Genesis 26:26-33

Covenant with Abimelech

26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.
27 Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me? You hated me and sent me away from you."
28 They replied, "We have clearly seen how the Lord has been with you. We think there should be an oath between two parties-between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you:
29 You will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you but have only done what was good to you, sending you away in peace. You are now blessed by the Lord."
30 So he prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.
31 They got up early in the morning and swore an oath to each other.[a] Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.
32 On that same day Isaac's slaves came to tell him about the well they had dug, saying to him, "We have found water!"[b]
33 He called it Oath.[c] Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba[d] [e] to this day.

Genesis 26:26-33 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.

Footnotes 5

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