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1,288 results for: Isaac

Dictionary Entries (8 more entries. View all »)
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Cite This Source
I·saac    Audio Help   [ahy-zuhk] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.a son of Abraham and Sarah, and father of Jacob. Gen. 21:1–4.
2.a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “laughter.”
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopedia Articles (1,278 more entries. View all »)
Columbia Electronic EncyclopediaCite This Source


Isaac [Heb.,=laughter], according to the patriarchal narratives of the Book of Genesis, Isaac was the only son of Abraham and Sara. He married Rebecca, and their sons were Esau and Jacob. Ishmael was his half brother. As a supreme act of faith Abraham offered him at an early age as a sacrifice to God—a deed prevented by divine intervention. The Philistine king Abimelech gave him shelter in time of famine, and he grew rich in lands and possessions. Before his death, Rebecca, by ruse, caused him to bless Jacob in place of Esau. Isaac is also attested in the Qur'an. Scholarship generally regards the patriarchal stories of Genesis, including those concerning Isaac, as having their origin in folk memories and oral traditions of the early Hebrew pastoralist experience. 
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.
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