And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
When the men of that place asked Isaac about his wife, he told them, 'She is my sister.' He was afraid to say, 'She is my wife,' because he thought, 'The men here might kill me to take Rebekah, since she is so beautiful.'
Isaac lied about Rebekah being his sister instead of his wife because he was afraid the local men would kill him to steal his beautiful wife.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Genesis, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are living in the land of Gerar, a region inhabited by the Philistines, during a time of famine when Abraham's descendants were wandering and seeking sustenance. Isaac fears for his life and lies about Rebekah being his sister instead of his wife, worried that the local men might kill him to take her because of her beauty, which reflects the patriarchal era's dangers for vulnerable women in foreign territories. This incident echoes similar deceptions by his father Abraham, highlighting recurring themes of faith and human frailty among the early biblical figures.
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