25 Details About the Life of Isaac - 'A' to 'Z' Quiz

Answer: Abraham

Abraham, of course, is the correct answer. According to Genesis 17:7, Abraham was one hundred years old and his wife Sarah was ninety when Isaac was born. Previously, Sarah had been unable to conceive, until God intervened. According to Scripture, Sarah was so frustrated at being unable to conceive she gave permission to Abraham to sleep with her servant Hagar to create a child.

The union between Abraham and Hagar resulted in the birth of Ishmael, traditionally perceived as the father of the Arab world.

Answer: Esau sold to Jacob

According to Scripture, Esau sold his birthright to his brother Issac for a pot of stew.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state that Esau, as the firstborn, had a birthright to a double portion of the family estate. "Moreover, he inherited from Isaac the privilege of an everlasting covenant with God (Genesis 12:1-3)" the notes state.

Although the formal oath was not witnessed, it would have been "regarded as binding by both parties," the notes state.

Here's how things are recounted in Genesis 25:29-34 in the NKJV:
"Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, 'Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.' Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright as of this day.' And Esau said, 'Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?' Then Jacob said, 'Swear to me as of this day.' So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright."

Answer: Yes

Yes, Issac is named specifically in the covenant God made with Abraham.

Here's how the covenant with Abraham, as per Genesis 17:19-22 reads in the NKJV: "'... Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.' Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham."

It's a bit of a long story, but basically God promised Abraham, who was known as Abram at the time, that He would make a great nation out of him with Genesis 15:5 stating his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Scripture states the LORD also said He would bless Abram and the families of the earth through him and He also promised Abram his people would live in a certain geographical area.

In Genesis 12:2-3, in the NKJV, the LORD tells Abram: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Genesis 15:18-21 goes on to state: "On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates -- the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

Answer: True

True. Issac and Rebekah pretended to be brother and sister to deceive the king of Gerar, much like Isaac's parents, Abraham and Sarah, had done before them. It's a bit of a long story, but Isaac and Rebekah moved to Gerar because of a famine. Scripture reports Rebekah was extremely beautiful and Isaac feared if he was known as her husband he would be killed and Rebekah put in the king's harem. The same details basically hold for Abraham and Sarah who had moved to Gerar due to famine a number of years before.

The deception of Isaac and Rebekah is reported in Genesis 26:1-10 while the deception of Abraham and Sarah is contained in Genesis 20:1-1-18. On top of all this, Abraham and Sarah also pretended to be brother and sister in Egypt to spare the life of Abraham. That account can be found in Genesis 12:10-20. In other words, there are three cases in Genesis in which couples pretended to be brothers and sisters to spare the lives of the males. In all three cases, the deceptions were found out, but the lives of Isaac and Abraham were spared.

Here's how the account of Isaac and Rebekah is recounted in Genesis 26:1-10 in the NKJV:

"There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the LORD appeared to him and said: 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.'

"So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, 'She is my sister'; for he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife,' because he thought, 'lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.' Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, 'Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, 'She is my sister'?

"Isaac said to him, 'Because I said, 'Lest I die on account of her.' And Abimelech said, 'What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.' So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, 'He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.'"

Answer: Red and like a hairy garment

'Red and like a hairy garment' is the the correct answer. Here's how Genesis 25:24-25 describes Esau's appearance: "So when her [Rebekah] days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau."

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible state the name Esau sounds like the Hebrew word that means 'hairy'.

Answer: Isaac favored Esau, Rebekah favored Jacob

It was a case of Isaac favoring Esau and Rebekah favoring Jacob, according to Scripture.

Genesis 25:27-28 states Esau was "a skillful hunter, a man of the field" and he was Isaac's favorite because "he ate of his game". The same verses state Jacob "was a mild man, dwelling in tents" and was favored by Rebekah.

The favoritism shown by the two parents would have a dramatic impact with Jacob coming out ahead over Esau as a result of Rebekah's conniving actions.

Answer: Terah

Terah, the father of Abraham, is the correct answer. According to Scripture, he was also the father of Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot, a Bible character who figures prominently in the life of Abraham. On top of this, Terah was the father of Sarai by a second wife. Sarai, who would later become known as Sarah, would end up being Abraham's wife.

According to Genesis 11:31, Terah settled in the land of Canaan after living in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Answer: Beersheba

Beersheba is the correct answer. When it comes to the LORD appearing to His people, Beersheba is definitely hallowed ground. Here's the breakdown of the events:
1.) Appeared to Hagar Genesis 21:14-19.
2.) Appeared to Isaac -- Genesis 26:23-25
3.) Appeared to Jacob -- Genesis 46::1-5
4.) Appeared to Elijah -- 1 Kings 19:3-7
On top of all this, Abraham swore an oath at Beersheba (Genesis 21:31-33) similar to Isaac (Genesis 26:26-33).

Then there are accounts in Genesis of oaths sworn at Beersheba between the likes of Abraham and Ambimech as well as Isaac and Ambimelech.

Answer: He is laughing now

According to notes in the NKJV Study Bible, Isaac means 'He (God) is Laughing (Now)' "At one time Abraham had laughed at the improbability of having a son in his old age (Genesis 17:17)," study notes state. "Sarah had laughed too (see Genesis 18:12). But now with the birth of a child, laughter took on its happier meaning. Sarah got the joke (Verses 5 and 6)!"

The study notes also make this observation about Genesis 21:6: "Among the many name jokes in the Bible, few are as wonderful as this one; the words for laugh in this verse are related to the name Isaac."

Here's how Genesis 21:1-7 in the NKJV tells of Isaac's birth and his name: "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him -- whom Sarah bore to him -- Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, 'God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.' She also said, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.'"

Answer: He grasped Esau's heel at birth.

According to Scripture, Jacob got his name because he grasped the heel of his twin brother Esau immediately after birth.

Notes in the NKJV Study Bible explain the Hebrew word for heel sounds similar to Jacob. "The name may mean either 'He Who Grasps at the Heel (of Another)' or 'He (the LORD) is at His Heels (Is His Protector)'.

The notes go on to state: "Later, Esau would taunt Jacob with the negative connotations of his name (see Genesis 27:36). Eventually God gave Jacob a new name, Israel (Genesis 32:28)"

Answer: Jacob kissing Isaac to obtain his blessing.

The first documented incident of kissing in the Bible involves Jacob kissing Isaac when he fraudulently obtained Esau's blessing, as per Genesis 27:26. Up to this point in time, there is no mention of kissing in the Bible.

Here's how the incident is recounted in Genesis 27:26-29:

"Then his father Isaac said to him [Jacob], 'Come near now and kiss me, my son.' And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:
'Surely, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field
Which the Lord has blessed.
Therefore may God give you
Of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!'"

The chapter concludes with Esau being infuriated by the deception and Jacob fleeing for his life.

Incidentally, the first kiss between a male and a female in the Bible appears in Genesis 29:11 with the verse telling of Jacob lifting the veil on Rachel's face and kissing her.

Answer: Laban

Laban, of course, is the correct answer. He was the brother of Rebekah. Laban would figure prominently in the history of the Israelite nation as his two daughters, Rachel and Leah, would both end up being married to Jacob. Between Rachel and Leah, and their two servants, they bore twelve sons who would be founders of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

According to Scripture, Laban lived in Haran in Padan Aram, also known as Mesopotamia.

Answer: Sarah

Isaac's mother was Sarah, who was originally known as Sarai. She was married to Abraham and was the sister of Laban who lived in Padan Aram, also known as Mesopotamia. According to Scripture, she gave birth to Isaac when she was ninety years old and Abraham was one hundred. Isaac's birth is recounted in Genesis 21:1-7.

Answer: True

True. He is mentioned in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews and James. In total his name is mentioned eighteen different times in the New Testament of the New King James Version Bible with four different references in Hebrews. It pales in comparison with Abraham, however, whose name is mentioned seventy-three times In the New Testament while Jacob's name is mentioned twenty-five times.

Answer: Scripture doesn't say

Scripture doesn't say how old Isaac was. There is all types of speculation in blogs and the like on the Internet about Isaac's age. Some people state he was as old as thirty-seven while others state he was a young child likely about ten. People can speculate all they want, but the only correct answer to the question has to be 'Scripture doesn't say'.

The story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac is one of the best known stories in the Old Testament. Scripture reports God commanded Abraham to take his son Isaac to a mountain in the region of Moriah and to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Just as Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac, Scripture reports an angel of the LORD called out and told him to spare his son because it was evident Abraham feared God. After the angel called out, Abraham spotted a ram in the thicket and used it as his sacrificial offering. The story is told in the 22nd chapter of Genesis. Many Christians compare this episode to God's sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus, in the New Testament.

Answer: In Turkey, near the Syrian border

Haran, in today's world, is in Turkey, near the Syrian border. The area at the time was known as Padan Aram, or Mesopotamia. Wikipedia reports "Haran is almost universally identified with Harran, an Assyrian name of the Hurrian city whose ruins lie within present-day Turkey."

According to Genesis 25:20, Rebekah was the sister of "Laban the Syrian." Genesis 30:16 reports Laban was the father of Rachel and Leah.

Answer: Ownership of wells

The quarrels were over the ownership of wells in the area. In the hot dry climate of the Middle East, wells were essential for agricultural success. Scripture tells of Isaac's herdsmen developing wells only to have the herdsmen of Gerar claim ownership. This happened on two different occasions. Finally, when a third well was dug, there was no quarreling. Genesis 26:22 reports the well was called Rehobath, "for now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

The chapter goes on to tell of Ambimelech, the king of Gerar, and Isaac agreeing to end the quarreling and to have peace between the two parties. After the two parties swore an oath to have peace, Scripture tells of Isaac's men finding more water and calling the well Shebah.

Genesis 26:32-33 states: "It came to pass the same day that Isaac's servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, 'We have found water.' So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day."

Answer: He disguised himself as Esau with the help of Rebekah.

Jacob disguised himself as Esau with the help of Rebekah to pull off the ruse on Isaac who was elderly and frail and his eyes "were so dim that he could not see." The ruse is recounted in Genesis 27:1-40. It's easy to blame Rebekah for orchestrating things in Jacob's favor over Esau, but it doesn't remove the fact Jacob was a willing participant in the ruse.

As stated in the answer to Question No. 6, Rebekah favored Jacob while Isaac favored Esau and this is where things started to fall apart. What made the ruse successful in this dysfunctional family was the fact Isaac was elderly and frail and basically on his deathbed. Scripture states Rebekah convinced Jacob to disguise himself as Esau to obtain his brother's blessing. Scripture reports Isaac requested Esau to hunt game for him and make some "savory food' and when he returned he would bless his son. Rebekkah overheard the conversation and swung into action.

Genesis 27:15-17, in the NKJV, states: "Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob."

Jacob in turn went to his father and impersonated Esau. He was so effective at his impersonation he was able to deceive Isaac and receive Esau's blessing. (The goat skins also created the impression he was a hairy man like brother Esau.)

Later, Jacob would flee for his life as Esau was going to kill him, as per Genesis 27:41-46.

Answer: True

Even when he was bedridden, Isaac craved savory food. In preparation to bless his son Esau, Isaac tells him in Genesis 27:4 to "make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die."

According to verse 1, Isaac "was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see."

Chapter 27 contains the only mention of savory food in the NKJV Bible. The word savory appears six times in the chapter.

Answer: True

True. There is no record of any other twins being born up to this point in time. Obviously, there had to have been other sets of twins, but they are not documented in Scripture.

Incidentally, the second set of twins was Perez and Zerah, sons of Judah and Tamar. Their births are told in Genesis 38.

Answer: Isaac had only one wife

Going by Scripture, Isaac had only one wife, Rebekah. There is no documentation of a relationship with another woman. And this at a time when polygamy was common.

Meanwhile, Isaac's father Abraham was married to Sarah (Genesis 11:29) and fathered a child with Hagar, Sarah's handmaiden. (Genesis 16:3) Later in life he married Keturah, presumably after the death of Sarah and they had six sons. Genesis 25:1)

Isaac's first son Esau had three wives -- Adah, Aholibamah and Basemath -- as per Genesis 36:2.

Isaac's second son Jacob had two wives, Rachel and Leah and fathered children by their two handmaidens -- Bilhah and Zilpah -- as per Genesis 23:35-36.

There is no documentation in Scripture about Isaac being left handed, having a speech impediment or being unable to grow a beard.

Answer: True

This is the first incident in which a woman is reported as wearing a veil in Scripture. The second incident involves Tamar who covered herself with a veil and posed as a prostitute and had sexual intercourse with Judah, as per Genesis 38:14-30. (The union between Tamar and Judah resulted in the birth of twin boys, Perez and Zerah.)

Rebekah put on her veil just before meeting with her husband-to-be Isaac. Genesis 24:64-67, in the NKJV, states: "Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, 'Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?' The servant said, 'It is my master.' So she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."

Answer: It is where Abraham's servant first met Rebekah who would become Isaac's wife.

It was at a well that Abraham's servant first spotted Rebekah. According to Scripture, he had been sent to Padan Aram, also known as Mesopotamia, to find a bride for Isaac. Scripture reports Abraham's wife Sarah came from Padan Aram and he didn't want Isaac to marry a woman from Canaan. Instead, he wanted him to marry a woman from Sarah's homeland. The story of Abraham's servant meeting Rebekah at a well at the city of Nahor is told in Geneses 24.

While at the well, Genesis 24:12-14 tells of the servant making the following prayer: "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' -- let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."

The next verse tells of Rebekah, who was "very beautiful" coming to the well with a pitcher on her shoulder, and the rest as they say is history.

Answer: False

Esau was the firstborn with Jacob second. However, according to Scripture, Esau sold his birthright for a pot of stew and then Jacob, with the help of his mother Rebekah, tricked Isaac into blessing him over Esau. The story of their births is told in Genesis 25:19-28 while the story of Esau selling his birthright is reported in Genesis 25:29-34. Meanwhile, the account of Jacob fraudulently receiving his father's blessing is told in Genesis 27:1-46.

Answer: Zimran

Zimran was the son of Abraham and Keturah, the woman Abraham married late in his life, presumably after the death of Sarah. According to Genesis 25:1-2, Abraham and Keturah had five other sons in addition to Zimran. The verses state "Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah." Little is known about Zimran as he is mentioned in passing reference.