Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 26:22 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 22. 22And 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Isaac moves, digs another well, and faces no dispute. He names it Rehoboth, 'room,' and credits the LORD with making space for the household to flourish in the land.
Read It With
- Genesis 26:12–22
Read verses 12–22 as one movement. Blessing brings growth; envy brings blocked wells and expulsion; Esek and Sitnah record conflict; Rehoboth names uncontested room. Verse 23 then moves to Beersheba for renewed divine assurance.
Why This Verse Appears Here
A third uncontested well resolves the sequence and gives Isaac language for God's room and future fruitfulness.
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.
Follow the Context
- Isaac sows, receives a hundredfold yield, and is explicitly blessed by the LORD (26:12).
- His prosperity intensifies until his flocks, herds, and large household provoke Philistine envy (26:13–14).
- The Philistines stop Abraham's wells, and Abimelech orders Isaac away because he has become too powerful (26:15–16).
- Isaac relocates to the Gerar valley and redigs the wells, preserving Abraham's names for them (26:17–18).
- A fresh-water well produces disputes memorialized by the names Esek and Sitnah (26:19–21).
- A third well is uncontested, so Isaac names it Rehoboth and credits the LORD with making room for the household to flourish (26:22).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“they strove not”
In plain language: No dispute is reported over this well.
The repeated conflict sequence changes.
Why it matters: Rehoboth is defined by uncontested access, not merely another successful dig.
How certain? very strong“Rehoboth”
In plain language: Broad places or room.
Isaac names the location after the space now available.
Why it matters: The name interprets relief without erasing Esek and Sitnah.
How certain? very strong“the LORD hath made room for us”
In plain language: Isaac credits God with the household's new space.
Divine provision frames the resolution.
Why it matters: The confession prevents the move from becoming a story of self-made entitlement.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
Rehoboth does not promise that every move, ministry, business, or personal project will become prosperous.
The absence of dispute does not prove Isaac owns all the land around the well.
'We shall be fruitful' does not specify an immediate pregnancy or promise children to every household.
The verse does not teach that people must endure unlimited displacement before seeking justice.
What Remains True
Room to flourish can follow patient, truthful, constructive action, but it remains God's provision rather than proof of human entitlement.
How It Can Shape Life
- When conflict de-escalates, receive the new space gratefully, build responsibly, and avoid rewriting the earlier harm or promising that every relocation will prosper.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 26:22's contribution to Genesis 26:12–22. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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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? very 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 ↗