Ishmael “mocking” or “molesting”? Isaac “Playing” or “Petting”

Tsâchaq

Originally written by Avi Lipk on January 9, 2009 · 2:33 pm
Ishmael “mocking” or “molesting”?

Was Ishmael expelled for making fun of his younger brother Isaac?

Was Ishmael expelled for making fun of his younger brother Isaac, or was his offense far more serious to the point of molesting him?

Avi Lipkin in his lessons from The Two Houses of Islam suggests that Ishmael’s conduct was sexually inappropriate.

Genesis 21:9-11 Brenton Septuagint

9  And Sarrha having seen the son of Agar the Egyptian who was born to Abraam, sporting with Isaac her son,

10  then she said to Abraam, Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for the son of this bondwoman shall not inherit with my son Isaac.

11  But the word appeared very hard before Abraam concerning his son.

 

Was Sarah really that sensitive or was there something else going on here?

The word “mocking” is derived from the Hebrew word “tsâchaq” (צחק). In English, this word is often translated as “laugh, mock, play, and make sport.”

In Hebrew however, the word has the possibility of having a “sexual” connotation.

Was Isaac (a.k.a. Israel) guilty of sporting with Rebekah?

Was Isaac guilty of sporting with Rebekah when Abimelech saw them through the window and reasoned that what they were doing was not the way a brother plays with his sister, or were his actions far more serious to the point of sexually paying?

Genesis 26:8 Brenton Septuagint

8  And he remained there a long time, and Abimelech the king of Gerara leaned to look through the window and saw Isaac sportingwith Rebecca his wife.

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Genesis 26:8 Brenton Septuagint

8  And he remained there a long time, and Abimelech the king of Gerara leaned to look through the window, and saw Isaac sportingwith Rebecca his wife.

But look at what these two versions use here to describe this word.

Genesis 26:8 BSB

8  When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

Genesis 26:8 NET

8  After Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

The word “tsâchaq” is mentioned 13 times in the bible.

8 times it is clear that the meaning is to “laugh” or “make sport”. E.g. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed… Gen 17:17

A further 4 times it is clear to have a sexual connotation. E.g. And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac [was] sporting with Rebekah his wife.

You can think and pray about it and then come to your own conclusion.

These links and resources were provided by Avi Lipkin in his original article.

For further research:

Definitions and Instances of the word Tsâchaq: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6711&t=KJV

A good easy read on the topic: https://graspingmashiach.wordpress.com/2007/02/20/a-laughing-matter/

An interesting read on the topic: https://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/vayera/maoz.html

Anyone with any Rabbinical sources please feel free to share. Thanks.

Avi Lipkin

edited, added more modern available info, and contrasted by RHandV admin

Leave a comment as you desire and if you have any legitimate resources, either proving or disproving this view, or even intelligent opinions feel free to comment.

Filed under Islam

Tagged as Avi Lipkin, Isaac, Ishmael, Islam, The Two Houses of Islam, The Two Houses of Israel, Tsâchaq

Linked to: Toledot

Disclaimer

The image I used, while sensual, tho obscured, is not meant to be lascivious, but to create a legitimate sexual understanding of the sexual nature of the subject discussed. I used an image of a man and a woman because I believe this is natural sexuality accepted by our creator, Yehovah.

I believe it would be disgusting to try to include any image of male-on-male sexuality to try to depict the disgusting way Ishmael may have treated his brother, Isaac, in this. Besides short of accessing porn resources I could not find an image I could accept and put here without becoming sick over such an image.

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NOTE: For Older Testament passages I’ve become rather interested in reading them in the Septuagint. I know some passages are different there comparably, but the Septuagint seems to have more depth in understanding than the Bibles translated using the Masoretic text created in about 600-1000 A.D.

This is compared to the origins of the Septuagint.

The Septuagint is the very first translation of the Hebrew Bible from Hebrew to another language, Greek. It’s believed that it was probably translated as early as the third century BC. The Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek is traditionally dated to the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt (285-246 BC).

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