Bible Dictionary
Sitnah
Sitnah was the second well dug by Isaac’s servants in the valley of Gerar. The Philistine herdsmen disputed over it, and its name means strife or hostility.
Definition
Sitnah was the name given to the second well dug by Isaac’s servants. The name denotes strife, hatred, hostility, or enmity, because the herdsmen of Gerar disputed possession of the well.
Biblical Usage
Sitnah appears in Genesis as part of the account of Isaac’s wells and the continuing conflict between his herdsmen and the herdsmen of Gerar.
Historical Background
The exact site is unknown. It has been associated with Shutneh, or Shutnet er Rucheibeh, a small valley near Rucheibeh in the region of Gerar.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Strife, the second of the two wells dug by Isaac, whose servants here contended with the Philistines (Gen. 26:21). It has been identified with the modern Shutneh, in the valley of Gerar, to the west of Rehoboth, about 20 miles south of Beersheba.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(strife), the second of the two wells dug by Isaac in the valley of Gerar, the possession of which the herdmen of the valley disputed with him. (Genesis 26:21)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>sit'-na (siTnah, "hatred," "hostility"; echthria): The name of the second of the two wells dug by the herdsmen of Isaac, the cause of further "enmity" with the herdsmen of Gerer (Ge 26:21, margin "That is, Enmity"). The site is unknown, but Palmer (PEFS, 1871) finds an echo of the name in Shutnet er Rucheibeh, the name of a small valley near Rucheibeh.</p><p>See REHOBOTH.</p>