Word Plays
But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out a window and saw Isaac fondling Rebekah, Genesis 26:8 NLT
Fondling – Did you know that the Tanakh has a great sense of humor? We think that it is all serious commands and requirements or stories about wars and disobedience interspersed with tedious genealogies. Think again! Here is an example. The word “fondling” is metsaheq. It has the same root as the name Isaac (the root is shq). Here is a funny little word play in the middle of this story. Isaac was “isaacing” Rebekah. By the way, most English translations attempt to remove some or all of the sexual connotations in this verse. Is this another case of cultural modification?
I think that sometimes God just has a good laugh about us. We are so predictable, and so childish. We run around as if our agendas are the most important things in the world. We hurry here and there. God just watches and smiles. He knows that everything takes time. He knows that what we think is so important today may mean very little tomorrow. It reminds me of those times when I watch my own children make such big deals out of problems that I know are really insignificant in the long run. God must really laugh about us.
Sometimes He just slips one of those little bits of humor about us into the Bible stories, maybe just to remind us how truly human biblical characters really are. In the stories about Abraham, God made quite a few jokes about how misdirected people are. There was Sarah. Then Hagar. Then Abraham. And now Isaac. All thinking that they could pull the wool over the eyes of God. It turns out to be a good belly laugh from a Father who knows what’s best.
Next time you think your problems are so big and so important that they have to take first priority—for you and for God—remember this little word play. God likes a sense of humor. Life is not so serious when you enjoy it from God’s perspective. It is joyful and comforting and wonderful—and funny.
Isaac thought he had tricked the king of the Philistines. But he got caught being himself – isaacing around. God thought the whole thing was a bit funny. After all, God knows us completely. We might as well be ourselves in His presence. If we think too seriously about our tricky control of life, we will probably discover we are caught in the joke of just being ourselves.
Laugh a little with God. You will have a much better time in life.
Topical Index: metsaheq, fondling, playing, Isaac, Genesis 26:8
That same word is found in Genesis 21:9 and was the cause of Ishmael being sent away.
Interesting thought – Sarah has taken a lot of heat for being “intolerant” of her stepson’s antics — maybe it wasn’t about laughing.
Is that word always an indication of something sexual? Could Ishmael have been “mocking” in a sexual way?
It’s not always sexual. Obviously mocking is also a possibility, but it’s hard to explain Sarah’s reaction if the action is jesting or mocking. However, given that Ismael is the oldest and legitimate heir, she may realize that if she doesn’t get rid of him, her son will have a problem. So it might be that the behavior demonstrated that Ismael imagined he would take the place of Isaac.
Wasn’t Ishmael @ 13 yrs old here? Could it have been that he had gone through puberty rites and was beginning to sling his inheritance rights around as a man; perhaps making Isaac jump through hoops as a sort of pecking order establishment? Boys who have reached sexual maturity have a vast psychological advantage over the ones who haven’t. I know; I raised a few.
Thanks Skip. Your last statement said it all for me. I needed that today!
if Isaac is “isaacing ” Rebekah isn’t he reflecting himself like narcissism & fleshly rather than reflecting God ????..
What is Gods heart revealed through the heart of a man or husband really look like? what would that be called ?
the word play doesn’t have to express narcissistic tendencies. It’s just the similarity between how Isaac is spelled and how this word is spelled. It’s a subtle sexual joke you can only appreciate in Hebrew.
As for what proper behavior would be expressed by a husband toward his wife, you might start with the male figure in the Song of Songs.
thank you Skip !