And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

GENESIS 26:7KJV
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Genesis 26:7 (KJV)

What does Genesis 26:7 mean?

Genesis 26:7 describes how Isaac, when asked by the men of the place about his wife Rebekah, claimed she was his sister because he was afraid they might kill him to take her, since she was very beautiful. Isaac’s answer was driven by fear for his own safety rather than honesty about his relationship with Rebekah.

Isaac is living in a foreign land, and the local men (likely Philistines) notice Rebekah’s attractiveness. Fearing for his life, Isaac tells them Rebekah is his sister, echoing a similar situation with his father Abraham. The verse highlights Isaac’s concern for self-preservation and sets up the tension that follows in the story.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 26:7

  • men (אֲנָשִׁים, ʾanashim): This word refers to the adult males of the place, emphasizing that Isaac’s fear was of the local men who had the power to harm him.
  • feared (יָרֵא, yare): The Hebrew word used here means to be afraid or to fear. It shows that Isaac’s motivation was genuine fear for his life, not just nervousness or discomfort.
  • fair (טוֹב, tov) and upon (מַרְאֶה, mar’eh): The phrase “fair to look upon” uses “tov” (good, beautiful) and “mar’eh” (appearance), stressing that Rebekah’s physical beauty was the reason for Isaac’s concern.

Why Genesis 26:7 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Isaac’s deception was motivated by fear for his own life, not just a lack of trust or random dishonesty.
  • The situation closely mirrors Abraham’s earlier experiences, highlighting a recurring family pattern and the challenges of living as outsiders in foreign lands.
  • Understanding Isaac’s fear and actions helps explain the events that follow in the chapter, where the truth about Rebekah is eventually discovered.

Where else these words appear

“Rebekah” Hebrew H7259 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 22:23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
  • Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
  • Genesis 27:5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

“upon” Hebrew H4758 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
  • Deuteronomy 28:67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
  • Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

“sister” Hebrew H269 · used in 104 verses

  • Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
  • Leviticus 18:18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
  • Job 1:4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.