Isaac

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Isaac (Yitzchak or Yitzhak) (יִצְחָק "laughed", Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew ; Arabic اسحاق ) is the son and heir of Abraham and the father of Jacob and Esau as described in the Hebrew Bible. His story is told in the Book of Genesis.

Name

Isaac was named because when his mother, Sarah, overheard that she would bear a child in her old age, she laughed (Genesis 18:10-15, 21:6-7). Some commentators believe that in the Book of Amos there is some suggestion that Israel may actually be another name for Isaac (Amos 7:9, 16) despite the Bible stating that Israel is the later name given to Isaac's son Jacob (Genesis 32:22-28, especially 28).

Isaac in the Hebrew Bible

Summary

Sarah choose the name Isaac, because the angel promised that she should become a mother, she being beyond the age of having children privately laughed at the prediction. When the child was born, she said "God had made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me". She suckled the child herself and would not suffer Ishmael to inherit with him, but prevailed on Abraham to turn him and his mother Hagar out of doors.

When Isaac was about twenty-five years of age, the Lord tried Abraham and commanded him to sacrifice his son. Abraham obeyed and took Isaac, with two of his servant, to the place the Lord should show him. On the third day, discerning the place (supposed to be mount Moriah), he took the wood as for a burn-offering, placed it on his son Isaac, and took fire in his hand and a knife. As they went together toward the mount, Isaac said, "Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the sacrifice for the burnt-offering?". Abraham answered. "My son, God will provide a sacrifice for himself."
Arrived at the appointed place, Abraham put the wood in order, bound his beloved Isaac as a sacrifice, and taking the knife, stretched forth his hand to kill him. But an angel of the Lord prevented the sacrifice and provided another sacrifice (a goat).

When Isaac was forty years of age, Abraham sent Eliezer, his steward, into Mesopotamia to procure a wife for him, from Laban, his brother-in-law's family. Rebekah was sent and became the wife of Isaac. Being barren, Isaac prayed for her and God granted her the favour of conception. She was delivered of twins, named Esau and Jacob. Isaac favoured Esau, and Rebekah Jacob.

Some years afterwards, a famine obliged Isaac to retire to Gerar, where Abimelech was king, and as his father has done previously, he reported that Rebekah was his sister. Abimelech, having discovered that she was his wife reproved him for the deception.
Isaac grew very rich and his flocks multiplying, the Philistines of Gerar were so envious that they filled up all the wells which Isaac's servants had dug. At the desire of Abimelech he departed and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar where he dug new wells, but was again put to some difficulties. At length, he returned to Beersheba where he fixed his habitation. Here the Lord appeared to him, and renewed the promise of blessing him. Also Abimelech visited him to form an alliance.

Isaac, having grown very old (137 years) and his sight being extremely weakened called Esau, his eldest son, and directed him to procure for him some venison. But while Esau was hunting, Jacob sneakily obtained the blessing, so that Isaac could only give Esau a secondary blessing. Isaac lived some time after this, and sent Jacob into Mesopotamia to take a wife of his own family.

Genealogy of Isaac

Isaac in the New Testament

In the New Testament, reference is made to his having been "offered up" by his father (Heb. 11:17; James 2:21), and to his blessing his sons (Heb. 11:20). As the child of promise, he is contrasted with Ishmael (Rom. 9:7, 10; Gal. 4:28; Heb. 11:18).

Isaac in Qur'an

Isaac and Ishmael were given to Sarah, when she and Abraham were old. It is recorded that she laughed when Allah gave her good tidings of Isaac's birth (14:39)(11:71-72)(37:112-113).

According to the Qur'an, the god (Allah) whom Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac worshipped was the same god the sons of Jacob worshipped and surrendered to. They were called neither Jewish nor Muslim in that time, but were considered righteous. Isaac and Jacob were made chiefs who guided by the command of Allah, and Allah inspired in them to do good deeds and establish worship and the giving of alms. Isaac and Jacob were worshippers of Allah alone.
Isaac and Jacob are descendants of Abraham, who is called from a place where people were worshipping idols. Isaac and Jacob are both considered prophets and were given the mercy of Allah. He assigned to them a high and true renown.
Allah established the prophethood and the Scripture among the seed of Isaac and Jacob, and they were rewarded in the world (19:49-50)(21:72-73)(29:27).

The Qu'ran states that it makes no distinction between which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which other prophets received from Allah (2:133-140)(3:84)

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are called the forefathers of Joseph, upon whom Allah had perfected His grace. Joseph followed the same religion as his father (12:6)(12:38).
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are called bondmen of Allah and were purified with a pure thought ('remembrance of the Home/Hereafter') and were in the sight of Allah of the elect and the excellent (38:45-47).

According to Islamic beliefs, it was Ishmael (not Isaac) whom Abraham nearly sacrificed in the name of Allah.