Genesis 26:18

26:18 Isaac reopened ¹  the wells that had been dug ²  back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up ³  after Abraham died. Isaac ⁴  gave these wells ⁵  the same names his father had given them. ⁶ 

Genesis 26:22

26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ⁷  named it ⁸  Rehoboth, ⁹  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

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¹ tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”

² tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.

³ tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.

⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”

⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

⁹ 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.