Lexical Summary Sitnah: Hostility, Enmity, Opposition Original Word: שִׂטְנָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Sitnah The same as sitnah; Sitnah, the name of a well in Pal -- Sitnah. see HEBREW sitnah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as satan Definition "hostility," the name of a well near Gerar NASB Translation Sitnah (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. שִׂטְנָה proper name putei (hostility) Genesis 26:21 (J). [שִׂיא], שִׂיאֹן see נשׂא. Topical Lexicon Historical Context Genesis records Isaac’s sojourn in the arid territory surrounding Gerar, a Philistine-controlled region where reliable water sources determined economic survival and territorial control. Wells in the patriarchal period were not only practical assets but also markers of covenantal promise; God had pledged the land to Abraham’s seed, and each successful well reaffirmed that promise. Within that landscape the naming of wells functioned as a spiritual diary, preserving both conflict and divine faithfulness. Occurrence in Genesis 26:21 “Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.” (Genesis 26:21) The quarrel at this second well intensifies earlier hostilities (Esek, “contention”). Sitnah, carrying the sense of active enmity, memorializes a climax of local opposition against Isaac’s expanding influence. The naming isolates the event: strife was real, yet neither final nor defining, for Isaac would move again and ultimately reach Rehoboth (“broad places”), a testimony that hostility cannot negate God’s provision. Theological Significance of Contention 1. Adversarial Opposition to Covenant Purposes The term’s linkage to the broader scriptural idea of adversary underscores that hostility toward the people of promise is ultimately hostility toward the divine agenda (cf. Psalm 2:1–3). Genesis presents a pattern: Ishmael’s mocking, Philistine envy, and later Edomite animosity—all foreshadow Israel’s national experience. Sitnah thus stands as a microcosm of satanic resistance to redemptive history. Conflict forced Isaac to relocate, preventing premature settlement in hostile territory. By moving him, God preserved his household from syncretism and opened space where blessing could flourish unhindered. The incident illustrates Romans 8:28 long before the epistle was written: opposition becomes the instrument of divine good. Lessons for Ministry and Christian Living • Perseverance without retaliation: Isaac avoids escalation. “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.” (Proverbs 15:18) Leaders today imitate that restraint, trusting the Lord to vindicate. Intertextual Echoes The motif resurfaces in Scripture wherever God’s servants face hostility while pursuing His call: Each scenario echoes Sitnah: satanic resistance countered by steadfast obedience that yields eventual enlargement. Bridge to New Testament Teaching James 3:16 warns, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.” Sitnah exemplifies that disorder. Yet 2 Timothy 2:24 prescribes Isaac-like meekness: “A servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone.” The apostle Peter offers the same trajectory Isaac followed, from opposition to broad blessing: “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace… will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10) Reflection in Jewish and Christian Tradition Rabbinic literature notes Isaac’s pacific spirit as a model of רוח נמוכה (“humble disposition”). Early church commentators, such as John Chrysostom, saw in Isaac’s withdrawal an anticipation of Christ’s instruction, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:41). Sitnah thus informs ethical exhortation across covenants. Summary Sitnah represents more than a localized dispute over water; it crystallizes the broader biblical theme of adversarial resistance to God’s redemptive plan and the believer’s proper response. Recorded once yet resonating throughout Scripture, the well named Sitnah calls disciples in every age to endure strife with faith, to relinquish self-assertion, and to anticipate the spacious places God prepares beyond present contention. Forms and Transliterations שִׂטְנָֽה׃ שטנה׃ sitNahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 26:21 HEB: וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמָ֖הּ שִׂטְנָֽה׃ NAS: it too, so he named it Sitnah. KJV: the name of it Sitnah. INT: called of it Sitnah 1 Occurrence |
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