The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
Parallel Translations
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The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.
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And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.
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And the herdmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdmen, saying: 'The water is ours.' And he called the name of the well Esek; because they contended with him.
Cross-references (1)
Passages linked to Genesis 26:20 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 21:25 Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (9 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Or, contention, strife.
Or, contention, strife.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 26:20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive…
Gen 26:20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water [is] ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.
Ver. 20. And the herdmen of Gerar.] Not content to have cast him out, they pursued him, with cruel hatred; and, by denying him water, went about to destroy both him and his herds. Crosses seldom come single, but in a crowd. {Jas 1:2} "The clouds return after the rain," {Ecc 12:2} and cluster against a new storm. See, therefore, that ye keep your cloak close about you.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The water is ours, because digged in our soil;…
The water is ours, because digged in our soil; which was no good argument, because he digged it by their consent or permission at his own charge, and for his own use.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And they digged another well,.... That is, Isaac's servants:
And they digged another well,.... That is, Isaac's servants:
and strove for that also; the herdsmen of Gerar disputed their right to that also, and strove to get it from them:
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and he called the name of it Sitnah; which signifies "hatred", it being out of hatred and malice to him that they gave him so much trouble; from this word Satan has his name, and these men were of a diabolical spirit, envious, spiteful, and malicious.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Esek - That is, contention.
Esek - That is, contention.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 20-22. Esek… Sitnah… Rehoboth — These appear to have…
20-22. Esek… Sitnah… Rehoboth — These appear to have been new wells digged, in addition to the old ones re-opened, and the names mean, respectively, Strife, Opposition, (from the same root as Satan,) and Broad Places, Room. The name of Rehoboth still lingers in the wady er-Ruhaibeh, some twenty-three miles south of Beer-sheba, where Robinson found extensive ruins. Later travellers claim to have found the well, but their reports are conflicting.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 20. Esek] That is, Contention. LXX Ἀδικία; Lat. Calumnia.…
20. Esek] That is, Contention. LXX Ἀδικία; Lat. Calumnia. In this and the two following verses we have popular tradition as to the origin of the names of wells in the region associated with the sojournings of the patriarch.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And the herdmen of Gerari.e. Abimelech"s servants (Gen_21:25) did…
And the herdmen of Gerari.e. Abimelech"s servants (Gen_21:25) did strive with Isaac"s herdmen, as Lot"s with those of Abraham (Gen_13:7) saying, The water is ours: literally, to us (belong) the watersand he called the name of the well Esek ("Strife"); because they strove with him the verb being qc; to strive about anything.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain name of the well
name of the well
The wells of Genesis have significant names, and are associated with significant events:
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(1) Beer-lahai-roi, the well of him that liveth and seeth me Gen 16:14; Gen 24:62; Gen 25:11.
(2) Beer-sheba, the well of the oath or covenant Gen 21:15-33; Gen 22:19; Gen 26:23-25; Gen 46:1-5.
(3) Esek, contention Gen 26:20.
(4) Sitnah, hatred Gen 26:21. Esek and Sitnah were Isaac’s own attempts at well-digging. Afterward, he dwelt by the old wells of his father.
(5) Rehoboth, enlargement Gen 26:22.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.