Isaac means “he laughs.”
Isaac was named by God, and he was the son of promise miraculously born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Isaac grew up in Mamre or Hebron and was a joy to his parents.
When he was a youth, Abraham nearly sacrificed him in obedience to God, before God intervened.
When Isaac was forty years old he married Rebekah, but she could not conceive children until, in answer to Isaac’s prayer, God blessed them with twins named Esau and Jacob. Isaac’s household lived a generally nomadic life in the Land of Canaan. God prospered Isaac greatly and affirmed the Abrahamic Covenant promises to Issac: the Land of Canaan, many seed or offspring, and blessing to the world through a particular offspring of Abraham and Isaac.
Isaac loved his eldest son Esau, but in keeping with God’s prophetic revelation to Rebekah, Jacob obtained the family birthright and received Isaac’s special blessing. Isaac gave Jacob a further blessing and charged him to find a wife from Rebekah’s brother’s family. Isaac lived a full and relatively peaceful life. He died at age 180 years. Jacob and Esau buried Isaac in Mamre (Hebron) where Sarah and Abraham were buried and where Rebekah would be buried as well.
Key verses: Genesis 17:19; 21:1-5; Romans 9:7-9 Genesis 25:20,21; 26:3-5; 28:1-4 35:27-29 Matthew 1:2; 8:11; 22:32 Galatians 4:28 Hebrews 11:9,18,20
