There was another famine in the land (prior famine, Genesis 12:10). Isaac began to go south towards Egypt, just as Abram did. The LORD appeared to Isaac and told him not to go down into Egypt and stay put. The LORD then restated the promises (covenant) that was made with Abraham (i.e., great nation, blessing to him and descendants and nations, etc.). Then He said, “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Isaac dwelled in Gerar.
My Charge, Commandments, Statutes, Laws
Abraham Obeyed Only Jehovah’s – By: David Livingston (Institute for Creation Research)
“Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Genesis 26:5).
It is important – especially in these instances – to determine the basic concept behind the verbal form/noun, since all these word-classes are – by a large majority – some by-products of peculiar conceptual roots. So, on the basis of this preface, we may continue to dig (Proverbs 2:4-6)…
First, let’s establish from whence the Bible came and when. It did not come from pagan sources, nor was it transmitted orally. Genesis was unquestionably written earlier than all other pagan epics and myths. The writer(s) of Genesis did not borrow from these sources, although Genesis may reflect some of their content as Scripture writers opposed what they taught! If there was any borrowing, it was from Genesis.
Comment added: Borrowing from and distorting the truth began in heaven with Lucifer and continued with him in the Garden of Eden. The Serpent – also called the devil and Satan among other names and formerly called Lucifer – borrowed from God’s words. So, it is clear who had the original, holy truth; and God preserved it down through the ages. Unfortunately, those who are under the rule of Satan have continued throughout history to pervert the truth. The Plain Word.
Abraham had written laws of Jehovah which he kept. Our text says he kept Jehovah’s charge (mishmar), commandments (mitsvot), statutes (chuqqim), and laws (torah). The word chuqqim comes from a root meaning “to engrave,” and thus describes written rules of conduct. The torah from Moses’ time certainly was written law. Thus, it (Moses writtings) likely included codes of conduct transmitted from earlier writings. It follows, then, that the charges and commandments were also written early (before the time of Abraham). Emphasis added, The Plain Word.
The point is, Abraham was not following some other culture’s laws and statutes: Although a few ancient law codes existed, Abraham was not following any of these. They were Jehovah’s own statutes, and thus were unique documents—the very word of God.
Abraham came from a country where the knowledge of writing was common and from an important city. It was natural that he carried records and genealogies with him from the banks of the Euphrates (Ur of Chaldees) to the land of Canaan. “Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac” (Genesis 25:5). Probably these priceless records were among his possessions. If so, Jacob carried them into Egypt to form the basis of Genesis 1–11 as written by Moses. This can only increase our confidence in and obedience to the inspired word of God.
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2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Further Breakdown Genesis 26:5:
Abraham obeyed my voice,
as Abraham does hear
אשר That שמע (does) hear אברהם Abraham
and kept my charge,
My proclamations,בקלי my proclamations
בקלי derived from a conceptual root with the basic meaning of ‘to proclaim, declare’. So, here God speaks about his words, that deserve to be proclaimed to all people.
my commandments, my statutes, and my laws
and he takes care of My services,
וישמר and (he) attends/takes care of [‘ministrare’, Latin], משמרתי my services
משמרתי /וישמר derived from a conceptual root with basic meaning of ‘to serve, attend, take care (of)’. So, here God speaks about his elevated services He asks willing men to perform.
My anchors,מצותי my (moral) anchors/fixed points
מצותי derived from a conceptual root with basic meaning of ‘to put, place, fix’. So, here God speaks about his spiritual fixed points, eternal principlesHe will never disavow (Mal. 3:6).
My moral demarcations,חקותי my (moral) demarcations
חקותי derived from a conceptual root with basic meaning of ‘to cut drills’ (> to carve [teeth] > to grind one’s teeth), ‘delineate a form, a limit, a boundary’, to ‘demarcate’. So, here God speaks about his moral/spiritual rules, that demarcate, or ‘cut furrows’ between ‘good’ and ‘evil’, between ‘suitability’ and ‘unsuitability’ (you surely know the powerful symbolical meaning of the ‘furrow’ in ancient times. It is enough here to remember the Romulus-made sulcus [‘furrow’] Remus did cross. His crossing of that furrow – a line of demarcation between what was suitable [from Romulus standpoint] to do and what is not – cost him his life).
My issuings
ותורתי my (spiritual) emanations, issuings
ותורתי derived from a conceptual root with basic meaning of ‘to cast around, to send all around’. So, here God speaks about his spiritual emanations, or issuings.
Now, after we have ascertained the basic meanings of all the terms in the phrase we expatiate on, we may translate in a like-interlinear mode the passage.
אשר That שמע (does) hear אברהם Abraham בקלי my proclamations וישמר and (he) attends/takes care of [‘ministrare’, Latin] משמרתי my services, מצותי my (moral) anchors/fixed points חקותי my (moral) demarcations ותורתי my (spiritual) emanations, issuings
Or, in a more familar form: “as Abraham does hear My proclamations, and he takes care of My services, My anchors, My moral demarcations, My issuings.”
In this translating mode, as you see, the sense that all these terms are much the way the same is disappeared because each term expresses his peculiar meaning, in a clearer manner.
A final assonantic (poetic) gem, and moral of the story: in this passage, from God’s viewpoint, Abraham ‘did hear’ [ŠMO] and ‘took care’ [ŠMR].
These anchored fixed points of eternal principles that Abraham was entrusted with to take care or charge of, proclaim, and demarcate to others; unequivocally includes the Ten Commandments.
The Plain Word