Genesis 26:14
in Genesis 26He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household: and the Philistines envied him.
KJV
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
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This verse in Genesis 26
Commentary
8 notes on this verseHe had possession of flocks - He who blessed him in the increase of his fields blessed him also in the increase of his flocks; and as he had extensive possessions, so he must have many hands to manage such concerns: therefore it is added, he had great store of servants - he had many domestics, some born in his house, and others purchased by his money.
This site's exposition
Isaac sowed seed in the land
on Genesis 26:12-14
Isaac sows and reaps a hundredfold in a year of famine. He is the only patriarch Genesis shows farming a field. The text says the LORD blessed him, and then that he became richer until he was exceedingly wealthy. The verse reporting the blessing is followed at once by the verse reporting that the Philistines envied him.
This site's exposition
the Philistines envied him
Adam Clarke reads the servants as a sign of scale, since holdings this large needed many hands, some born in the house and some bought. The envy comes first and the act follows. The next verse shows what the envy did, when the Philistines stop his father's wells with dirt.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds,....
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds,....
He had great store of servants, whom he employed and maintained. Note, As goods are increased those are increased that eat them, Eccl. v. 11 . The tokens of the Philistines' ill-will to him.
He had great store of servants, whom he employed and maintained. Note, As goods are increased those are increased that eat them, Eccl. v. 11 . The tokens of the Philistines' ill-will to him.
Of the vanity of the world that the more men have of it the more they are envied, and exposed to censure and injury. Who can stand before envy? Of the corruption of nature; for that is a bad principle indeed which makes men grieve at the good of others, as if it must needs be ill with me because it is well with my neighbor.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
AND HE HAD POSSESSIONS OF FLOCKS, AND POSSESSIONS OF HERDS, AND A GREAT HOUSEHOLD, meaning she-asses and camels, he-asses, and men-servants and handmaids. Now Scripture mentions these but not silver and gold, as it says concerning Abraham, 167 Ibid.,:2.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Ve-gadel (and grew) is a perfect. 10 The word grew is written twice in the second part of the sentence.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְהִי־ | vayhi- | and it be[longed] | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ל֤וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| מִקְנֵה־ | mikneh- | livestock of | H4735 → | 76 times |
| צֹאן֙ | tzon | flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וּמִקְנֵ֣ה | umikneh | and livestock of | H4735 → | 76 times |
| בָקָ֔ר | vakar | herd | H1241 → | 183 times |
| וַעֲבֻדָּ֖ה | vaavudah | and service | H5657 → | |
| רַבָּ֑ה | rabah | much | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וַיְקַנְא֥וּ | vaykanu | and they envied | H7065 → | 34 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
וַֽיְהִי־and it be[longed]
vayhi-H1961 →3559 times
ל֤וֹto <the> him
lo
מִקְנֵה־livestock of
mikneh-H4735 →76 times
צֹאן֙flock
tzonH6629 →274 times
וּמִקְנֵ֣הand livestock of
umiknehH4735 →76 times
בָקָ֔רherd
vakarH1241 →183 times
וַעֲבֻדָּ֖הand service
vaavudahH5657 →
רַבָּ֑הmuch
rabahH7227 →454 times
וַיְקַנְא֥וּand they envied
vaykanuH7065 →34 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 112:3Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:6
The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble.
- Proverbs 3:16
Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
- Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- Isaiah 33:6
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.
- Philippians 4:18–19
I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
- Proverbs 15:6
Through
Job 1:3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
it leads to
Through
Genesis 37:11And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
it leads to
- Acts 7:9
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
- Acts 7:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.