Old Testament · Patriarchs

Isaac

Who was Isaac?

Isaac was the long-promised son of Abraham and Sarah, the second of the three patriarchs of Israel.

RoleSon of Abraham, father of Jacob and Esau
EraPatriarchs
Name meansHe laughs
ParentsAbraham and Sarah
WifeRebekah
SonsEsau and Jacob

Isaac’s birth fulfilled God’s promise to aged Abraham and Sarah. As a boy he was carried up the mountain when God tested his father’s faith, and a ram was provided in his place — a scene the Bible never forgets.

A servant was sent to find him a wife, and he married Rebekah, who bore him twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Isaac lived a quieter life than his father, digging wells and renewing the covenant God had made.

In old age, his eyes dim, he blessed Jacob — a blessing meant for the elder son — and through that line the promise continued toward the nation of Israel.

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)
Genesis 21:3 “And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.” Genesis 24:67 “And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.” Genesis 26:4 “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,”
Related people
AbrahamSarahRebekahJacobEsau
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Original BibleDawn profile. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy. Scripture quoted from the public-domain Berean Standard Bible.