Genesis 26:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe the thoughtfulness of the righteous individual. When efforts were made to take away his initial wells, he did not mourn or resist; rather, the very name of those wells served as a lasting reminder of the wrongdoing of those around him. Now that no one stands in his way and he enjoys the fruits of his labors with complete freedom, he attributes all of this to God. It is recorded that he named it Rehoboth, which means space. He clarifies the significance of this name, expressing that he calls it space because "the Lord has given us a spacious place, and we shall multiply on the earth." Can you see the soul that loves God? It does not dwell on past troubles but instead recalls only the blessings, giving thanks and declaring, "The Lord has given us a spacious place, and we shall multiply on the earth."

In place of the term 'latitude,' the Hebrew scripture utilizes the word rooboth (רְחֹב֔וֹת), which supports our earlier assertion. It states, 'He built the city of Nineveh and rooboth (רְחֹב֔ת),' referring to its pathways (Genesis 10:11).