Genesis 26 · Verse 18

Genesis 26:18

And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
Genesis 26:18, King James Version

Genesis 26:18 in other translations

BSBIsaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them.
WEBIsaac dug again the wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham. He called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
ASVAnd Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
YLTand Isaac turneth back, and diggeth the wells of water which they digged in the days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines do stop after the death of Abraham, and he calleth to them names according to the names which his father called them.
DARBYAnd Isaac dug again the wells of water that they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and that the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham; and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
BBEAnd he made again the water-holes which had been made in the days of Abraham his father, and which had been stopped up by the Philistines; and he gave them the names which his father had given them.
WebsterAnd Isaac digged again the wells of water which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

What does Genesis 26:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 26:18-22
18-22. Isaac digged again the wells of water--The naming of wells by Abraham, and the hereditary right of his family to the property, the change of the names by the Philistines to obliterate the traces of their origin, the restoration of the names by Isaac, and the contests between the respective shepherds to the exclusive possession of the water, are circumstances that occur among the natives in those regions as frequently in the present day as in the time of Isaac.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 In the days of Abraham - Instead of בימי bimey, in the days, Houbigant contends we should read עבדי abdey, servants. Isaac dug again the wells which the servants of Abraham his father had dug. This reading is supported by the Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate; and it is probably the true one.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 26:18-25
Isaac met with much opposition in digging wells. Two were called Contention and Hatred. See the nature of worldly things; they make quarrels, and are occasions of strife; and what is often the lot of the most quiet and peaceable; those who avoid striving, yet cannot avoid being striven with. And what a mercy it is to have plenty of water; to have it without striving for it! The more common this mercy is, the more reason to be thankful for it. At length Isaac digged a well, for which they strove not. Those that study to be quiet, seldom fail of being so. When men are false and unkind, still God is faithful and gracious; and his time to show himself so is, when we are most disappointed by men. The same night that Isaac came weary and uneasy to Beer-sheba, God brought comforts to his soul. Those may remove with comfort who are sure of God's presence.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 26:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיָּ֨שָׁבvai.Ya.shovand he returnedH7725
יִצְחָ֜קyitz.ChakIsaacH3327
וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר\׀vai.yach.Porand he dugH2658
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בְּאֵרֹ֣תbe.'e.Rot[the] wells ofH875
הַמַּ֗יִםha.Ma.yim<the> waterH4325
אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherwhichH834
חָֽפְרוּ֙cha.fe.Rupeople had dugH2658
בִּימֵי֙bi.Meiin [the] days ofH3117
אַבְרָהָ֣ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
אָבִ֔יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
וַיְסַתְּמ֣וּםvay.sa.te.Mumand they had stopped up themH5640
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםpe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
אַחֲרֵ֖י'a.cha.ReiafterH310
מ֣וֹתMot[the] death ofH4194
אַבְרָהָ֑ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
וַיִּקְרָ֤אvai.yik.Ra'and he calledH7121
לָהֶן֙la.Hen<to> <the> them
שֵׁמ֔וֹתshe.MotnamesH8034
כַּשֵּׁמֹ֕תka.she.Motlike the namesH8034
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
קָרָ֥אka.Ra'he had calledH7121
לָהֶ֖ןla.Hen<to> <the> them
אָבִֽיו\׃'a.Vivfather hisH1

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 26:18

  • Zechariah 13:2

    And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

  • Psalms 16:4

    Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

  • Genesis 21:31

    Wherefore he called that place Beer–sheba; because there they sware both of them.

  • Hosea 2:17

    For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

  • Numbers 32:38

    And Nebo, and Baal–meon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in the days.Houbigant contends, that instead of {bimey,} "in the days," we should read, {avdey,} "servants;" agreeably to the Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate: "And Isaac digged again the wells of water which the servants of Abraham his father had digged."
and he.
21:31; Nu 32:38; Ps 16:4; Ho 2:17; Zec 13:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 26:17

    And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

  • Genesis 26:18

    And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

  • Genesis 26:19

    And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

Read all of Genesis 26

Genesis 26:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y volvió á abrir Isaac los pozos de agua que habían abierto en los días de Abraham su padre, y que los Filisteos habían cegado, muerto Abraham; y llamólos por los nombres que su padre los había llamado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Isaac recreusa les puits d’eau qu’on avait creusés aux jours d’Abraham, son père, et que les Philistins avaient bouchés après la mort d’Abraham; et il leur donna des noms selon les noms que son père leur avait donnés.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Isaak grub die Wasserbrunnen wieder auf, welche sie in den Tagen seines Vaters Abraham gegraben und welche die Philister nach dem Tode Abrahams verstopft hatten; und er benannte sie mit denselben Namen, womit sein Vater sie benannt hatte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		rursum fodit alios puteos, quos foderant servi patris sui Abraham, et quos, illo mortuo, olim obstruxerant Philisthiim: appellavitque eos eisdem nominibus quibus ante pater vocaverat.