Discovery BoxGenesis 26:18 
Context26:18 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
Context26:22 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.”
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.
