Genesis 12:8

12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel 1  and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. 2 

Genesis 26:22

26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac 3  named it 4  Rehoboth, 5  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

1 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.

2 tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

3 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

4 tn Heb “and he called its name.”

5 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.