שִׂטְנָה (sit.nah)
sit.nah
Sitnah
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun sitnah means strife or hostility, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible at Genesis 26:21. It serves as the name Isaac gives to the second well he digs in the valley of Gerar after the Philistines have stopped up the wells his father had dug.
The name directly reflects the conflict that arises over water rights in a dry region. The sources identify this as the second of two wells, marking a moment of tension before Isaac moves on to dig a third well, which he names Rehoboth, or "room," because the Lord has now made space for them to prosper without further quarreling.
This single occurrence highlights how physical resources could trigger deep social friction in ancient pastoral life. The word captures the specific nature of the dispute, distinguishing it from general trouble by anchoring it in a concrete event of territorial and economic disagreement.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Isaac dug his second well in Gerar, the locals argued over it immediately. He named the place Sitnah, which means strife or hostility. This single word captures how quickly peace can turn into conflict when resources are scarce and people feel threatened.
Life often brings moments where we face unnecessary friction, whether over land, money, or misunderstandings. Isaac’s response was not to fight for every inch but to move on. He left the argument behind and dug a third well, finding space to prosper without further quarreling.
This story invites us to consider our own reactions to conflict. Sometimes stepping back is the wisest path. It allows God to provide room where none seemed possible, turning tension into peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Sitnah1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שִׂטְנָֽה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 26:21
They dug another well, and they argued over that, also. So he called its name Sitnah.
This verse records Isaac naming the second well Sitnah, directly linking the physical dispute over water to the abstract concept of hostility.