Isaac
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Image:Icelandic Isaac sacrifice.jpg
- For other uses, see Isaac (disambiguation). For the Muslim view of Isaac, see Ishaq.
Isaac (Yitschak or Yitzhak) (יִצְחָק "laughed", Standard Hebrew Template:IPA, Tiberian Hebrew Template:IPA; Arabic اسحاق Template:IPA) 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.
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Name
Isaac was named because when his mother, Sarah, overheard that she would bear a child in her old age, she laughed (Genesis 18:10-15, 21:6-7). 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).
Isaac in the Hebrew Bible
Summary
Isaac was born to Abraham by his wife Sarah and was the only child they had together. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs (Genesis 21:1-3). Isaac was circumcised by his father when eight days old (Genesis 4-7); and a great feast was held in connection with his being weaned.Image:Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 035.jpg
Sarah choose the name Isaac, because the angel promised that she should become a mother, she being beyond the age of having children privately laughed at the prediction. When the child was born, she said "God had made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me". She suckled the child herself and would not suffer Ishmael to inherit with him, but prevailed on Abraham to turn him and his mother Hagar out of doors.
When Isaac was about twenty-five years of age, the Lord tried Abraham and commanded him to sacrifice his son. Abraham obeyed and took Isaac, with two of his servant, to the place the Lord should show him. On the third day, discerning the place (supposed to be mount Moriah), he took the wood as for a burn-offering, placed it on his son Isaac, and took fire in his hand and a knife. As they went together toward the mount, Isaac said, "Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the sacrifice for the burnt-offering?". Abraham answered. "My son, God will provide a sacrifice for himself." </br> Arrived at the appointed place, Abraham put the wood in order, bound his beloved Isaac as a sacrifice, and taking the knife, stretched forth his hand to kill him. But an angel of the Lord prevented the sacrifice and provided another sacrifice (a goat).
When Isaac was forty years of age, Abraham sent Eliezer, his steward, into Mesopotamia to procure a wife for him, from Laban, 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. </br> 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.
Isaac, having grown very old (137 years) and his sight being extremely weakened called Esau, his eldest son, and directed him to procure for him some venison. 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.
Genealogy of Isaac
Template:Adam to David Template:Sons of Abraham
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 in Qur'an
Isaac and Ishmael were given to Sarah, when she and Abraham was old of age. It is recorded that she laughed when God give her good tidings of the birth of Isaac (14:39)(11:71-72)(37:112-113).
The God whom Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac worshipped was the same God the sons of Jacob worshipped and surrendered to. They were called neither Jews nor Christians 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 the doing of good deeds and the right establishment of worship and giving of alms, and Isaac and Jacob were worshippers of God alone. </br> 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 and He assigned to them a high and true renown. </br> God established the prophethood and the Scripture among the seed of Isaac and Jacob and 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). </br> 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).ar:اسحاق ca:Isaac de:Isaak el:Ισαάκ es:Isaac fr:Isaac he:יצחק la:Isaac nl:Izaäk (persoon) ja:イサク no:Isak pl:Izaak (Biblia) pt:Isaac ru:Исаак fi:Iisak sv:Isak (patriark) zh:以撒