Genesis 21:27

27 Da nahm Abraham Kleinvieh und Rinder und gab sie Abimelech, und sie schlossen beide einen Bund.

Genesis 21:27 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 21:27

And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto
Abimelech
In gratitude for former favours he had received from him, in token of the friendship that subsisted between them, and for the confirmation of it; and to show that he was fully satisfied with Abimelech's answer to his complaint, as well as willing to enter into covenant by sacrifice, when such creatures were divided, and the covenanters passed between the pieces, for so it follows: and both of them made a covenant;
or, "cut or struck a covenant" ^F19; cut the sacrifice in pieces and passed between them, in token of the compact and agreement they entered into with each other; signifying that whoever broke it deserved to be cut in pieces as those creatures were.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 (wtrky) "foedus percusserunt", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "secuerunt", Cocceius.

Genesis 21:27 In-Context

25 Und Abraham stellte Abimelech zur Rede wegen eines Wasserbrunnens, den Abimelechs Knechte mit Gewalt genommen hatten.

26 Und Abimelech sprach: Ich weiß nicht, wer das getan hat; weder hast du es mir berichtet, noch habe ich davon gehört außer heute.

27 Da nahm Abraham Kleinvieh und Rinder und gab sie Abimelech, und sie schlossen beide einen Bund.

28 Und Abraham stellte sieben junge Schafe der Herde besonders.

29 Und Abimelech sprach zu Abraham: Was sollen diese sieben jungen Schafe, die du besonders gestellt hast?