Bible Strands
Genesis 26:20
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Isaac’s herdsmen have just dug a well in the valley, prompting the herdsmen of Gerar to confront them and declare the water belongs to them.
The words — The verb וַיָּרִיבוּ (va-yarivu) translates literally as “they disputed” or “they contended,” capturing the formal struggle over the water source.
The thread — This confrontation mirrors the earlier well dispute recorded in Genesis 21:25, where Abraham’s servants similarly contested a seized water source with Abimelech’s men.
Why it lands — The text records Isaac’s factual response of naming the well Esek rather than retaliating, requiring the reader to observe how restraint and naming operate as direct responses to provocation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Genesis 21:25 But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,