Sitnah was a well dug by Isaac in the Valley of Gerar, but the Philistines disputed its ownership (Gen. 26:21).
Sitnah is the name of a well that Isaac, the son of Abraham, dug in the Valley of Gerar during his sojourn in the land of the Philistines (Gen. 26:21). After the Philistines had stopped up the wells that Abraham's servants had dug, Isaac began to reopen them. He also dug new wells, including one he named Sitnah.
The name "Sitnah" is derived from the Hebrew word "satan," meaning "accusation" or "enmity." This name was given to the well because the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, claiming the water as their own.
The dispute over the well at Sitnah was part of a larger pattern of conflict between Isaac and the Philistines. The Philistines, envious of Isaac's prosperity, had stopped up the wells and sent him away (Gen. 26:14-16). Despite these challenges, Isaac persisted in his efforts to establish himself in the land, trusting in God's promise to bless him and his descendants.
The story of Isaac's wells, including Sitnah, illustrates the challenges faced by the patriarchs as they sought to maintain their presence in Canaan. It also highlights the importance of water rights in the semi-arid region and the potential for conflict over these valuable resources.
Approximate location: 31.391, 34.561 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Strife, the second of the two wells dug by Isaac, whose servants here contended with the Philistines (Gen. 26:21). It has been identified with the modern Shutneh, in the valley of Gerar, to the west of Rehoboth, about 20 miles south of Beersheba.
(strife), the second of the two wells dug by Isaac in the valley of Gerar, the possession of which the herdmen of the valley disputed with him. (Genesis 26:21)
SIT'NAH (strife), the name of the second of two wells dug by Isaac in the valley of Gerar, and for which the herdmen disputed. Gen 26:21. It is between Rehoboth and Beer-sheba, in a small valley called Shutnet er-Raheibeh, names in which are doubtless preserved both the Sitnah and Rehoboth of the Scripture.
SIT'NAH (strife), the name of the second of two wells dug by Isaac in the valley of Gerar, and for which the herdmen disputed. Gen 26:21. It is between Rehoboth and Beer-sheba, in a small valley called Shutnet er-Raheibeh, names in which are doubtless preserved both the Sitnah and Rehoboth of the Scripture.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
1 verse in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H7856
Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.