Original Word: יִצְחָק
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yitschaq
Pronunciation: yits-khawk'
Phonetic Spelling: (yits-khawk')
KJV: Isaac
NASB: Isaac, Isaac's
Word Origin: [from H6711 (צָּחַק - laugh)]

1. laughter (i.e. mockery)
2. Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham

Isaac

From tsachaq; laughter (i.e. Mochery); Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham -- Isaac. Compare Yischaq.

see HEBREW tsachaq

see HEBREW Yischaq

Word Origin
from tsachaq
Definition
"he laughs," son of Abraham and Sarah
NASB Translation
Isaac (109), Isaac's (3).

יִצְחָק₁₀₈, יִשְׂחָק₄

proper name, masculine Ισαακ: Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah (he laugheth, compare play upon name Genesis 18:12f. (J), Genesis 21:6 (E), Genesis 17:17,19 (P); Genesis 26:8 (J)); — יִצְחָק Genesis 21:3,4,5 (E) +, Genesis 24:62,63,67 (J) +, Genesis 17:19,21 (P) +, (80 t. Genesis, 9 t. Exodus, 7 t. Deuteronomy), Leviticus 26:42; Numbers 32:11; Joshua 24:3,4; 1 Kings 18:36; 2Chron 13:23; 1 Chronicles 1:28,34 (twice in verse); 1 Chronicles 16:16; 1 Chronicles 29:18; 2Chronicles 30:6; יִשְׂחָק Jeremiah 33:26; Psalm 105:9, and (=Israel) בָּמוֺת יִשְׂחָק Amos 7:9, בֵּית יִשְׂחָק vAmos 7:16.

צחר (√ of following; compare Arabic XI. dry up, become yellow [parched by sun], reddish-gray colour (see Müll^{Königsb. Stud. i. 6})).

Overview

Isaac (יִצְחָק, Strong’s Hebrew 3327) appears about one hundred eight times in the Hebrew Scriptures, chiefly in Genesis 17–35 and thereafter as part of the covenant formula “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” He is the promised son through whom the Abrahamic covenant was confirmed, a patriarch whose life bridges the era of Abraham and Jacob and anticipates messianic redemption.

Birth and Covenant Promise

• Announced before conception (Genesis 17:19) and miraculously born to Abraham and Sarah when Abraham was one hundred years old (Genesis 21:1–7).
• His name, related to “laughter,” memorializes both the incredulous joy at his birth and the covenant faithfulness of God.
• God declares, “I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him” (Genesis 17:19).

The Weaning Celebration and Separation from Ishmael

• Isaac’s weaning feast (Genesis 21:8) marks a transition from vulnerability to recognized heir.
• Sarah’s demand that Ishmael be sent away (Genesis 21:9–14) highlights the distinction between the child of promise and the child “according to the flesh,” a contrast later expounded in Galatians 4:28–31.

The Binding of Isaac (Akedah)

• Genesis 22:1–19 records Abraham’s supreme test: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love… and offer him.”
• Isaac’s silent submission prefigures Christ’s willing sacrifice. Hebrews 11:17–19 interprets the event as a resurrection type: Abraham “reasoned that God could raise the dead.”
• The episode ends with covenant reaffirmation: “Through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 22:18).

Marriage to Rebekah and Continuity of the Promise

• Genesis 24 underscores covenant purity: Isaac does not return to Mesopotamia; the bride is brought to him.
• Their union, forged in prayer and providence (Genesis 24:63–67), preserves the promised line within the land.

Father of Esau and Jacob

• Rebekah’s twins fulfill “two nations are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23).
• Isaac’s partiality toward Esau (Genesis 25:28) and the subsequent deception over the blessing (Genesis 27) reveal both human weakness and divine sovereignty: “the older shall serve the younger.”

Patriarchal Sojourns and Theophanies

• Genesis 26 is the sole chapter devoted exclusively to Isaac. Key features:

– Famine test and command, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I will tell you” (26:2).

– Reiteration of oath: “I will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham” (26:3).

– Re‐digging the patriarchal wells—Esek, Sitnah, Rehoboth, and Beersheba—symbolizes persistence in rightful inheritance.

– Divine appearance at Beersheba: “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (26:24).

Death and Burial

• Isaac blesses Jacob again before departure to Paddan-aram (Genesis 28:1–4).
• Lives to one hundred eighty years (Genesis 35:28–29) and is buried by Esau and Jacob in the cave of Machpelah, maintaining patriarchal unity at death.

Isaac in the Covenant Formula

After Genesis, יִצְחָק regularly appears in declarations of God’s enduring covenant:
• Exodus 3:6, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
• Leviticus 26:42; Deuteronomy 1:8; 6:10; Psalm 105:9 confirm land, nation, and blessing promises.
• Prophets invoke his name when pleading for mercy (2 Kings 13:23) or warning of judgment (Amos 7:9, 16).

Representative Prophetic References

• Amos 7 differentiates “high places of Isaac” (cultic apostasy) from the pure covenant ideals.
• Jeremiah 33:26 cites the patriarchal trio to assure unbreakable divine covenant despite national sin.

Occasional Historical Mentions

• Elijah’s prayer at Carmel (1 Kings 18:36) appeals to the God of “Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,” linking prophetic ministry with patriarchal faith.
• Hezekiah’s revival letters reference “the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel” (2 Chronicles 30:6), illustrating the reformers’ return to foundational truths.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Miracle Birth and New Creation: Isaac’s birth foretells the supernatural advent of Christ and stands as a model for believers born “not of the will of the flesh, but of God.”
2. Substitutionary Atonement Foreshadowed: The ram “caught in the thicket” (Genesis 22:13) underscores the provision of a substitute, fulfilled in the Lamb of God.
3. Covenant Continuity: Isaac’s life assures that the promises are transmitted intact through generations, demonstrating God’s faithfulness independent of human frailty.
4. Pilgrim Obedience: His residency in Gerar and disputes over wells teach conflict navigation while maintaining testimony.
5. Intercessory Model: Patriarchal invocation in prayer (Exodus 32:13; 1 Kings 18:36) encourages believers to ground petitions in God’s sworn word.

Practical Lessons for Today

• Wait for God’s timing; the twenty-five-year delay between promise and birth shaped Abraham and Sarah’s faith and produced a testimony of divine power.
• Yieldedness: Isaac’s acquiescence on Moriah pictures the believer’s call to trust the Father despite perplexity.
• Generational Faithfulness: Isaac relays the covenant to Jacob, modeling intentional blessing over children and continuity of worship.

Summary

Isaac embodies promised life, sacrificial faith, and covenant continuity. His quiet but pivotal role reinforces that God’s redemptive plan advances through both dramatic acts and steady obedience, securing an everlasting inheritance for all who are children of the promise.

בְיִצְחָ֔ק ביצחק וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִצְחָ֔ק וְיִצְחָ֛ק וְיִצְחָֽק׃ וְיִצְחָק֙ וּלְיִצְחָ֖ק ויצחק ויצחק׃ וליצחק יִצְחָ֑ק יִצְחָ֔ק יִצְחָ֖ק יִצְחָ֗ק יִצְחָ֛ק יִצְחָ֜ק יִצְחָ֣ק יִצְחָ֤ק יִצְחָ֥ק יִצְחָֽק׃ יִצְחָק֙ יִצְחָק֮ יצחק יצחק׃ לְיִצְחָ֑ק לְיִצְחָ֔ק לְיִצְחָ֖ק לְיִצְחָ֗ק לְיִצְחָ֤ק לְיִצְחָ֥ק לְיִצְחָ֨ק לְיִצְחָֽק׃ ליצחק ליצחק׃ ḇə·yiṣ·ḥāq ḇəyiṣḥāq lə·yiṣ·ḥāq ləyiṣḥāq leyitzChak ū·lə·yiṣ·ḥāq ūləyiṣḥāq uleyitzChak veyitzChak wə·yiṣ·ḥāq wəyiṣḥāq yiṣ·ḥāq yiṣḥāq yitzChakInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts