Genesis 26:17
New International Version
So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled.

New Living Translation
So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down.

English Standard Version
So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

Berean Standard Bible
So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

King James Bible
And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

New King James Version
Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

New American Standard Bible
So Isaac departed from there and camped in the Valley of Gerar, and settled there.

NASB 1995
And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

NASB 1977
And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar and settled there.

Amplified Bible
So Isaac left that region and camped in the Valley of Gerar, and settled there.

Christian Standard Bible
So Isaac left there, camped in the Gerar Valley, and lived there.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Isaac left there, camped in the Valley of Gerar, and lived there.

American Standard Version
And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

Contemporary English Version
Isaac left and settled in Gerar Valley,

English Revised Version
And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Isaac moved away. He set up his tents in the Gerar Valley and lived there.

Good News Translation
So Isaac left and set up his camp in Gerar Valley, where he stayed for some time.

International Standard Version
So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the Gerar Valley, where he settled.

Majority Standard Bible
So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

NET Bible
So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley.

New Heart English Bible
Isaac departed from there, camped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

World English Bible
Isaac departed from there, encamped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Isaac goes from there, and encamps in the Valley of Gerar, and dwells there;

Young's Literal Translation
and Isaac goeth from thence, and encampeth in the valley of Gerar, and dwelleth there;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Isaak will go from thence, and will sit down in the valley of Gerar, and will dwell there.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
So he departed and came to the torrent of Gerara, to dwell there:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And departing, he then went toward the torrent of Gerar, and he dwelt there.

New American Bible
Isaac left there and camped in the Wadi Gerar where he stayed.

New Revised Standard Version
So Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar and settled there.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So Isaac departed from thence, and encamped in the valley of Gadar, and dwelt there.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Isaaq went on from there and he dwelt in the valley of Gadar and settled down there.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Isaac departed thence, and rested in the valley of Gerara, and dwelt there.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Isaac's Prosperity
16Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.” 17So Isaac left that place and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. 18Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. And he gave these wells the same names his father had given them.…

Cross References
Genesis 13:1-4
So Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev—he and his wife and all his possessions—and Lot was with him. / And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold. / From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched, ...

Genesis 12:8-9
From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD. / And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.

Genesis 20:1
Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,

Genesis 21:25-31
But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized, / Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.” / So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. ...

Genesis 24:62
Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.

Genesis 46:1
So Israel set out with all that he had, and when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Exodus 17:1
Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

Numbers 33:12-14
They set out from the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. / They set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. / They set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

Deuteronomy 1:7
Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the Negev, and along the seacoast to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates.

Joshua 24:3
But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,

1 Samuel 7:16
Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.

2 Chronicles 20:7
Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?

Isaiah 51:2
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.

Acts 7:2-4
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, / and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ / So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.

Hebrews 11:8-9
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. / By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.


Treasury of Scripture

And Isaac departed there, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelled there.

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Camp Camped Departed Dwelleth Dwelt Encamped Encampeth Gerar Isaac Living-Place Making Moved Pitched Settled Tent Tents Thence Valley
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Camp Camped Departed Dwelleth Dwelt Encamped Encampeth Gerar Isaac Living-Place Making Moved Pitched Settled Tent Tents Thence Valley
Genesis 26
1. Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him.
7. He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife.
12. He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity.
18. He digs wells.
23. God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26. and Abimelech makes a covenant with him.
34. Esau's wives.














So Isaac left that place
The phrase begins with "So," indicating a continuation or consequence of previous events. Isaac's departure is a response to conflict over water rights with the Philistines, as seen in the preceding verses. The Hebrew root for "left" is עָזַב (azav), which can mean to leave, forsake, or abandon. This suggests a decisive action by Isaac, choosing to move away from strife. Isaac's decision to leave reflects a commitment to peace, a recurring theme in his life, and aligns with the biblical principle of seeking peace and pursuing it (Psalm 34:14).

and encamped
The Hebrew word for "encamped" is חָנָה (chanah), which means to pitch a tent or to settle temporarily. This word evokes the image of a nomadic lifestyle, common in the patriarchal narratives. Isaac's encampment signifies a temporary pause, a moment of rest and reflection. It also symbolizes a reliance on God's guidance, as the patriarchs often moved according to divine direction. This act of encamping can be seen as a metaphor for the Christian journey, where believers are called to trust in God's provision and timing.

in the Valley of Gerar
The "Valley of Gerar" is a significant location in the biblical narrative. Gerar was a Philistine city, and the valley represents a fertile area suitable for grazing and agriculture. Historically, this region was known for its strategic importance and agricultural potential. The choice of the valley indicates Isaac's desire to find a place of sustenance and peace. Spiritually, valleys in the Bible often symbolize times of testing and growth. Isaac's presence in the Valley of Gerar can be seen as a period of divine testing and blessing, as God continues to fulfill His promises to Abraham's descendants.

and settled there
The Hebrew root for "settled" is יָשַׁב (yashav), meaning to sit, dwell, or remain. This word implies a more permanent residence compared to "encamped." Isaac's decision to settle indicates a transition from a temporary to a more stable existence. It reflects a trust in God's provision and a willingness to establish roots in a place of God's choosing. In a broader spiritual context, settling can represent the believer's call to find rest and contentment in God's promises, trusting that He will provide and protect in every circumstance.

(17) The valley of Gerar.--The word nahal, rendered "valley," means a narrow defile through which a summer torrent flows. In the bed of these streams water can generally be found by digging, and Isaac hoped that he was far enough from the city for the enmity to cease. But he was mistaken, though he seems for a short period to have been left in peace.

Verse 17. - And Isaac - perhaps not without remonstrance, but without offering resistance, as became a saint (Matthew 5:5; Romans 12:17, 18; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 3:9) - departed thence (i.e. from Gerar), and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, - a valley or nahal meant a low, flat region watered by a mountain stream. The Wady Gerar has been identified with the Joorf-el-Gerar, the rush or rapid of Gerar, three hours south-east of Gaza - and dwelt there.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Isaac
יִצְחָ֑ק (yiṣ·ḥāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

left
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

that place
מִשָּׁ֖ם (miš·šām)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

and encamped
וַיִּ֥חַן (way·yi·ḥan)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2583: To incline, to decline, to pitch a, tent, gen, to encamp

in the Valley
בְּנַֽחַל־ (bə·na·ḥal-)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

of Gerar
גְּרָ֖ר (gə·rār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1642: Gerar -- a place South of Gaza

and settled
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב (way·yê·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

there.
שָֽׁם׃ (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither


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OT Law: Genesis 26:17 Isaac departed from there encamped (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 26:16
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