Genesis 21:22-34
World English Bible
22 At that time, Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his army spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now, therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner.”
24 Abraham said, “I will swear.” 25 Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away. 26 Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this thing. You didn’t tell me, and I didn’t hear of it until today.”
27 Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs, which you have set by themselves, mean?”
30 He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he called that place Beersheba,[a] because they both swore an oath there. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God. 34 Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines many days.
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- 21:31 Beersheba can mean “well of the oath” or “well of seven”.
Genesis 21:22-34
International Standard Version
A Covenant with Abimelech
22 About that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, told Abraham, “God is with you in everything that you’re doing. 23 Therefore swear an oath here by God that you won’t deal falsely with me, my sons, or my descendants. Just as I’ve dealt graciously with you, won’t you do so with me and with the land in which you live as a foreigner?”
24 And Abraham replied, “I agree!” 25 But then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized.
26 “I don’t know who did this thing,” Abimelech replied. “You didn’t report this to me, and I didn’t hear about it until today.”
27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and presented them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 Then Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs, 29 so Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set aside?”
30 He replied, “You are to accept from me these seven ewe lambs as a witness that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba, because the two of them swore an oath.[a] 32 So after they had made a covenant in Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to Philistine territory.
33 Abraham[b] planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord God Everlasting. 34 After this, Abraham resided as a foreigner in Philistine territory for a long period of time.
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- Genesis 21:31 The name Beer-sheba in Heb. means well of the seven-fold oath
- Genesis 21:33 Lit. He
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