Genesis 26:14
New International Version
He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.

New Living Translation
He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.

English Standard Version
He had possessions of flocks and herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him.

Berean Standard Bible
He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.

King James Bible
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

New King James Version
for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

New American Standard Bible
for he had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.

NASB 1995
for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.

NASB 1977
for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.

Legacy Standard Bible
and he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and many servants, so that the Philistines were jealous of him.

Amplified Bible
he owned flocks and herds and a great household [with a number of servants], and the Philistines envied him.

Christian Standard Bible
He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He had flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and many slaves, and the Philistines were envious of him.

American Standard Version
and he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household: and the Philistines envied him.

Contemporary English Version
In fact, the Philistines were jealous of the large number of sheep, goats, and slaves that Isaac owned,

English Revised Version
and he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household: and the Philistines envied him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Because he owned so many flocks, herds, and servants, the Philistines became jealous of him.

Good News Translation
Because he had many herds of sheep and cattle and many servants, the Philistines were jealous of him.

International Standard Version
He owned so many sheep, cattle, and servants that the Philistines eventually became envious of him.

Majority Standard Bible
He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.

NET Bible
He had so many sheep and cattle and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.

New Heart English Bible
He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.

Webster's Bible Translation
For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and very many servants: And the Philistines envied him.

World English Bible
He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he has possession of a flock, and possession of a herd, and an abundant service; and the Philistines envy him,

Young's Literal Translation
and he hath possession of a flock, and possession of a herd, and an abundant service; and the Philistines envy him,

Smith's Literal Translation
And there will be to him possession of flocks, and possession of oxen, and service of many; and the Philistines will envy him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very great family. Wherefore the Palestines envying him,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Likewise, he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very large family. Because of this, the Palestinians envied him,

New American Bible
He acquired flocks and herds, and a great work force, and so the Philistines became envious of him.

New Revised Standard Version
He had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and much wealth, so that the Philistines envied him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he had possessions of sheep and possessions of oxen and great estate, and the Philistines were jealous of him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household; and the Philistines envied him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he had cattle of sheep, and cattle of oxen, and many tilled lands, and the Phylistines envied him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Isaac's Prosperity
13and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy. 14He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15So the Philistines took dirt and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham.…

Cross References
Genesis 13:2
And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.

Genesis 24:35
“The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.

Genesis 30:43
Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 12:16
He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

Genesis 32:5
I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Genesis 36:7
For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock.

Job 1:3
and 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.

1 Kings 4:23
ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.

2 Chronicles 32:29
He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth.

Psalm 144:13-14
Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields. / Our oxen will bear great loads. There will be no breach in the walls, no going into captivity, and no cry of lament in our streets.

Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.

Ecclesiastes 5:11
When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:16-21
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...

Luke 16:11
So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?


Treasury of Scripture

For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

had possession.

Genesis 12:16
And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

Genesis 13:2
And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Job 1:3
His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

servants.

Genesis 37:11
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

1 Samuel 18:9
And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

Job 5:2
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

Jump to Previous
Abundant Envied Envy Flock Flocks Full Great Herd Herds Household Numbers Philistines Possession Possessions Servants Service Store Wealth
Jump to Next
Abundant Envied Envy Flock Flocks Full Great Herd Herds Household Numbers Philistines Possession Possessions Servants Service Store Wealth
Genesis 26
1. Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him.
7. He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife.
12. He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity.
18. He digs wells.
23. God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26. and Abimelech makes a covenant with him.
34. Esau's wives.














He owned so many flocks and herds and servants
This phrase highlights the wealth and prosperity of Isaac, which was a sign of God's blessing. In the ancient Near East, wealth was often measured by the size of one's livestock and the number of servants. This abundance reflects the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac's father, that his descendants would be blessed (Genesis 12:2). The accumulation of flocks and herds indicates not only material wealth but also social status and influence. In a pastoral society, such resources were essential for survival and prosperity.

that the Philistines envied him.
The Philistines were a significant group in the region, often in conflict with the Israelites. Their envy of Isaac's prosperity suggests a tension between the two groups. This envy can be seen as a precursor to the later conflicts between the Philistines and the Israelites, as seen in the stories of Samson and David. Envy is a recurring theme in the Bible, often leading to strife and conflict, as seen in the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:5) and Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37:11). The Philistines' envy also underscores the idea that God's blessings upon His chosen people can provoke jealousy among others, a theme that resonates throughout the biblical narrative.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaac
The son of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac is the central figure in this passage. He is blessed by God with prosperity, which leads to envy from others.

2. Philistines
A group of people living in the region of Canaan. They are significant in this passage as they become envious of Isaac's wealth and success.

3. Gerar
The region where Isaac is residing during this time. It is ruled by Abimelech, the king of the Philistines.
Teaching Points
God's Blessing and Human Envy
God's blessings can sometimes lead to envy from others. As believers, we should be prepared for this and respond with grace and humility.

Prosperity as a Testimony
Isaac's wealth was a testament to God's faithfulness. Our own prosperity, whether material or spiritual, should point others to God's goodness.

Handling Envy
When faced with envy from others, we should seek to maintain peace and trust in God's protection, as Isaac did.

Stewardship of Blessings
Isaac's management of his wealth and resources can inspire us to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us.(14) Great store of servants.--Marg., husbandry. In Job 1:3 the word is rendered household in the text, and husbandry again in the margin. Literally it means making employment, and answers to our word business. But if in a man's life there is much activity and plenty to do, there must be people to do it, and profits made whereby to maintain them. And thus the translation, "great store of servants," gives the sense; but we see besides that Isaac kept them all actively employed,

Verse 14. - For he had (literally, there was to him) possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: - γεώργια πολλά (LXX.), i.e. much husbandry, the abstract being put for the concrete, "implying all manner of work and service belonging to a family, and so servants and tillage of all sorts" (Ainsworth); but the reference rather seems to be to the number of his household, or domestic slaves, plurimum familiae (Vulgate) - and the Philistines envied him. The patriarch's possessions (mikneh, from kanah, to acquire) excited jealous feeling (from root kana, to burn) in the breasts of his neighbors (cf. Ecclesiastes 4:4).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He owned so many
וַֽיְהִי־ (way·hî-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

flocks
מִקְנֵה־ (miq·nêh-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4735: Something bought, property, livestock, acquisition

and herds
וּמִקְנֵ֣ה (ū·miq·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4735: Something bought, property, livestock, acquisition

and
רַבָּ֑ה (rab·bāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

servants
וַעֲבֻדָּ֖ה (wa·‘ă·ḇud·dāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5657: Something wrought, service

that the Philistines
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

envied him.
וַיְקַנְא֥וּ (way·qan·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7065: To be, zealous, jealous, envious


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OT Law: Genesis 26:14 He had possessions of flocks possessions (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 26:13
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