The Meaning of Genesis 26:20 Explained

Genesis 26:20

KJV: 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.

YLT: and shepherds of Gerar strive with shepherds of Isaac, saying, 'The water is ours;' and he calleth the name of the well 'Strife,' because they have striven habitually with him;

Darby: But the shepherds of Gerar strove with Isaac's shepherds, saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they had quarrelled with him.

ASV: And the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, The water is ours. And he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 26:20 Mean?

Study Notes

name of the well
The wells of Genesis have significant names, and are associated with significant events:
(1) Beer-lahai-roi, the well of him that liveth and seeth me Genesis 16:14 ; Genesis 24:62 ; Genesis 25:11 .
(2) Beer-sheba, the well of the oath or covenant Genesis 21:15-33 ; Genesis 22:19 ; Genesis 26:23-25 ; Genesis 46:1-5 .
(3) Esek, contention Genesis 26:20 .
(4) Sitnah, hatred Genesis 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 Genesis 26:22 .

Context Summary

Genesis 26:18-35 - Isaac's Wells And Covenant
It is interesting to follow Isaac in his well-digging. Let us also dig wells and set streams flowing, which will bless men long after we have gone home to heaven. The first well was Esek-strife. The second, Sitnah-hatred. The third, Rehoboth-room. Thus is human life, too often, till it ends with Sheba-oath or covenant. But even the outward repose to which life may attain, as the result of the struggles of earlier life, may be interrupted by anxiety and trial, caused by children or grandchildren. Esau's marriage brought endless trouble in its train. And grief of mind will sow life with thorns. Let children take care lest they give needless pain to those who love them. That which hurts tender and true hearts is not likely to carry with it the blessing of God. As soon as a wandering soul gets back to God even his enemies make peace with him; he is at least secure from their hurt. See Proverbs 16:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 26

1  Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him
7  He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife
12  He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity
18  He digs wells
23  God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26  and Abimelech makes a covenant with him
34  Esau's wives

What do the individual words in Genesis 26:20 mean?

But quarreled the herdsmen of Gerar with herdsmen Isaac's saying ours the water [is] so he called the name of the well Esek because they quarreled with him
וַיָּרִ֜יבוּ רֹעֵ֣י גְרָ֗ר עִם־ רֹעֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק לֵאמֹ֖ר לָ֣נוּ ! הַמָּ֑יִם וַיִּקְרָ֤א שֵֽׁם־ הַבְּאֵר֙ עֵ֔שֶׂק כִּ֥י הִֽתְעַשְּׂק֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ

וַיָּרִ֜יבוּ  But  quarreled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רִיב  
Sense: to strive, contend.
רֹעֵ֣י  the  herdsmen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: רָעָה  
Sense: shepherd (subst).
גְרָ֗ר  of  Gerar 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גְּרָר  
Sense: a Philistine town south of Gaza, modern ‘Umm’.
רֹעֵ֥י  herdsmen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: רָעָה  
Sense: shepherd (subst).
יִצְחָ֛ק  Isaac's 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
לֵאמֹ֖ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֣נוּ  ours 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
! הַמָּ֑יִם  the  water  [is] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וַיִּקְרָ֤א  so  he  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שֵֽׁם־  the  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
הַבְּאֵר֙  of  the  well 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּאֵר  
Sense: well, pit, spring.
עֵ֔שֶׂק  Esek 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵשֶׂק  
Sense: a well which the herdsmen of Isaac dug in the valley of Gerar.
כִּ֥י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הִֽתְעַשְּׂק֖וּ  they  quarreled 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשַׂק  
Sense: (Hithpael) to strive, contend, quarrel.
עִמּֽוֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 26:20?

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