Isaac's well (image)

Hand colored stencil print on washi by Sadao Watanabe (1977).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

complete verse (Genesis 26:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 26:21:

  • Newari: “Isaac’s servants dug another well. There they also came to fight. So the name of that one was ‘Enemy.'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The servants of Isaac dug again another well, but still they also quarreled-over it with those- (who) -came-from-Gerar. So Isaac named the well Sitna.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Isaac’s servants dug another well, but they quarreled about who owned that one also. So Isaac named it Sitnah, which means ‘opposition’.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 26:21

Then they dug another well: Then translates the Hebrew connective, which suggests here a subsequent action and may also be expressed in English as “Later,” “After that,” “At another time.” They refers to Isaac’s servants. See Good News Translation. In some languages it may be clearer to refer to this well as “a second well” and the next well dug as “a third well,” rather than to repeat the term another.

They quarreled over that also: they refers to Isaac’s servants and the men of Gerar. Good News Translation and others use an impersonal form “there was a quarrel.” We may also say, for example, “It also caused a quarrel.” In some languages it may be necessary to name those who quarreled; for example, “and the servants of Isaac and the men of Gerar quarreled over that well also.”

So he called its name Sitnah: he refers to Isaac. For the meaning of Sitnah see the Revised Standard Version footnote. This Hebrew word means enmity or hostility. If a noun-like word is unsuitable, in some languages we may say “well of those who hate each other” or “well of those who oppose each other.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .