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Genesis 26:12-25
New English Translation

12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown,[a] because the Lord blessed him.[b] 13 The man became wealthy.[c] His influence continued to grow[d] until he became very prominent. 14 He had[e] so many sheep[f] and cattle[g] and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous of[h] him. 15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up[i] all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere,[j] for you have become much more powerful[k] than we are.” 17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley.[l] 18 Isaac reopened[m] the wells that had been dug[n] back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up[o] after Abraham died. Isaac[p] gave these wells[q] the same names his father had given them.[r]

19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing[s] water there, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled[t] with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac[u] named the well Esek[v] because they argued with him about it.[w] 21 His servants[x] dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it[y] Sitnah.[z] 22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac[aa] named it[ab] Rehoboth,[ac] saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

23 From there Isaac[ad] went up to Beer Sheba. 24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped[ae] the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well.[af]

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:12 tn Heb “a hundredfold.”
  2. Genesis 26:12 tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.
  3. Genesis 26:13 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.
  4. Genesis 26:13 tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.
  5. Genesis 26:14 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
  6. Genesis 26:14 tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
  7. Genesis 26:14 tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
  8. Genesis 26:14 tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous of” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
  9. Genesis 26:15 tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
  10. Genesis 26:16 tn Heb “Go away from us.”
  11. Genesis 26:16 sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).
  12. Genesis 26:17 tn Heb “and he camped in the Valley of Gerar and he lived there.”sn This valley was actually a wadi (a dry river bed where the water would flow in the rainy season, but this would have been rare in the Negev). The water table under it would have been higher than in the desert because of water soaking in during the torrents, making it easier to find water when digging wells. However, this does not minimize the blessing of the Lord, for the men of the region knew this too, but did not have the same results.
  13. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”
  14. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.
  15. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.
  16. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  17. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”
  19. Genesis 26:19 tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).
  20. Genesis 26:20 tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
  21. Genesis 26:20 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Genesis 26:20 sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
  23. Genesis 26:20 tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  24. Genesis 26:21 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  25. Genesis 26:21 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  26. Genesis 26:21 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
  27. Genesis 26:22 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  28. Genesis 26:22 tn Heb “and he called its name.”
  29. Genesis 26:22 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
  30. Genesis 26:23 tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  31. Genesis 26:25 tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.
  32. Genesis 26:25 tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”
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Genesis 26:12-25
International Standard Version

Isaac Grows Wealthy

12 Isaac received a 100-fold return on what he planted that year in the land he received,[a] because the Lord blessed him. 13 He[b] became very wealthy and lived a life of wealth,[c] becoming more and more wealthy. 14 He owned so many sheep, cattle, and servants that the Philistines eventually became envious of him. 15 They[d] filled in with sand all of the wells that Isaac’s[e] father Abraham’s servants had dug during his lifetime. 16 Then Abimelech ordered Isaac, “Move away from us! You’ve become more powerful than we are.” 17 So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the Gerar Valley, where he settled.

Disputes over Water Rights

18 Isaac re-excavated some wells that his father had first dug during his lifetime, because the Philistines had filled them with sand[f] after Abraham’s death. Isaac[g] renamed those wells with the same names that his father had called them.

19 While Isaac’s servants were digging in the valley, they discovered a well with flowing water. 20 But the herdsmen who lived in Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen. “The water is ours,” they said. As a result, Isaac named the well Esek,[h] for they had fiercely disputed with him about it. 21 When his workers started digging another well, those herdsmen[i] quarreled about that one, too, so Isaac[j] named it Sitnah.[k] 22 Then he left that area and dug still another well. Because they did not quarrel over that one, Isaac[l] named it Rehoboth,[m] because he used to say, “The Lord has enlarged the territory[n] for us. We will prosper in the land.”

God Renews His Promise to Isaac

23 Later on, he left there and went to Beer-sheba, 24 where one night the Lord appeared to him. “I am the God of your father Abraham,” he told him. “Don’t be afraid, because I’m with you. I’m going to bless you and multiply your descendants on account of my servant Abraham.” 25 In response, Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. He also pitched his tents there and his servants dug a well.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:12 Lit. found
  2. Genesis 26:13 Lit. The man
  3. Genesis 26:13 Lit. and walked
  4. Genesis 26:15 Lit. The Philistines
  5. Genesis 26:15 Lit. his
  6. Genesis 26:18 The Heb. lacks with sand
  7. Genesis 26:18 Lit. He
  8. Genesis 26:20 The Heb. name Esek means disputed
  9. Genesis 26:21 Lit. well, they
  10. Genesis 26:21 Lit. he
  11. Genesis 26:21 The Heb. name Sitnah means strife
  12. Genesis 26:22 Lit. he
  13. Genesis 26:22 The Heb. name Rehoboth means wide places
  14. Genesis 26:22 The Heb. lacks the territory
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