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[259]
When there was a famine in the land, Isaac resolved to go into Egypt,
the land there being good; but he went to Gerar, as God commanded him.
Here Abimelech the king received him, because Abraham had formerly lived
with him, and had been his friend. And as in the beginning he treated him
exceeding kindly, so he was hindered from continuing in the same disposition
to the end, by his envy at him; for when he saw that God was with Isaac,
and took such great care of him, he drove him away from him. But Isaac,
when he saw how envy had changed the temper of Abimelech retired to a place
called the Valley, not far from Gerar: and as he was digging a well, the
shepherds fell upon him, and began to fight, in order to hinder the work;
and because he did not desire to contend, the shepherds seemed to get the
him, so he still retired, and dug another and when certain other shepherds
of Abimelech began to offer him violence, he left that also, still retired,
thus purchasing security to himself a rational and prudent conduct. At
length the gave him leave to dig a well without disturbance. He named this
well Rehoboth, which denotes a large space; but of the former wells,
one was called Escon, which denotes strife, the other Sitenna, name
signifies enmity.
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