Genesis 26:26-34

26 Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces.
27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”
28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you
29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the LORD.”
30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank.
31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.
32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!”
33 He called it Shibah,[a] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.[b]
34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.

Genesis 26:26-34 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 26

This chapter treats of Isaac's removal to Gerar, occasioned by a famine, Ge 26:1; of the Lord's appearance to him there, advising him to sojourn in that place, and not go down to Egypt; renewing the covenant he had made with Abraham, concerning giving that country to him and his seed, Ge 26:2-6; of what happened unto him at Gerar on account of his wife, Ge 26:7-11; of Isaac's great prosperity and success, which drew the envy of the Philistines upon him, Ge 26:12-15; of his departure from hence to the valley of Gerar, at the instance of Abimelech; and of the contentions between his herdsmen, and those of Gerar, about wells of water, which caused him to remove to Beersheba, Ge 26:16-23; of the Lord's appearance to him there, renewing the above promise to him, where he built an altar, pitched his tent, and his servants dug a well, Ge 26:24,25; of Abimelech's coming to him thither, and making a covenant with him, Ge 26:26-31; which place had its name from the oath then made, and the well there dug, Ge 26:32,33; and lastly, of the marriage of Esau, which was a great grief to Isaac and Rebekah, Ge 26:34,35.

Cross References 12

  • 1. S Genesis 21:22
  • 2. S ver 16
  • 3. S Genesis 21:22
  • 4. S Genesis 21:27; Joshua 9:6
  • 5. Genesis 31:29,52
  • 6. S Genesis 24:31; Psalms 115:15
  • 7. Genesis 31:54; Exodus 18:12; Exodus 24:11; 1 Samuel 20:27; Genesis 19:3
  • 8. S Genesis 21:23,27; Genesis 21:31
  • 9. S Genesis 21:30
  • 10. S Genesis 21:14
  • 11. S Genesis 25:20
  • 12. S Genesis 10:15; Genesis 28:9; Genesis 36:2; Joshua 3:10; 1 Samuel 26:6; 1 Kings 10:29

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. "Shibah" can mean "oath" or "seven."
  • [b]. "Beersheba" can mean "well of the oath" and "well of seven."
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