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Isaacיצחק
1850 BCE – 1760 BCE · Canaanislamic
Description
Isaac is the second Hebrew patriarch in Judaism and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Samaritanism, Christianity, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and Rastafari. Isaac first appears in the Torah, in which he is the son of Abraham and Sarah, the father of Jacob and Esau, and the grandfather of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Facts
| Spouse | Rebecca (also spelled Rebekah) |
| Children | Esau (older twin son) Jacob (younger twin son) |
| Parents | Abraham (father)Sarah (mother) |
| Family | Ishmael (half-brother, first born of Abraham, son of Hagar) Zimran (half-brother) Jokshan (half-brother) Medan (half-brother) Midian (half-brother) Ishbak (half-brother) Shuah (half-brother) Terah (grandfather) Haran (uncle) Nahor (uncle) Milcah (cousin) Lot (cousin) Bethuel (cousin/father-in-law) Laban (brother-in-law) Leah (daughter-in-law) Rachel (daughter-in-law) Twelve Tribes of Israel (grandsons) Dinah (granddaughter) |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Etymology | The anglicized name "Isaac" is a transliteration of the Biblical Hebrew: יִצְחָק, romanized: Yiṣḥāq, which literally means "He laughs/will laugh". |
| Genesis narrative | After God changes Abram and Sarai's names to Abraham and Sarah, he tells Abraham that he will bear a second son by Sarah named Isaac, with whom a new covenant would be established. |
| Traditional information | The servant sent by Abraham to find a wife for Isaac is traditionally held to be Eliezer of Damascus, who in Genesis 15 is Abraham's steward and, at that time, his heir-apparent. |
| Jewish views | While the Book of Genesis does not tell the age of Isaac at the time of binding, some Talmudic sages take it to be thirty seven, likely based on the next biblical story, which is of Sarah's death at 127 years, being 90 when Isaac was born, attributing this to her hearing the news of his intended sacrifice. |
| Christian views | The early Christian church continued and developed the New Testament theme of Isaac as a type of Christ and the Church being both "the son of the promise" and the "father of the faithful". |
| Islamic views | Islam considers Isaac (Arabic: إسحاق, romanized: Isḥāq) a prophet, and describes him as the father of the Israelites and a righteous servant of God. |
| Academic views | Some scholars have described Isaac as "a legendary figure" or "as a figure representing tribal history," or "as a seminomadic leader". |
| In art | The earliest Christian portrayal of Isaac is found in the Roman catacomb frescoes. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Isaac, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| The angels announce a wise son, Isaac; Sarah marvels | Quran 11:71 |
| We blessed him and Isaac; among his progeny the good-doer and the wrongdoer | Quran 37:112-113 |