Genesis 26:20
New International Version
But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him.

New Living Translation
But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”).

English Standard Version
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

Berean Standard Bible
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.

King James Bible
And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

New King James Version
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him.

New American Standard Bible
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they argued with him.

NASB 1995
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.

NASB 1977
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the herdsmen of Gerar contended with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they quarreled with him.

Amplified Bible
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours!” So Isaac named the well Esek (quarreling), because they quarreled with him.

Christian Standard Bible
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours! ” So he named the well Esek because they argued with him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Quarrel because they quarreled with him.

American Standard Version
And the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the herdsmen of Gadar contended with the herdsmen of Isaac and they said, “The waters are ours”, and he called the name of the well Asqa, because they disputed with him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the shepherds of Gerara strove with the shepherds of Isaac, saying that the water was theirs; and they called the name of the well, Injury, for they injured him.

Contemporary English Version
But the shepherds of Gerar Valley quarreled with Isaac's shepherds and claimed the water belonged to them. So this well was named "Quarrel," because they had quarreled with Isaac.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But there also the herdsmen of Gerara strove against the herdsmen of Isaac, saying: It is our water. Wherefore he called the name of the well, on occasion of that which had happened, Calumny.

English Revised Version
And the herdmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they contended with him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The herders from Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herders, claiming, "This water is ours!" So Isaac named the well Esek [Argument], because they had argued with him.

Good News Translation
The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds and said, "This water belongs to us." So Isaac named the well "Quarrel."

International Standard Version
But the herdsmen who lived in Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen. "The water is ours," they said. As a result, Isaac named the well Esek, for they had fiercely disputed with him about it.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the herdmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdmen, saying: 'The water is ours.' And he called the name of the well Esek; because they contended with him.

Literal Standard Version
and shepherds of Gerar strive with shepherds of Isaac, saying, “The water [is] ours”; and he calls the name of the well “Strife,” because they have striven habitually with him;

Majority Standard Bible
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him.

New American Bible
the shepherds of Gerar argued with Isaac’s shepherds, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So he named the well Esek, because they had quarreled there.

NET Bible
the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water belongs to us!" So Isaac named the well Esek because they argued with him about it.

New Revised Standard Version
the herders of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herders, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the well Esek, because they contended with him.

New Heart English Bible
The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." He called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the herdmen of Gerar contended with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

World English Bible
The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him.

Young's Literal Translation
and shepherds of Gerar strive with shepherds of Isaac, saying, 'The water is ours;' and he calleth the name of the well 'Strife,' because they have striven habitually with him;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Isaac's Prosperity
19Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there. 20But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. 21Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.…

Cross References
Genesis 13:7
And there was discord between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land.

Genesis 21:25
But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had seized,

Genesis 26:19
Then Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there.

Genesis 26:21
Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.

Genesis 46:34
you are to say, 'Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth--both we and our fathers.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."


Treasury of Scripture

And the herdsmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

did strive.

Genesis 21:25
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

Esek.

Jump to Previous
Argued Contended Disputed Fight Gerar Habitually Herdmen Herdsmen Isaac Isaac's Ours Quarreled Shepherds Spring Strife Strive Striven Strove Water
Jump to Next
Argued Contended Disputed Fight Gerar Habitually Herdmen Herdsmen Isaac Isaac's Ours Quarreled Shepherds Spring Strife Strive Striven Strove Water
Genesis 26
1. Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him.
7. He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife.
12. He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity.
18. He digs wells.
23. God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26. and Abimelech makes a covenant with him.
34. Esau's wives.














Verse 20. - And the herdmen of Gerar - i.e. Abimelech's servants (Genesis 21:25) - did strive with Isaac's herdmen, - as Lot's with those of Abraham (Genesis 13:7) - saying, The water is ours: - literally, to us (belong) the waters - and he called the name of the well Esek ("Strife"); because they strove with him - the verb being עָשַׂק, to strive about anything.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But the herdsmen
רֹעֵ֣י (rō·‘ê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7473: Pastoral, a shepherd

of Gerar
גְרָ֗ר (ḡə·rār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1642: Gerar -- a place South of Gaza

quarreled
וַיָּרִ֜יבוּ (way·yā·rî·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7378: To toss, grapple, to wrangle, controversy, to defend

with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Isaac’s
יִצְחָ֛ק (yiṣ·ḥāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

herdsmen
רֹעֵ֥י (rō·‘ê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7473: Pastoral, a shepherd

and said,
לֵאמֹ֖ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“The water is ours!”
הַמָּ֑יִם (ham·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

So he named
וַיִּקְרָ֤א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

the well
הַבְּאֵר֙ (hab·bə·’êr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 875: A pit, a well

Esek,
עֵ֔שֶׂק (‘ê·śeq)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6230: Esek -- 'contention', a well in Gerar

because
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they contended
הִֽתְעַשְּׂק֖וּ (hiṯ·‘aś·śə·qū)
Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6229: To press upon, quarrel

with him.
עִמּֽוֹ׃ (‘im·mōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with


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OT Law: Genesis 26:20 The herdsmen of Gerar argued with Isaac's (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 26:19
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