Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 26:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Isaac's servants dig another well, and another dispute leads him to name it Sitnah, 'opposition' or 'hostility.' The repeated conflict intensifies the pressure before Rehoboth.
Read It With
- Genesis 26:12–22
Read verses 19–22. The first discovery produces Esek, the second produces Sitnah, and the third is uncontested Rehoboth. Reading verse 21 alone loses the deliberate escalation and resolution in the naming sequence.
Why This Verse Appears Here
A second disputed well intensifies the sequence from contention to active opposition.
Read Genesis 26:19–22 together
Why these verses belong together: Three well episodes move from fresh-water discovery through contention and opposition to uncontested room credited to the LORD.
Verse 19. 19 And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
Verse 20. 20 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.
Verse 21. 21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah.
Verse 22. 22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
What Remains True
Repeated opposition should be named truthfully without assuming it will have the last word.
How It Can Shape Life
- When one conflict repeats, reassess safety, evidence, negotiation, and whether a different setting can create room without surrendering truth.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 26:12–22 — Conflict Follows Isaac's ProsperitySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, thought-unit boundary, prosperity-conflict sequence, Abrahamic well continuity, names, and transition to Beersheba.
Exact location: Genesis 26:12–22 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 21:22–34 and 26:1–33
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Harvest, blessing, intensified growth, envy, well stopping, relocation, redigging, living water, dispute vocabulary, place-name wordplay, room, and fruitfulness.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 26:12–22; lemmas and morphology for zara, meah shearim, barakh, gadal, qana, satam, apar, atsum, yashav, shuv, be'er, mayim hayyim, riv, Eseq, Sitnah, Rehovot, rahav, and parah
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Hundredfold yield, living/fresh flowing water, legal-conflict nuance, and Esek, Sitnah, and Rehoboth wordplay.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 26:12–22 and translator notes, especially verses 12, 19–22
Open NET Genesis 26 ↗