Genesis

Genesis 26:18–21

¹⁸Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them.

¹⁹Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water^a there. ²⁰But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek,^b because they contended with him.

²¹Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.^c

Footnotes

a 26:19 Or flowing water or living water
b 26:20 Esek means contention.
c 26:21 Sitnah means enmity or hostility.

Read all of Genesis 26

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 26:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Isaac	יִצְחָ֜ק	yiṣ·ḥāq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3327 Isaac
reopened	וַיָּ֨שָׁב	way·yā·šāḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
the wells	בְּאֵרֹ֣ת	bə·’ê·rōṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H875 well, pit
that	אֲשֶׁ֤ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
had been dug	חָֽפְרוּ֙	ḥā·p̄ə·rū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H2658 dig, search for
in the days	בִּימֵי֙	bî·mê	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural construct	H3117 day
of his father	אָבִ֔יו	’ā·ḇîw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1 father
Abraham	אַבְרָהָ֣ם	’aḇ·rā·hām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham
which the Philistines	פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים	pə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
had stopped up	וַיְסַתְּמ֣וּם	way·sat·tə·mūm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural; third person masculine plural	H5640 stop up, shut up, keep close
after	אַחֲרֵ֖י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
Abraham	אַבְרָהָ֑ם	’aḇ·rā·hām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham
died	מ֣וֹת	mō·wṯ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4194 death
And he gave	וַיִּקְרָ֤א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
the same names	שֵׁמ֔וֹת	šê·mō·wṯ	Noun - masculine plural	H8034 name
his father	אָבִֽיו׃	’ā·ḇîw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1 father
had given	קָרָ֥א	qā·rā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
them	לָהֶ֖ן	lā·hen	Preposition; third person feminine plural

Genesis 26:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Isaac’s	יִצְחָ֖ק	yiṣ·ḥāq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3327 Isaac
servants	עַבְדֵֽי־	‘aḇ·ḏê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H5650 slave, servant
dug	וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ	way·yaḥ·pə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2658 dig, search for
in the valley	בַּנָּ֑חַל	ban·nā·ḥal	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5158 torrent, torrent-valley, wady
and found	וַיִּ֨מְצְאוּ־	way·yim·ṣə·’ū-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H4672 attain to, find
a well	בְּאֵ֖ר	bə·’êr	Noun - feminine singular construct	H875 well, pit
of fresh	חַיִּֽים׃	ḥay·yîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
water	מַ֥יִם	ma·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
there	שָׁ֔ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither

Genesis 26:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But the herdsmen	רֹעֵ֣י	rō·‘ê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H7462 pasture, tend, graze
of Gerar	גְרָ֗ר	ḡə·rār	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1642 Gerar
quarreled	וַיָּרִ֜יבוּ	way·yā·rî·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7378 strive, contend
with	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
Isaac’s	יִצְחָ֛ק	yiṣ·ḥāq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3327 Isaac
herdsmen	רֹעֵ֥י	rō·‘ê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H7462 pasture, tend, graze
and said	לֵאמֹ֖ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
The water is ours	הַמָּ֑יִם	ham·mā·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
So he named	וַיִּקְרָ֤א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
the well	הַבְּאֵר֙	hab·bə·’êr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H875 well, pit
Esek	עֵ֔שֶׂק	‘ê·śeq	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H6230 strife
because	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
they contended	הִֽתְעַשְּׂק֖וּ	hiṯ·‘aś·śə·qū	Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural	H6229 contend
with him	עִמּֽוֹ׃	‘im·mōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5973 with

Genesis 26:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then they dug	וַֽיַּחְפְּרוּ֙	way·yaḥ·pə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2658 dig, search for
another	אַחֶ֔רֶת	’a·ḥe·reṯ	Adjective - feminine singular	H312 another
well	בְּאֵ֣ר	bə·’êr	Noun - feminine singular	H875 well, pit
and quarreled	וַיָּרִ֖יבוּ	way·yā·rî·ḇū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7378 strive, contend
over	עָלֶ֑יהָ	‘ā·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H5921 height
that one	גַּם־	gam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
so he named	וַיִּקְרָ֥א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
it	שְׁמָ֖הּ	šə·māh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H8034 name
Sitnah	שִׂטְנָֽה׃	śiṭ·nāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7856 Sitnah

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 26:18 Zechariah 13:2

Genesis 26:19 John 7:38 · John 4:10–11 · Song of Solomon 4:15

Genesis 26:20 Genesis 21:25

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.