Genesis 21:25-31
Holman Christian Standard Bible
25 But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the water well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.(A)
26 Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”
27 Abraham took sheep and cattle[a] and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.(B) 28 Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?”
30 He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand so that this act[b] will serve as my witness that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba[c](C) because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 21:27 A covenant or treaty was regularly ratified by animal sacrifice (Gn 8:20–9:9; 15:9-17; Ex 24:8) and often involved an exchange of gifts (1Kg 15:19; Hs 12:1). The animals here could serve both purposes.
- Genesis 21:30 Lit that it
- Genesis 21:31 = Well of the Oath, or Seven Wells
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