Messianic Education Trust
		Rejoicing in Hope     Toldot   (Gen 25:19 - 28:9)

B'resheet/Genesis 26:22   And he called its name 'R'khovot' and he said, "for now the L-rd has made space for us and we shall be fruitful in the land.

View whole verse and interlinear translation ...

Yitz'khak has left Gerar, after its king had asked him to leave - although there is no evidence of trouble apart from the envy of Gerar's citizenry - because of his wealth and power. He moves away and, like any farmer with flocks and herds, needs to find water. After re-digging some of the wells which Avraham had dug but had been filled in by the Philistines, his men dug a well and found spring water. The herdsmen of Gerar quarreled over it, claiming as their own so Yitz'khak named the well Esek, Quarreling, and moved on. Digging another well, that too was contested so Yitz'khak named it Sitnah, Accusation, and moved on again. As our text starts, Yitz'khak's men dig a third well and this time there is no argument about ownership, so Yitz'khak names the well R'khovot, Open Spaces, blessing The Name ...

HaShem: literally, Hebrew for 'The Name' - an allusion used to avoid pronouncing the Tetragrammaton, the so-called 'ineffable' name of G–d
HaShem and crediting the well and the lack of argument as a gift from HaShem. Terence Fretheim notes that "although the author explains the third well as a divine gift, Yitz'khak does not use his stronger position to claim every well."¹ In the following verses, we learn that Yitz'khak does in fact move on again and has his men dig a fourth well which is named Be'er Sheva.

Geographically, Be'er Sheva is a thriving Israeli town about 45 miles south of Jerusalem, sitting on the northern edge of the Negev desert. In ancient times it was seen as the southern boundary of Israel, when David was recognised as king "over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Be'er Sheva" (2 Samuel 3:10). During the times of the divided monarchies, it was used as a site of pilgrimage - "Do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Be'er Sheva" (Amos 5:5) - while after the return from exile, it marked the southern boundary of the Persian province of Yehud, when the people of Judah "encamped from Be'er Sheva to the Valley of Hinnom" (Nehemiah 11:30). Nahum Sarna reports that R'khovot "is generally identified with the present Ruheibeh, about 19 miles southwest of Be'er Sheva. To this day, there are several large wells of great antiquity in the area and traces of very early agricultural settlements." The sites of Esek and Sitnah are unknown.

On the one hand, the Who Is ...

Ba'al HaTurim: Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher (1269-1343 CE), born in Cologne, Germany; lived for 40 years in and around Toledo, Spain; died en route to Israel; his commentary to the Chumash is based upon an abridgement of the Ramban, including Rashi, Rashbam and Ibn Ezra; it includes many references to gematria and textual novelties
Baal HaTurim associates the four wells dug by Yitz'khak with the four nations which ruled over the Jews in exile. The first, Esek, corresponds to Babylon; the second, Sitnah, alludes to Haman - the enemy of the Jews in the Persian period. The third, Rehoboth, corresponds to Greece, while the fourth, Sheva, is considered to refer to Rome. The Who Is ...

Ramban: Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman Girondi or Nachmanides (born in Gerona, 1194; died in Israel 1270), Spanish rabbi, author and physician; defended Judaism in the Christian debates in Barcelona before making aliyah
Ramban, on the other hand, explains how the names given to the wells speak of the episodes of the Holy Temple: Esek, quarreling, and Sitnah, accusation, foretold why the first and second temples were destroyed; "the third well, R'khovot, space and peace, foretells the ultimate Holy Temple that will be built without contention in Messianic times. All the nations will build the Third Temple and 'serve Him with one accord' (Zephaniah 3:9)." Disagreeing with the Ramban's name translations, Laurence Turner observes that "the name R'khovot does not connote Peace or Harmony, simply space to exist separately."²

We should notice, as Leon Kass points out, that "in each case, Yitz'khak retreats, avoiding confrontation, but he and his men continue to dig for water."³ James McKeown explains that "Yitz'khak is a peace-loving man who avoids conflict where possible. When Abimelech's men claim one of his wells, he does not protest and make a fuss but quietly moves on until he finds another well. Yitz'khak recognises the benefit of possessing territory that no-one else claims. As Yitz'khak recognises, conflicts are counterproductive and hinder people and nations from realising their full potential."⁴ Could we perhaps see Yeshua's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount applying here: "Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles" (Matthew 5:39-41, ESV). The herdsmen of Gerar have - metaphorically - twice slapped Yitz'khak on the cheek and tried to take his tunic, but he has turned away, let them keep the well and moved on.

On the face it it, the last phrase of our text, "and we shall be fruitful in the land" is a future-looking statement: we haven't been fruitful recently because we have dug wells but haven't been able to stay and use their water; now that HaShem has given us an uncontested well with plenty of open space around, this is a sign that He will bless us and enable us to be fruitful. This translates וּפָרִינוּ as the Qal 1cp affix form of the root פרה - which is otherwise exclusively used in B'resheet with the verb רבה, to be many or become great, echoing the creation mandate "Be fruitful and multiply" (B'resheet 1:22) - with a vav-reversive to give the future tense. Richard Elliott Friedman assumes instead that the vav is a simple vav conjunction and leaves the normal affix past-tense to offer, "and we have been fruitful in the land." What Is ...

Targum Onkelos: An early (1^st-2^nd Century CE) translation/paraphrase of the Torah into Aramaic; attributed to a Roman convert to Judaism, Onkelos; used in Babylonian synagogues during the Talmudic era
Targum Onkelos changes the Hebrew וּפָרִינוּ to the Aramaic וְיַפְשִׁנָנָא, "He may increase us", so changing 'be fruitful' to 'increase', ascribing the increase to HaShem and making it a clear future promise: "and He will increase us."

What is the significance of the "open space" that Yitz'khak identifies? Bruce Waltke suggests that "space is part of G-d's blessing. G-d's protection of Yitz'khak resembles His rewards to Avraham during the controversy with Lot."⁵ Avraham offered Lot first choice of where he wanted to be, with Avraham going in the opposite direction, but HaShem told him, "all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever" (B'resheet 13:15, ESV); now HaShem will tell Yitz'khak, "Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake" (26:24, ESV). As Gordon Wenham points out: "Experiencing peace at last, Yitz'khak recalls the promises that the land would belong to a multitude of descendants - 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands' (v. 4, ESV). His expression of faith anticipates the renewal of the promises in the next episode."⁶

Appearing twice in our text - once as the fp noun רְחֹבוֹת, open spaces, once as הִרְחִיב, the Hifil 3ms affix form verb - the root רחב carries the sense of being or opening wide, of making space or room for someone.⁷ Its noun derivatives are about broad streets or open squares in cities, wide open spaces, width or breadth. The Psalmist rejoices in HaShem steadfast love because "You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have made my feet stand in a broad place" (Psalm 31:8). Walter Brueggemann concludes that open space is a major motif of the blessing theme: "Israel is frequently concerned for 'room' or 'space'. That agenda reflects the awareness of people who have had no safe space. It is an abiding agenda for Israel, so often facing exile."⁸ Through history, right up to the present day, Israel has often been pushed into exile, from this country or that, expelled from this or that country, driven out of their space into a place of no space, always needing to find space to settle, to live and worship G-d. There is an important way in which that applies to all of us as both Jewish and Gentile followers of Yeshua: "We all need the satisfaction of having our own 'breathing space' or 'sphere of service' in which we can exercise our gifts and feel fulfilled. It is good to recognise and to value our own uniqueness and the special room that G-d has given each one of us."⁹

Yet, HaShem is the G-d who creates and gives space. Yeshua told the disciples, "In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:2, ESV). The Greek word for place, to,poj, has an interesting range of meanings. It can be a place, a position or office, a region or district and, more intriguingly, a possibility or opportunity. This connects well with Yitz'khak's ideas about being able to prosper, to be fruitful, in the open space that HaShem had given them. So Yeshua gives us - has prepared for us with the Father - opportunities and space where we can be fruitful before Him, where we can breathe and flourish, a place that is wide and open, free from the nominal constraints of our flesh and this world, where as Yeshua said, "with G-d all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26, ESV). This is partly a question of horizons and expectations - we have to know that we have the space and can lift our eyes to see the possibilities that are open and available in Yeshua - and partly the removal of constraints so that we can walk into the newness that life in Messiah and the power of the Spirit bring.

Yitz'khak rejoiced in HaShem's gift of an uncontested well because he could see the promises he had been given suddenly becoming available and possible; he saw the hope of being fruitful in the land and blessed G-d and rejoiced in that hope. In the same way, we have set before us the glorious hope of the kingdom of G-d, the call to be fruitful and the gift of freedom in Messiah to accomplish all things. We too are to rejoice and bless G-d, to step out and stretch our wings in the wide and open space that Yeshua has prepared for us so that we may bear much fruit and bring glory to the Father as we prove that we are Yeshua's disciples (John 15:8).

1. - Terence Fretheim, "Genesis" in The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary, Vol I, edited by Leander E. Keck, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2015), page 180.

2. - Laurence A. Turner, Genesis - Readings: A New Biblical Commentary, 2nd Ed., (Sheffield, Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2009), page 113.

3. - Leon R. Kass, The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis (Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press, 2003), pages 388-389.

4. - James McKeown, Genesis, Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008), pages 131-132.

5. - Bruce K. Waltke with Cathi J. Fredricks, Genesis: A Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), page 370.

6. - Gordon Wenham, Genesis 16-50, Word Biblical Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1994), page 192.

7. - David J. A. Clines (ed.) The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2009), page 418.

8. - Walter Brueggemann, Genesis, Interpretation, (Atlanta, GA: John Knox Press, 1982), page 225.

9. - McKeown, page 132.

Further Study: Psalm 119:44-45; John 15:7-9; Colossians 4:3-6

Application: Do you feel constrained and restricted in your every day life, unable to do or accomplish very much for the kingdom of G-d? Cry out to the Father today to give you His gift of uncontested open space, so that you may bear fruit and bring glory to His name.

Buy your own copy of the Drash Book for Genesis/B'resheet now at Amazon US or Amazon UK.

© Jonathan Allen, 2026

Messianic Trust Home Page	Join Weekly Email	More Weekly Drashot
Last Week	Support the work of producing this weekly commentary
Last Year - 5786	Scripture Index