Abimelech Requests a Covenant

²⁶ Later, Abimelech traveled from Gerar to visit Isaac^[a]. He arrived with Ahuzzath, his staff advisor, and Phicol, the commanding officer of his army.

²⁷ “Why have you come to see me,” Isaac asked them, “since you hate me so much that you sent me away from you?”

²⁸ “We’ve seen that the Lord is with you,” they responded, “so we’re proposing an agreement^[b] between us—between us and you. Allow us to make a treaty with you ²⁹ by which you’ll agree not to do us any harm, just as we haven’t harmed^[c] you, since we’ve done nothing but good for you after we sent you away in peace. As a result, you’ve been tremendously blessed by the Lord.” ³⁰ So Isaac^[d] held a festival for them, and they ate and drank. ³¹ They woke up early the next morning and made the treaty.^[e] After this, Isaac sent them off and they left on peaceful terms.

³² That very same day, Isaac’s servants arrived and reported to him about a well that they had just completed digging. “We’ve found water!” they said. ³³ So Isaac^[f] named the well Shebah,^[g] which is why the city is named Beer-sheba^[h] to this day.