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.

Isaac

The name that is transliterated as “Isaac” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and French Sign Language with a sign that is linked to his mother’s laughter when she hears that she will be pregnant with him (referring to Genesis 18:12 – 18:15) and also is the meaning of the Hebrew “Isaac” (Yitschaq — “he laughs”):


“Isaac” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Isaac .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen. 26:20)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding Isaac’s herders.

complete verse (Genesis 26:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 26:20:

  • Newari: “Then the shepherds living in Gerar came to fight with the shepherds of Isaac, saying, ‘This is our water.’ So that little spring’s name was ‘Struggle.'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But the herdsmen who came-from-Gerar argued with the herdsmen of Isaac that/[linker] they-say so-it-was-said that the well was theirs. So Isaac named the well Esek, because those-(who)-came-from-Gerar had-argued with him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But other men who lived in Gerar Valley who took care of their animals argued/quarreled with the men who took care of Isaac’s animals, and said, ‘The water in this well is ours!’ So Isaac named the well Esek, which means ‘dispute’, because they disputed about who owned it.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 26:20

As a result of this discovery the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen. For translation suggestions regarding herdsmen see 13.7. See the quarrels over pasture lands between the servants of Abraham and Lot in 13.6-11 and between Abimelech and Abraham over water wells in 21.25. Quarreled translates a verb meaning to “argue” or “dispute.” In Exo 21.18 quarrel is used in the context of a physical struggle. In verses 20 and 21 the strife appears to be verbal.

“The water is ours” is the claim made by the herdsmen of Gerar. In translation it may be necessary to make them claim the source of the water; for example, “That spring belongs to us.” Languages that distinguish between inclusive and exclusive plural pronouns will use the exclusive form here.

Called the name of the well Esek: the Hebrew says well, but translators should call the source of the water by the term used in the translation of verse 19. Esek (see Revised Standard Version footnote) may be translated as “quarrel,” “strife,” “dispute,” “contention.”

Because they contended with him: contend means to be in rivalry or in opposition. Because the reason clause is suggested in the word quarrel, Good News Translation does not repeat it. However, most modern translations retain the full form. We may also translate, for example, “So Isaac named the well ‘Quarrel,’ because the men of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s men.”

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 .