Genesis 26:18

Posted on November 4, 2024 by moshe

Gen. 26:18 [Samaritan Pentateuch]

וישב יצחק ויחפר את בארות המים אשר חפרו עבדי אברהם אביו ויסתמום פלשתים אחרי מות אברהם ויקרא להן שמות כשמות אשר קרא להן אביו

And Yitsḥaq returned and dug again the wells of water dug by the servants of Avraham his father, which the Pelishtim had stopped up after the death of Avraham, and he called them by the names that his father had called them.

Gen. 26:18 [Masoretic Text]

וַיָּ֨שָׁב יִצְחָ֜ק וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר אֶת־בְּאֵרֹ֣ת הַמַּ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ בִּימֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יו וַיְסַתְּמ֣וּם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י מֹ֣ות אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֤א לָהֶן֙ שֵׁמֹ֔ות כַּשֵּׁמֹ֕ת אֲשֶׁר־קָרָ֥א לָהֶ֖ן אָבִֽיו׃

And Yitsḥaq returned and dug again the wells of water that they had dug in the days of Avraham his father, which the Pelishtim had stopped up after the death of Avraham, and he called them by the names that his father had called them.

 

Morphology

  1. וַיָּ֨שָׁב (Va-yashov) – Root: שׁוב (sh-v-b); Form: Qal, imperfect, 3ms with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he returned”; Notes: Indicates Yitsḥaq’s action of returning to a former location or task.
  2. יִצְחָ֜ק (Yitsḥaq) – Root: יצחק (y-ts-ḥ-q); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Yitsḥaq”; Notes: The subject of the verb.
  3. וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר (Va-yaḥpor) – Root: חפר (ḥ-p-r); Form: Qal, imperfect, 3ms with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he dug”; Notes: Refers to the action of re-digging wells.
  4. אֶת־בְּאֵרֹ֣ת (Et-be’erot) – Root: באר (b-ʾ-r); Form: Noun, feminine plural, definite; Translation: “The wells”; Notes: Refers to the wells of water dug previously.
  5. הַמַּ֗יִם (Ha-mayim) – Root: מים (m-y-m); Form: Noun, masculine plural, definite; Translation: “Of water”; Notes: Specifies the type of wells.
  6. אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ (Asher ḥafru) – Root: חפר (ḥ-p-r); Form: Qal, perfect, 3mp; Translation: “That they had dug”; Notes: Refers to wells originally excavated by others.
  7. בִּימֵי֙ (Bi-yemei) – Root: יום (y-w-m); Form: Noun, masculine plural, construct; Translation: “In the days of”; Notes: Indicates the time period referenced.
  8. אַבְרָהָ֣ם (Avraham) – Root: אברהם (ʾ-v-r-h-m); Form: Proper noun; Translation: “Avraham”; Notes: The father of Yitsḥaq.
  9. אָבִ֔יו (Aviv) – Root: אב (ʾ-v); Form: Noun, masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “His father”; Notes: Refers to Avraham as Yitsḥaq’s father.
  10. וַיְסַתְּמ֣וּם (Va-yisattmum) – Root: סתם (s-t-m); Form: Piel, imperfect, 3mp with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And they stopped them up”; Notes: Refers to the Philistines’ actions of blocking the wells.
  11. פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (Pelishtim) – Root: פלשׁת (p-l-sh-t); Form: Proper noun, plural; Translation: “Philistines”; Notes: The agents responsible for blocking the wells.
  12. אַחֲרֵ֖י (Acharei) – Root: אחר (ʾ-ḥ-r); Form: Preposition; Translation: “After”; Notes: Indicates timing relative to Avraham’s death.
  13. מֹ֣ות (Mot) – Root: מות (m-w-t); Form: Noun, masculine singular; Translation: “Death”; Notes: Refers to the event of Avraham’s passing.
  14. וַיִּקְרָ֤א (Va-yikra) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Form: Qal, imperfect, 3ms with vav-consecutive; Translation: “And he called”; Notes: Refers to Yitsḥaq naming the wells.
  15. לָהֶן֙ (La-hen) – Root: הם (h-m); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 3fp; Translation: “Them”; Notes: Refers to the wells.
  16. שֵׁמֹ֔ות (Shemot) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Noun, masculine plural; Translation: “Names”; Notes: Refers to the names assigned to the wells.
  17. כַשֵּׁמֹ֕ת (Ka-shemot) – Root: שם (sh-m); Form: Preposition + noun, masculine plural; Translation: “As the names”; Notes: Indicates continuity in naming.
  18. אֲשֶׁר־קָרָ֥א (Asher-qara) – Root: קרא (q-r-ʾ); Form: Qal, perfect, 3ms; Translation: “That he had called”; Notes: Refers to Avraham’s previous naming of the wells.
  19. לָהֶ֖ן (La-hen) – Root: הם (h-m); Form: Preposition + pronoun, 3fp; Translation: “Them”; Notes: Refers again to the wells that Avraham had named.
  20. אָבִֽיו (Aviv) – Root: אב (ʾ-v); Form: Noun, masculine singular + 3ms suffix; Translation: “His father”; Notes: Refers to Avraham as the one who originally named the wells.

 

Textual Commentary on Genesis 26:18

Genesis 26:18 is preserved with slight variations in the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP), Masoretic Text (MT), Septuagint (LXX), and Peshitta (Syriac). The key differences center around who originally dug the wells:

  • Masoretic Text (MT): “that they had dug in the days of Avraham his father” (without specifying who dug them).
  • Samaritan Pentateuch (SP): “dug by the servants of Avraham his father” (explicitly attributing the digging to Avraham’s servants).
  • Septuagint (LXX): “the wells of water that the servants of Avraham his father had dug” (aligning with the SP).
  • Peshitta (Syriac): “the wells of water which had been dug by the servants of his father in the days of Avraham his father” (combining elements of both the SP/LXX and the MT).

The Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint explicitly state that Avraham’s servants dug the wells, whereas the Masoretic Text omits this detail. The Peshitta uniquely preserves both the mention of the servants and the days of Avraham, blending both traditions.

Morphological and Syntactical Observations

  • וַיָּשָׁב יִצְחָק (MT) vs. וישב יצחק (SP) – Both mean “And Yitsḥaq returned”. The SP lacks the vav-consecutive that the MT preserves.
  • אֲשֶׁר חָפְרוּ (MT) vs. אשר חפרו עבדי (SP, LXX, Peshitta) – The SP, LXX, and Peshitta explicitly mention that the servants of Avraham dug the wells, whereas the MT simply states that the wells were dug in the days of Avraham without specifying the diggers.
  • כַּשֵּׁמֹת (MT) vs. כשמות (SP) – The spelling difference in “by the names” is minor, with the MT including a dagesh in שֵּׁמֹת, which does not affect meaning.

Textual Criticism and Historical Context

The Septuagint (LXX) follows the Samaritan Pentateuch in explicitly stating that the servants of Avraham dug the wells: οἱ παῖδες Ἀβραὰμ (“the servants of Avraham”).

The Peshitta (Syriac) aligns partially with both traditions, stating both that the servants dug the wells and that this occurred “in the days of Avraham his father.”

The textual alignment between the Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Peshitta suggests that the Masoretic Text either omitted the reference to the servants or preserved an alternative tradition that generalized the statement.

Thematic and Theological Implications

  • Continuity with Avraham – The passage emphasizes Yitsḥaq’s role in restoring his father’s legacy. By re-digging the wells and using the same names, Yitsḥaq symbolically upholds Avraham’s covenantal blessings.
  • Opposition from the Pelishtim – The act of the Pelishtim stopping up the wells after Avraham’s death reflects hostility towards his descendants, echoing later tensions between Israel and the Philistines.
  • Preservation of Tradition – Naming in the ancient world carried great significance. By restoring the original names, Yitsḥaq is preserving not just geographical markers but also spiritual heritage.

Conclusion

The textual differences between the Samaritan Pentateuch, Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Peshitta highlight variations in how the tradition of Avraham’s wells was preserved. The SP, LXX, and Peshitta clarify that Avraham’s servants were the original diggers, while the MT leaves it ambiguous. The Peshitta uniquely includes both elements, making it a significant witness to the textual history. Ultimately, this verse reinforces the covenantal continuity between Avraham and Yitsḥaq, a central theme in Genesis.

 

 

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