And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
וַיִּגְוַ֨ע יִצְחָ֤ק וַיָּ֙מָת֙ וַיֵּאָ֣סֶף אֶל־עַמָּ֔יו זָקֵ֖ן וּשְׂבַ֣ע יָמִ֑ים וַיִּקְבְּר֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ עֵשָׂ֥ו וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בָּנָֽיו׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
After a prolonged period of separation, when Jacob finally reunited with his father, both experienced immense joy: Jacob found solace in seeing his father, while Isaac was filled with delight at the prosperity of his son and the presence of numerous grandchildren. At that time, the Scripture states, “And Isaac gave up his spirit, and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days.” “And Esau and Jacob buried him.”
It is evident that the account regarding David in the books of Kings, “And he joined himself to his fathers (3 Sam. 2:10),” is not merely a casual remark but is presented with purpose and significance. These words convey that he shared the same faith as his ancestors. This reference clearly pertains to a communion of life rather than to the mere interment of physical bodies.
In a similar way, the statement about Isaac is to be accurately interpreted: upon leaving his earthly form united with his spirit, he turned to his descendants (Gen. 35:29), for he adhered to the traditions of his father. The phrase “to his generation” is particularly noteworthy and is distinct from “to the people,” as seen in other contexts; in those instances, it is documented that the deceased identified with their people. However, they did not attain the stature of Isaac. A truly great individual aligns more with the few than with the many—since there are inherently more individuals in a nation compared to a clan—making it remarkable to resemble the select few rather than the larger populace.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS