The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about.
- KJV And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
- NKJV Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.
- NASB And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.
- NLT The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Yahweh appears to Isaac, forbidding him to go to Egypt and directing him to stay in the land.
Overview
God personally intervenes to keep Isaac within the promised land rather than seeking refuge in Egypt. This is the first recorded appearance of the Lord to Isaac, marking him as a true heir of the covenant. The command calls Isaac to trust God's provision in the land of promise.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gen 12:7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Gen 12:1Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.
- Gen 17:1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
- Gen 18:1Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
- Ps 37:3Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
- Gen 18:10–20Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 26:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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