12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold,(A) because the Lord blessed him.(B) 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.(C) 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants(D) that the Philistines envied him.(E) 15 So all the wells(F) that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up,(G) filling them with earth.

16 Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us;(H) you have become too powerful for us.(I)

17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar,(J) where he settled. 18 Isaac reopened the wells(K) that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.

19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. 20 But the herders of Gerar quarreled(L) with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!”(M) So he named the well Esek,[a] because they disputed with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled(N) over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.[b] 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,[c](O) saying, “Now the Lord has given us room(P) and we will flourish(Q) in the land.”

23 From there he went up to Beersheba.(R) 24 That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.(S) Do not be afraid,(T) for I am with you;(U) I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants(V) for the sake of my servant Abraham.”(W)

25 Isaac built an altar(X) there and called on the name of the Lord.(Y) There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.(Z)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:20 Esek means dispute.
  2. Genesis 26:21 Sitnah means opposition.
  3. Genesis 26:22 Rehoboth means room.

Conflicts over Wells

12 Isaac sowed seed in that land, and in that year he reaped[a] a hundred times what was sown. The Lord blessed him,(A) 13 and the man became rich and kept getting richer until he was very wealthy. 14 He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him. 15 Philistines stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham,(B) filling them with dirt. 16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us, for you are much too powerful for us.”[b]

17 So Isaac left there, camped in the Gerar Valley, and lived there. 18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. He gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of spring[c] water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek[d] because they argued with him.(C) 21 Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also, so he named it Sitnah.[e] 22 He moved from there and dug another, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Rehoboth[f] and said, “For now the Lord has made space for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

The Lord Appears to Isaac

23 From there he went up to Beer-sheba, 24 and the Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham.(D) Do not be afraid, for I am with you.(E) I will bless you and multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.”

25 So he built an altar there,(F) called on the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there. Isaac’s servants also dug a well there.(G)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 26:12 Lit found
  2. 26:16 Or are more numerous than we are
  3. 26:19 Lit living
  4. 26:20 = Argument
  5. 26:21 = Hostility
  6. 26:22 = Open Spaces