo IsaacYitschâq [the son of Abraham, he laughs] settledyâshab▸ [dwelt, lived, stayed] in GerarGᵉrâr [a city of the Philistines, south of Gaza, as a resident, to remain]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב | and he dwelt | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| יִצְחָ֖ק | Isaac | Noun proper masculine |
| בִּגְרָֽר׃ | in Gerar | Preposition, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So Isaac settled in Gerar. |
| KJV | ¶ And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: |
| ASV | And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: |
| YLT | And Isaac dwelleth in Gerar; |
| WEB | Isaac lived in Gerar. |
| BBE | So Isaac went on living in Gerar; |
Where they part company is in the choice of words for יָשַׁב — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase that specifies the location.
2 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson & more — read them ›
clause
subjectיִצְחָק
verbיָשַׁב
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 26:6
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 Settles in Gerargenerated
Genesis 26:6 describes Isaac's decision to settle in Gerar, a city of the Philistines. This choice connects him to the land where his father, Abraham, had previously lived and interacted with the local king, Abimelech. The surrounding verses illustrate the challenges Isaac faced, including the need to protect his wife Rebekah from potential danger due to her beauty, as seen in Genesis 26:7.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 20:1 | Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָשַׁב, vai.Ye.shevgenerated
The verb יָשַׁב (yashab) means to dwell, sit, or remain. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to establishing a home. In this context, it indicates Isaac's decision to live in Gerar, highlighting his role in the ongoing narrative of his family's history.
The parsing shows that it is a sequential imperfect verb in the third person masculine singular, indicating an ongoing action. This suggests that Isaac's settlement in Gerar is not a temporary stay but a more permanent decision.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יָשַׁב governs the entire verse — he dwelt — with a prepositional phrase indicating where he settled: in Gerar. This structure emphasizes Isaac's action of settling in a specific location.
The Hebrew word order places the subject יִצְחָק (Isaac) before the verb, highlighting his identity as the one who is dwelling in Gerar.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
יָשַׁב is rendered in the Septuagint as κατῴκησεν (katoikēsen), which means 'he settled' or 'he dwelled'. This choice reflects a direct translation of the action of settling in a specific place.
The use of this Greek term suggests a focus on the permanence of Isaac's dwelling, aligning with the Hebrew meaning.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 26:6 tells us that Isaac settled in Gerar, a city of the Philistines. This decision connects him to the land where his father Abraham had lived. Isaac's time in Gerar is significant as it sets the stage for future events involving him and his family.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Isaac settled in Gerar to live among the Philistines, following his father's earlier interactions in the same region, as well as to find a place for his family.
The name Isaac means 'he laughs,' reflecting the joy of his parents, Abraham and Sarah, at his birth.
Isaac faced the challenge of protecting his wife Rebekah, fearing that the men of Gerar would kill him because of her beauty.
Isaac's story connects to Abraham's as he continues the patriarchal lineage and experiences similar interactions with the Philistines, particularly with King Abimelech.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean for me to dwell in a place or community, as Isaac did in Gerar?
- How can I reflect on the legacy of my family, like Isaac did with Abraham?
- What challenges might I face in my own 'Gerar' and how can I prepare for them?
- In what ways can I ensure that I protect those I love, as Isaac sought to protect Rebekah?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 26:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Isaac dwelt in Gerar. Continued there; in this he was obedient to the command and will of God.
Read John Gill on Genesis 26 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Isaac dwelt in Gerar: Isaac dwelt in Gerar; and the men of the place asked him of his wife.
Read Robert Jamieson 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 settled in Gerar.
Isaac lived in Gerar.
So Isaac settled in Gerar.
So Isaac settled in Gerar.
Tyndale line
¶ And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
So Izhak dwelt in Gerar.
Strictly literal
And Isaac dwelt at Gerar.
And Isaac dwelleth in Gerar;
And Isaac dwells in Gerar;
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.
So Isaac settled in Gerar.
From the Latin
So Isaac abode in Gerara.
Simplified
So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
So Isaac went on living in Gerar;
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 reads וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִצְחָ֖ק בִּגְרָֽר׃, and this is matched word-for-word by the Samaritan Pentateuch. The Septuagint also corresponds with the same three words, though its word order differs.
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִצְחָ֖ק בִּגְרָֽר׃
3 of the 3 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.
וישׁב יצחק בגרר
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 26:6
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.
יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
sit
sit, sit down
sit down
sit = be set (as a jewel)
remain, stay, tarry
with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
dwell, have one’s abode
of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
cause to sit
cause to abide
cause to dwell
cause cities to be inhabited
marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
base
H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell
3427 yashab yaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as
judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)
abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)
inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),
(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),
(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),
take, tarry.
יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.
1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sit, sit down
1a2) to be set
1a3) to remain, stay
1a4) to dwell, have one's abode
1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
1c) (Piel) to set, place
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to sit
1d2) to cause to abide, set
1d3) to cause to dwell
1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be inhabited
1e2) to make to dwell
Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
יִצְחָק (Yitschaq) refers to Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, whose name means 'he laughs.' The entries indicate that he is a significant figure in the Old Testament, mentioned first in Genesis 17:19, and is the father of Jacob and Esau. The word is built from the root associated with laughter or mockery.
יִצְחָק 108, יִשְׂחָק 4 n.pr.m. Isaac, son of Abr. and Sarah (he laugheth)
base
H3327 יִצְחָק, יִשְׂחָק Isaac, son of Abr. and Sarah (he laugheth)
3327 Yitschaq yits-khawk'
from 6711; laughter (i.e. mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son
of Abraham:--Isaac. Compare 3446.
see HEBREW for 06711
see HEBREW for 03446
יִצְחָק (yits.chaq) — Isaac.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.17.19;
son of: Abraham (H0085) and Sarah (H8283);
half-brother of: Ishmael (H3458), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); married to Rebekah (H7259);
father of: Esau (H6215) and Israel (H3478)
§ Isaac = "he laughs"
son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
i'-zak:oIT- (CS:HebrewIT+`iruIT-/CS): Eldest son of Caleb (1Ch 4:15); probably to be read Ir, the syllable "-u" being the conjunction "and" belonging to the following word.
I. NAME
1. Root, Forms, Analogues
2. Implication
II. FAMILY AND KINDRED
1. Birth and Place in the Family
2. Relation to the Religious Birthright
3. Significance of Marriage
III. STORY OF LIFE
1. Previous to Marriage
2. Subsequent to Marriage
IV. BIBLICAL REFERENCES
1. In the Old Testament
2. In the New Testament
V. VIEWS OTHER THAN THE HISTORICAL
I. Name.
1. Root, Forms and Analogues:
This name has the double spelling, yitschaq, and yitschaq (Isaak), corresponding to the two forms in which appears the root meaning "to laugh"--a root that runs through nearly all the Semitic languages. In Hebrew both tsachaq and sachaq have their cognate nouns, and signify, in the simple stem, "to…
Isaac
Laughter. (1) Israel, or the kingdom of the ten tribes (Amos 7:9, 16).
(2.) The only son of Abraham by Sarah. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs (Gen. 21:1-3). He was circumcised when eight days old (4-7); and when he was probably two years old a great feast was held in connection with his being weaned.
The next memorable event in his life is that connected with the command of God given to Abraham to offer him up as a sacrifice on a mountain in the land of Moriah (Gen. 22). (See ABRAHAM.) When he was forty years of age Rebekah was chosen for his wife (Gen. 24). After the death and burial of his father he took up his residence at Beer-lahai-roi (25:7-11), where his two sons, Esau and Jacob, were born (21-26), the former of whom seems to have been his favourite son…
(laughter), the son whom Sara bore to Abraham, in the hundredth year of his age, at Gerar. (B.C. 1897.) In his infancy he became the object of Ishmael’s jealousy; and in his youth the victim, in intention, of Abraham’s great sacrificial act of faith. When forty years old he married Rebekah his cousin, by whom, when he was sixty, he had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Driven by famine to Gerar, he acquired great wealth by his flocks but was repeatedly dispossessed by the Philistines of the wells which he sunk at convenient stations. After the deceit by which Jacob acquired his father’s blessing Isaac sent his son to seek a wife in Padan-aram; and all that we know of him during the last forty-three years of his life in that he saw that GOD, with a large and prosperous family, return to him at Hebron. (Genesis 36:27) before he died there, at…
Laughter, Ge 17:17 18:12 21:6, one of the patriarchal ancestors of the Hebrew nation and of Christ, son of Abraham and Sarah, B. C. 1896-1705. His history is related in Ge 21:1-34 24:1-28:22 35:27-29. He is memorable for the circumstances attending his birth, as a child of prophecy and promise, in the old age of his parents. Even in childhood he was the object of dislike to his brother Ishmael, son of the bondwoman; and in this, a type of all children of the promise, Ga 4:29. Trained in the fear of God to early manhood, he showed a noble trust and obedience in his conduct during that remarkable trail of faith which established Abraham as the "father of the faithful;" and in his meek submission to all the will of God…
גְּרָר (ge.rar) refers to Gerar, a Philistine city located south of Gaza, often identified with the modern site of Umm Jerâr. The name is thought to mean 'a lodging place' and is derived from a term meaning a rolling country.
גְּרָר n.pr.loc. south of Gaza, usually identif. with mod. Umm Jerâr
base
H1642 גְּרָר south of Gaza, usually identif. with mod. Umm Jerâr
1642 Grar gher-awr'
probably from 1641; a rolling country; Gerar, a Philistine
city:--Gerar.
see HEBREW for 01641
גְּרָר (ge.rar) — Gerar.
§ Gerar = "a lodging place"
a Philistine town south of Gaza, modern 'Umm'
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npl
ge'-rar (gerar, "circle," "region"; Gerara): A town in the Philistine plain South of Gaza (Ge 10:19), where both Abraham and Isaac ' sojourned for a time, and where they came into contact with Abimelech, king of Gerar (Ge 20 and 26, passim). The place has not been fully identified, but the site is probably in one of the branches of Wady Sheri`a, at a place called Um Jerrar, near the coast Southwest of Gaza and 9 miles from it (SWP, III, 389-90). The site answers fairly well to the statements of Eusebius and Jerome, Eusebius, Onomasticon, that it was 25 (Roman) miles South of Eleutheropolis (Beit Jibrin). It is actually 30 English miles, but distances were not very accurately determined in early times. Gerar was known in the first 5 centuries AD, when it was the seat of a bishopric, and its bishop, Marcian, attended the Council of…
Gerar
A region; lodging-place, a very ancient town and district in the south border of Palestine, which was ruled over by a king named Abimelech (Gen. 10:19; 20:1, 2). Abraham sojourned here, and perhaps Isaac was born in this place. Both of these patriarchs were guilty of the sin of here denying their wives, and both of them entered into a treaty with the king before they departed to Beersheba (21:23-34; 26). It seems to have been a rich pastoral country (2 Chr. 14:12-18). Isaac here reaped an hundred-fold, and was blessed of God (Gen. 26:12). The “valley of Gerar” (Gen. 26:17) was probably the modern Wady el-Jerdr.
(a lodging-place), a very ancient city south of Gaza. It occurs chiefly in Genesis, (Genesis 10:19; 20:1; 26:17) also incidentally in (2 Chronicles 14:13,14) It must have trenched on the "south" or "south country" of later Palestine. From a comparison of (Genesis 21:32) with Genesis26:23,26 Beersheba would seem to be just on the verge of this territory, and perhaps to be its limit towards the northeast.