Bible Location

Rehoboth (Bible)

Rehoboth was the name Isaac gave to a well dug by his servants after earlier disputes over water with the herdsmen of Gerar. The name is related to the Hebrew idea of spaciousness or room.

After disputes concerning the wells called Esek and Sitnah, Isaac moved farther away and dug another well. When no dispute arose over it, he named it Rehoboth and declared that the Lord had made room for his household to flourish in the land.

Rehoboth is commonly associated with the area of Ruheibeh southwest of Beersheba, although the precise identification is not certain.

Biblical Significance

Genesis 26 describes Isaac living in the region of Gerar during a famine. As his household and possessions increased, conflict arose with local herdsmen over access to water.

Isaac's servants first dug a well that became the subject of contention, so Isaac named it Esek. A second disputed well was called Sitnah.

Isaac then moved from there and dug another well. Because no one quarreled over this one, he called it Rehoboth, saying that the Lord had now made room for them and that they would be fruitful in the land.

The episode presents Isaac responding to repeated conflict by moving peacefully until sufficient space and water were available for his household.

Historical Background

Water was essential for pastoral communities living along the margins of the Negev. Wells represented substantial investments of labor and could become economically and politically important resources.

Genesis 26 portrays Isaac moving through territory where agricultural settlements, pastoral groups, and competing claims to wells existed alongside one another.

The name Rehoboth means approximately "broad places" or "room," fitting the explanation given in Genesis that Isaac finally found sufficient space without further conflict.

Modern Identification

Rehoboth has often been identified with Ruheibeh or er-Ruheibeh in the northern Negev southwest of Beersheba.

The preservation of a similar place-name, the presence of ancient remains and wells, and the geographical setting make this a plausible identification.

No inscription has established that Ruheibeh is the Rehoboth of Genesis 26. AVWJ should therefore describe the identification as traditional or probable rather than certain.

Scripture References

Genesis 26:22

Related Resources

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Sources

Bible: Genesis 26:17-25; Eusebius, Onomasticon; biblical geographical reference works concerning Rehoboth and Gerar; archaeological and historical studies of the northern Negev and Ruheibeh