| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The verse features a narrative sequence of wayyiqtol verbs: vayachperu {וַיַּחְפְּרוּ | wayyaḥpərû} “and they dug,” vayarivu {וַיָּרִיבוּ | wayyārîvû} “and they quarreled,” and vayikra {וַיִּקְרָא | wayyiqrāʾ} “and he called.” The shared plural subject of the first two verbs refers to Isaac’s servants, while the singular subject in vayikra highlights Isaac himself in the act of naming. The noun be’er {בְּאֵר | bəʾēr} “well” with acheret {אַחֶרֶת | ʾaḥeret} “another” signals a repeated digging after the conflict recorded in Genesis 26:20. The adverb gam {גַּם | gam} combined with aleha {עָלֶיהָ | ʿālêhā} “over it” underscores that dispute recurs concerning this new well. The result clause “so he named it Sitnah” ties the quarrel to the naming, with sitnah {שִׂטְנָה | śiṭnāh} encapsulating hostility and accusation. |