Rehoboth

Biblical Text

Rehoboth appears in Genesis 26. When famine struck, Isaac stayed in Gerar, which was ruled by Abimelech, king of the Philistines, and there he became very wealthy. Out of envy, the Philistines stopped up with earth the wells that had been dug in the days of Abraham. Isaac moved to the Valley of Gerar and dug those wells again. When the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with him over a newly dug well, he called it Esek ("contention"). When they quarreled over another well, he called it Sitnah ("enmity"). Isaac moved on from there and dug yet another well, and this time there was no quarrel. He named that well Rehoboth, saying, "For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land" (Genesis 26:22). Isaac then went up to Beersheba. That night God appeared to him and reaffirmed the promise given to Abraham, and Abimelech later came to Isaac and made a covenant with him (Genesis 26:23–31).

Genesis 36:37 and 1 Chronicles 1:48 also mention "Rehoboth by the river" as the hometown of Saul, a king of Edom. Interpreters differ as to which river is meant. Rehoboth-Ir, mentioned in Genesis 10:11 as a city of Assyria, is rendered as a distinct name in the New Korean Revised Version.

Background

The Hebrew Rehovot derives from a root meaning "to be broad" and signifies "broad places." In the semi-arid Negev, wells were vital assets on which the survival of both livestock and people depended, and disputes among herdsmen over wells were therefore frequent. A similar dispute over a well arose between Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 21:25–31).

The exact location of Rehoboth is unknown. One proposal identifies it with the site of Ruhaibeh (Rehovot ba-Negev), southwest of Beersheba, but this identification remains unconfirmed. The modern Israeli city of Rehovot is said to take its name from this biblical passage, but it is not the same place as the biblical Rehoboth.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

This account is set within the narrative of Isaac's inheritance of the Abrahamic covenant. The name expresses the conviction that God keeps His promise of land and fruitfulness even amid Philistine opposition. The New Testament does not mention Rehoboth directly. Sermons and commentaries, however, often connect Isaac's willingness to withdraw rather than contend with "the peacemakers" of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:9) and with the exhortation, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18).

Interpretations and Debates

• A model of yielding and peace: Many preachers and commentators read Isaac's decision to move on rather than fight as an example of meekness and patience. Others, however, regard it as passive avoidance, or hold that the focus of the text lies on God's provision rather than on Isaac's character.
• The meaning of "making room": In Korean churches, some sermons associate Rehoboth with the "blessing of enlarging one's borders," applied to the growth of a business or a church. Critics respond that the passage is concerned with the covenant promise and peace with one's neighbors, and that emphasizing material expansion alone can produce a reading shaped by prosperity theology.
• Critical views: Some scholars regard the stories of Abraham's and Isaac's respective well disputes with Abimelech as two versions of a single tradition. Conservative interpreters read them as two separate events that actually took place.

In the Korean Church

Because it means "the place God has made broad," the name Rehoboth is sometimes used for churches and for Christian organizations and facilities. Sermons on Genesis 26:22 are frequently preached in churches preparing for a church plant, a move to a new sanctuary, or a new beginning.