Genesis 21:29

29 Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”

Genesis 21:29 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 21:29

And Abimelech said unto Abraham
Observing what he had done, and not knowing the design of it: what [mean] these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
he understood what the sheep and oxen were for, that they were presents to him, at least some of them, and the rest were for the solemnizing and ratifying the covenant between them; but what these were for he could not devise.

Genesis 21:29 In-Context

27 Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.

28 But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves.

29 Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”

30 Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.”

31 Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath.