But, considering human nature and the way of the world, it is not at all surprising that the Philistines, rather than turning from the worship of their false fertility gods, became envious—covetous—of Isaac.
Rather than respond positively to the witness of Isaac’s prosperity, the Philistines throw him out. The relationship sours. Further, the mighty Isaac, for his part, rather than using his wealth to enforce his “rights,” which is exactly what many carnal people would have done in this same circumstance, simply packs up and moves on. He goes to the Valley of Gerar, probably slightly to the west of Gerar proper. There, his workers re-dig the wells Abraham had earlier commissioned. More than mere refurbishment, Isaac restores their original names, the names Abraham gave them. The Philistines showed poor land management by filling in the wells. If you want water, seize the wells and maintain them. Do not just fill them in with dirt out of spite—especially if you live in an arid climate. We shall come back to the matter of proper land use in just a minute.
The account also indicates that, along with destroying the wells, the Philistines had renamed their locales. They probably did so in an attempt to obliterate Abraham’s memory from the area, similar to the destructive act of toppling statues today. The Philistines wanted to rewrite history. Isaac would have none of that sort of culture cancelling, as we term it today.
In their well-digging endeavors, Isaac’s people even find a spring, that is, running water, so rare and so valuable in that area. The Philistines quickly confiscate it. Verses 21 and 22, which we did not read, notify us that this happens a second time. However, Isaac is able to hold on to his claim of a third spring his workers discover. Things seem to be going well. But notice the sudden turn of events:
At any rate, I am not sure how peacefully the Philistines sent Isaac away up there in verse 16. Remember, the context of Isaac’s departure from Gerar, as stated in verse 14, is that the Philistines envied Isaac—coveting his wealth. Relations had become strained—as reflected in the frequent and apparently protracted struggles over water rights. But the Philistine diplomats paint the picture in sanguine colors, referring to their “peaceful” relationship. These were consummate politicians.
