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. They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah. He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
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Genesis 26:20-22 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Isaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them. Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 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. They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah. He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
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.
They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. He called its name Sitnah.
He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now Yahweh has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
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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.
And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.
And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
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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.
And they digged another well, and they strove for that also. And he called the name of it Sitnah.
And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not. And he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said: 'For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.'
Cross-references (9)
- Genesis 21:25 (v20) Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
- Genesis 17:6 (v22) I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
- Exodus 1:7 (v22) The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with…
- Psalms 118:5 (v22) Out of my distress, I called on Yah. Yah answered me with freedom.
- Genesis 28:3 (v22) May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
Show all 9 cross-references
- Genesis 41:52 (v22) The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
- Psalms 4:1 (v22) Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness. Give me relief from my distress. Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
- Psalms 18:19 (v22) He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
- Ezra 4:6 (v21) In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv20–22 Or, contention, strife.
Or, contention, strife.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv20–22 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 On v20 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 On vv20–22 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 On vv20–22 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.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v21 Verse 21. They digged another well] Never did any…
Verse 21. They digged another well] Never did any man more implicitly follow the Divine command, Resist not evil, than Isaac; whenever he found that his work was likely to be a subject of strife and contention, he gave place, and rather chose to suffer wrong than to have his own peace of mind disturbed. Thus he overcame evil with good.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v22 Gen 26:22. He digged a well, and for that…
Gen 26:22. He digged a well, and for that they strove not — Those that follow peace, sooner or later shall find peace. Those that study to be quiet, seldom fail of being so. This well they called Rehoboth, enlargement, room enough.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v22 Latitude. That is, wideness, or room. (Challoner) --- Hebrew…
Latitude. That is, wideness, or room. (Challoner) --- Hebrew Reheboth, widely extended streams, latitudines. See chap. x. 11.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v20 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 On vv20–22 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 On vv20–22 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 On v20 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.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v21 Then they dug
Then they dug
"Then Isaac's servants dug"
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they quarreled
"the herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen"
so he gave it
"so Isaac gave it"
Sitnah
Translators may add a footnote that says "The name Sitnah means 'oppose' or 'accuse.'" (See: How to Translate Names)
Rehoboth
Translators may add a footnote that says "The name Rehoboth means 'make room for' or 'empty place.'" (See: How to Translate Names)
us ... we
Isaac was speaking about himself and his household.
translationWords
cistern
prosper
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.