JFB COMMENTARY

GENESIS 25:19

Gen_25:19-34. History of Isaac.

these are the generations - account of the leading events in his life.

GENESIS 25:21

Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife - Though tried in a similar way to his father, he did not follow the same crooked policy. Twenty years he continued unblessed with offspring, whose seed was to be "as the stars" [Gen_26:4]. But in answer to their mutual prayers (1Pe_3:7), Rebekah was divinely informed that she was to be the mother of twins, who should be the progenitors of two independent nations; that the descendants of the younger should be the more powerful and subdue those of the other (Rom_9:12; 2Ch_21:8).

GENESIS 25:19

And these [are] the generations of Isaac, Abraham´s son: Abraham begat Isaac:

GENESIS 25:20

And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

GENESIS 25:21

And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she [was] barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

GENESIS 25:22

And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

GENESIS 25:23

And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger.