Genesis 26:26-33
World English Bible
26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?”
28 They said, “We saw plainly that Yahweh was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let’s make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.’ You are now the blessed of Yahweh.”
30 He made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 They rose up some time in the morning, and swore an oath to one another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32 The same day, Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 He called it “Shibah”.[a] Therefore the name of the city is “Beersheba”[b] to this day.
Read full chapter
Genesis 26:26-33
New English Translation
26 Now Abimelech had come[a] to him from Gerar along with[b] Ahuzzah his friend[c] and Phicol the commander of his army. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me[d] and sent me away from you.” 28 They replied, “We could plainly see[e] that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be[f] a pact between us[g]—between us[h] and you. Allow us to make[i] a treaty with you 29 so that[j] you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed[k] you, but have always treated you well[l] before sending you away[m] in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.”[n]
30 So Isaac[o] held a feast for them and they celebrated.[p] 31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other.[q] Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms.[r]
32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported.[s] 33 So he named it Shibah;[t] that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba[u] to this day.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 26:26 tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”
- Genesis 26:26 tn Heb “and.”
- Genesis 26:26 tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (mereaʾ) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.
- Genesis 26:27 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.
- Genesis 26:28 tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.
- Genesis 26:28 tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 26:28 tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive—it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.
- Genesis 26:28 tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive—it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).
- Genesis 26:28 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”
- Genesis 26:29 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
- Genesis 26:29 tn Heb “touched.”
- Genesis 26:29 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
- Genesis 26:29 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
- Genesis 26:29 tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
- Genesis 26:30 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 26:30 tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”
- Genesis 26:31 tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”
- Genesis 26:31 tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”
- Genesis 26:32 tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 26:33 sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shivʿah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.
- Genesis 26:33 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, beʾer shavaʿ) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.