Genesis 26:15 kjv

For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

Genesis 26:15 nkjv

Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth.

Genesis 26:15 niv

So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

Genesis 26:15 esv

(Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.)

Genesis 26:15 nlt

So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac's wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.

Genesis 26 verses

Genesis 26 15 Meaning

Gen 26:15 describes a hostile action by the Philistines: they deliberately sabotaged the wells that Abraham's servants had previously dug. This act was not merely an inconvenience but a grave impediment to sustenance in an arid region, signaling territorial claims and expressing deep-seated jealousy towards Isaac's burgeoning prosperity and the legacy of his father.

Genesis 26 15 Context

Genesis chapter 26 finds Isaac dwelling in Gerar during a severe famine, where God reaffirms the covenant promises made to Abraham, including numerous descendants and the gift of the land (Gen 26:1-5). Isaac obeys God's command not to go down to Egypt. God blesses Isaac immensely, causing him to become exceedingly rich in flocks, herds, and many servants (Gen 26:12-13). This extraordinary prosperity arouses the intense envy and fear of the local Philistines (Gen 26:14). Gen 26:15 describes their direct, hostile response to this envy, revealing their desire to undermine Isaac's settled presence and hinder his life-sustaining operations, directly attacking the legacy Abraham had established in the land. The chapter progresses with Isaac's subsequent peaceful relocation and re-digging of his father's wells, despite ongoing Philistine contention, culminating in a new peace treaty with Abimelech.

Genesis 26 15 Word analysis

• For all: Connects this destructive act directly to the preceding context of Isaac's overwhelming prosperity (Gen 26:12-13) and the resulting Philistine envy (Gen 26:14). It emphasizes the systematic nature of their sabotage.

• the wells: Hebrew: be'erot (בְּאֵרֹת), plural of be'er (בְּאֵר). This term specifically refers to deep pits dug to find water, distinguishing them from natural springs. Wells were crucial for survival in the arid Middle East, signifying life, sustained presence, and ownership or established right of use in a territory. The denial of water was a severe form of economic and territorial warfare.

• which his father’s servants: Highlights the multi-generational impact and legacy. These were not just any wells, but Abraham's wells, indicating a historic claim and presence in the land tied to the patriarch. The Philistines' action was an affront to the established rights and covenant promises to Abraham, which now passed to Isaac.

• had digged: Refers to a completed action in the past, establishing the legitimate and long-standing existence of these vital resources.

• in the days of Abraham his father: Further emphasizes the antiquity and patriarchal authority of these wells. It signifies a settled and recognized right that the Philistines were now overtly disregarding. This implies a disrespect for previous arrangements or common law among settled peoples regarding resources.

• the Philistines: The aggressors. They were a powerful non-Israelite group settled on the coastal plain. Their identity as the perpetrators underlines the external opposition faced by God's covenant people.

• had stopped them: Hebrew: sitt'mûm (סִתְּמוּם), derived from satham (סָתַם), meaning "to stop up, to close, to block, to shut." This describes the act of sealing or blocking the opening of the wells.

• and filled them with earth: Hebrew: vaymâl'ûm 'afar (וַיְמַלְאוּם עָפָר), meaning "and they filled them with dust/dirt." This makes the act irreversible without considerable effort. It was a deliberate, malicious, and comprehensive act of destruction, not merely temporary obstruction. It ensured the wells were rendered utterly unusable, maximizing hardship.

• Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

  • "For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father": This phrase meticulously traces the origin and legitimate history of the wells to Abraham, emphasizing their established heritage and Isaac's rightful claim to them. It underscores that the Philistines' act was a direct attack on a settled and recognized legacy.
  • "the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth": This describes the specific, deliberate, and comprehensive act of aggression. It signifies economic warfare and territorial exclusion. This method of destruction indicates not only hostility but a determination to render the land uninhabitable or difficult to use for Isaac, effectively trying to force him out due to their envy.

Genesis 26 15 Bonus section

The stopping of wells in ancient times was a significant military and economic tactic. It denied an advancing or retreating enemy water and also rendered territory undesirable for settlement. This action by the Philistines reflects not just local jealousy but a calculated move to expel or significantly weaken the growing influence of Isaac, whom they perceived as a threat. The repeated phrase "in the days of Abraham his father" reinforces the idea of inherited struggle; Isaac inherits not only the blessings and promises of Abraham but also the conflicts and contentions that arose from those blessings. This verse implicitly sets up the theme of Isaac's quiet but firm perseverance, as seen in his later response of re-digging the wells, choosing to seek peace where possible but never abandoning the claims to his father's heritage or God's promised land. This quiet persistence in the face of obstruction foreshadows a deeper biblical principle of enduring and overcoming spiritual resistance through faithfulness.

Genesis 26 15 Commentary

Genesis 26:15 is a succinct yet powerful depiction of the world's opposition to God's blessing and the legacy of His chosen. The wells, vital for life and property in an arid land, represent prosperity, sustenance, and established rights – the very blessings God had poured out on Isaac and had promised Abraham. The Philistines, consumed by envy at Isaac's rapid increase, sought to dismantle this blessing by attacking its foundation: access to water. Their method, not just stopping but filling the wells with earth, was a calculated and malevolent act of sabotage, aiming to completely nullify the patriarch's past labor and current prosperity. This act serves as a metaphor for various forms of spiritual opposition. Just as these physical wells were essential for Isaac's survival, there are "wells of salvation" (Isa 12:3) and "living waters" (Jn 4:10-14) that God provides for His people. Adversaries often seek to "stop" or "fill with earth" these spiritual provisions through persecution, false teaching, discouragement, or social pressure, attempting to dry up the source of spiritual life and hinder God's purposes. However, like Isaac's later re-digging (Gen 26:18), the believer is called to persevere in accessing and contending for God's blessings despite opposition, trusting in the enduring power of God's covenant and provision.