Genesis 21:24

24 Abraham said, "I swear it."

Genesis 21:24 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 21:24

And Abraham said, I will swear.
] Sensible of the many favours he had received from Abimelech in times past, and was still indulged with, he very readily agreed to his proposal; and the rather, as he knew by the vision between the pieces, that it would be four hundred years before his posterity should be put into the possession of the land of Canaan; and therefore could take an oath that neither he, nor his son, nor his grandson, should be injured or dispossessed.

Genesis 21:24 In-Context

22 At about that same time, Abimelech and the captain of his troops, Phicol, spoke to Abraham: "No matter what you do, God is on your side.
23 So swear to me that you won't do anything underhanded to me or any of my family. For as long as you live here, swear that you'll treat me and my land as well as I've treated you."
24 Abraham said, "I swear it."
25 At the same time, Abraham confronted Abimelech over the matter of a well of water that Abimelech's servants had taken.
26 Abimelech said, "I have no idea who did this; you never told me about it; this is the first I've heard of it."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.