So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham. So the PhilistinesThe Philistines were a significant group in the ancient Near East, often depicted as adversaries of the Israelites. Their presence in the land of Canaan is well-documented both archaeologically and scripturally. The Philistines were known for their advanced iron technology and military prowess. In this context, they represent opposition and a challenge to Isaac, the heir of God's covenant with Abraham. Their actions are symbolic of the spiritual and physical battles God's people often face. filled up
The act of filling up the wells is an aggressive move, symbolizing hostility and an attempt to erase the legacy and prosperity of Abraham's lineage. Wells were vital for survival, representing life, sustenance, and blessing. By filling them, the Philistines sought to cut off Isaac's resources and claim dominance over the land. This act can be seen as an attempt to thwart God's promises, yet it ultimately sets the stage for God's faithfulness to be demonstrated. all the wells
Wells in the ancient Near East were precious resources, often dug with great effort and skill. They were essential for agriculture, livestock, and human consumption. The mention of "all the wells" indicates a comprehensive effort by the Philistines to disrupt Isaac's livelihood. Spiritually, wells can symbolize the deep resources of God's provision and the living water that sustains His people. The enemy's attempt to block these resources is a reminder of the spiritual warfare believers face. that his father’s servants had dug
This phrase highlights the continuity of God's blessing from Abraham to Isaac. The wells, dug by Abraham's servants, represent the hard work and faith of the previous generation. They are a tangible reminder of God's covenant and the faithfulness of those who have gone before. The servants' labor is not in vain, as it sets a foundation for Isaac's own journey of faith and reliance on God's promises. in the days of his father Abraham
The reference to Abraham situates this event within the broader narrative of God's covenantal relationship with Abraham and his descendants. Abraham is a patriarch of faith, and his life is marked by obedience and trust in God's promises. The wells are a legacy of Abraham's faith and God's provision. This historical context underscores the enduring nature of God's promises, which are not thwarted by human opposition or time. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaacThe son of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac is the central figure in this chapter. He is living in the land of the Philistines during a time of famine. 2. PhilistinesA group of people living in the region of Gerar. They are often in conflict with the Israelites throughout the Old Testament. 3. AbrahamIsaac's father, who had previously dug the wells that the Philistines filled. His legacy and covenant with God are central to the account. 4. WellsThese are significant as sources of water, a vital resource in the arid region. They symbolize sustenance, life, and God's provision. 5. GerarThe region where Isaac is dwelling, under the rule of King Abimelech. It is a place of both conflict and covenant. Teaching Points Legacy and InheritanceThe actions of the Philistines in filling the wells remind us of the importance of preserving and valuing the spiritual and physical legacies left by our forebears. Conflict and ResolutionIsaac's response to the Philistines' actions can teach us about handling conflict with grace and seeking peaceful resolutions. God's ProvisionJust as wells provided necessary water, God provides for our needs. Trust in His provision even when resources seem blocked or scarce. Spiritual WellsConsider the "wells" in your life that may have been "filled" by the enemy. How can you reopen these sources of spiritual nourishment? Perseverance in FaithIsaac's persistence in reopening the wells demonstrates the importance of perseverance in faith and the pursuit of God's promises. Bible Study Questions 1. What does the act of the Philistines filling the wells symbolize in terms of spiritual opposition, and how can we apply this understanding to our own spiritual battles? 2. How does Isaac's response to the Philistines' actions reflect a Christ-like attitude, and what can we learn from his example about dealing with conflict? 3. In what ways can we ensure that we are preserving and valuing the spiritual legacies left by those who came before us? 4. How does the concept of "living water" in John 4 relate to the physical wells in Genesis 26, and what does this teach us about our spiritual needs? 5. Reflect on a time when you faced a "blocked well" in your life. How did you see God's provision and faithfulness during that time, and how can this encourage you in current challenges? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 21This chapter describes Abraham's interactions with Abimelech and the initial digging of the wells, highlighting the ongoing relationship and conflict between Abraham's descendants and the Philistines. Exodus 17The Israelites' need for water in the desert and God's provision through Moses striking the rock parallels the importance of wells and God's provision for His people. John 4Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well emphasizes the spiritual significance of water and wells, pointing to Jesus as the source of "living water." People Abimelech, Ahuzzath, Bashemath, Basmath, Beeri, Elon, Esau, Isaac, Judith, Phichol, RebekahPlaces Beersheba, Egypt, Esek, Gerar, Rehoboth, Shibah, Sitnah, Valley of GerarTopics Digged, Dug, Dust, Father's, Fill, Filled, Filling, Philistines, Servants, Stopped, Water-holes, WellsDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 26:12-22 4296 wells Genesis 26:14-15 8796 persecution, forms of Genesis 26:15-22 8716 dishonesty, examples Library The First Apostle of Peace at any Price
'Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. 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. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture"Thou Art Now the Blessed of the Lord. "
"Thou art now the blessed of the Lord."--Genesis 26:29. THESE words truly describe the position of many whom I address at this time. There are hundreds here upon whom my eye can rest, and to any one of whom I might point with this finger, or rather, to whom I might extend this hand, to give a hearty shake, and say, "Thou art now the blessed of the Lord." I need not say it in the same spirit, nor for the same reason, that the Philistines did. They had behaved basely towards Isaac, and now that he …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892 Tithing
There are few subjects on which the Lord's own people are more astray than on the subject of giving. They profess to take the Bible as their own rule of faith and practice, and yet in the matter of Christian finance, the vast majority have utterly ignored its plain teachings and have tried every substitute the carnal mind could devise; therefore it is no wonder that the majority of Christian enterprises in the world today are handicapped and crippled through the lack of funds. Is our giving to be …
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing Whether Every Lie is a Sin?
Objection 1: It seems that not every lie is a sin. For it is evident that the evangelists did not sin in the writing of the Gospel. Yet they seem to have told something false: since their accounts of the words of Christ and of others often differ from one another: wherefore seemingly one of them must have given an untrue account. Therefore not every lie is a sin. Objection 2: Further, no one is rewarded by God for sin. But the midwives of Egypt were rewarded by God for a lie, for it is stated that …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Elucidation.
The conduct of Father Abraham, although not approved of by Inspiration, but simply recorded (Gen. xxvi. 7), gave early Christians an opinion that the wicked may be justly foiled, by equivocation and deception, for the preservation of innocence or the life of the innocent. In such case the person deceived, they might argue, is not injured, but benefited (Gen. xxvi. 10), being saved from committing violence and murder. The Corinthian maiden was accustomed to be veiled (as Tertullian intimates), and …
Hippolytus—The Extant Works and Fragments of Hippolytus An Obscured vision
(Preached at the opening of the Winona Lake Bible Conference.) TEXT: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."--Proverbs 29:18. It is not altogether an easy matter to secure a text for such an occasion as this; not because the texts are so few in number but rather because they are so many, for one has only to turn over the pages of the Bible in the most casual way to find them facing him at every reading. Feeling the need of advice for such a time as this, I asked a number of my friends who …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot The Plan for the Coming of Jesus.
God's Darling, Psalms 8:5-8.--the plan for the new man--the Hebrew picture by itself--difference between God's plan and actual events--one purpose through breaking plans--the original plan--a starting point--getting inside. Fastening a Tether inside: the longest way around--the pedigree--the start. First Touches on the Canvas: the first touch, Genesis 3:15.--three groups of prediction--first group: to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3; to Isaac, Genesis 26:1-5; to Jacob, Genesis 28:10-15; through Jacob, …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus And to Holy David Indeed it Might More Justly be Said...
22. And to holy David indeed it might more justly be said, that he ought not to have been angry; no, not with one however ungrateful and rendering evil for good; yet if, as man, anger did steal over him, he ought not to have let it so prevail, that he should swear to do a thing which either by giving way to his rage he should do, or by breaking his oath leave undone. But to the other, set as he was amid the libidinous frenzy of the Sodomites, who would dare to say, "Although thy guests in thine own …
St. Augustine—Against Lying Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Sundry Sharp Reproofs
This doctrine draws up a charge against several sorts: 1 Those that think themselves good Christians, yet have not learned this art of holy mourning. Luther calls mourning a rare herb'. Men have tears to shed for other things, but have none to spare for their sins. There are many murmurers, but few mourners. Most are like the stony ground which lacked moisture' (Luke 8:6). We have many cry out of hard times, but they are not sensible of hard hearts. Hot and dry is the worst temper of the body. Sure …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Genesis 26:15 NIVGenesis 26:15 NLTGenesis 26:15 ESVGenesis 26:15 NASBGenesis 26:15 KJV
Genesis 26:15 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
