Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
isaac » The miraculous son of abraham » Moves away to the valley of gerar, afterward called beer-sheba
Then he left that area and dug still another well. Because they did not quarrel over that one, Isaac named it Rehoboth, because he used to say, "The LORD has enlarged the territory for us. We will prosper in the land." Later on, he left there and went to Beer-sheba, where one night the LORD appeared to him. "I am the God of your father Abraham," he told him. "Don't be afraid, because I'm with you. I'm going to bless you and multiply your descendants on account of my servant Abraham." read more.
In response, Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. He also pitched his tents there and his servants dug a well. Later, Abimelech traveled from Gerar to visit Isaac. He arrived with Ahuzzath, his staff advisor, and Phicol, the commanding officer of his army. "Why have you come to see me," Isaac asked them, "since you hate me so much that you sent me away from you?" "We've seen that the LORD is with you," they responded, "so we're proposing an agreement between us between us and you. Allow us to make a treaty with you by which you'll agree not to do us any harm, just as we haven't harmed you, since we've done nothing but good for you after we sent you away in peace. As a result, you've been tremendously blessed by the LORD." So Isaac held a festival for them, and they ate and drank. They woke up early the next morning and made the treaty. After this, Isaac sent them off and they left on peaceful terms. That very same day, Isaac's servants arrived and reported to him about a well that they had just completed digging. "We've found water!" they said. So Isaac named the well Shebah, which is why the city is named Beer-sheba to this day.
In response, Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. He also pitched his tents there and his servants dug a well. Later, Abimelech traveled from Gerar to visit Isaac. He arrived with Ahuzzath, his staff advisor, and Phicol, the commanding officer of his army. "Why have you come to see me," Isaac asked them, "since you hate me so much that you sent me away from you?" "We've seen that the LORD is with you," they responded, "so we're proposing an agreement between us between us and you. Allow us to make a treaty with you by which you'll agree not to do us any harm, just as we haven't harmed you, since we've done nothing but good for you after we sent you away in peace. As a result, you've been tremendously blessed by the LORD." So Isaac held a festival for them, and they ate and drank. They woke up early the next morning and made the treaty. After this, Isaac sent them off and they left on peaceful terms. That very same day, Isaac's servants arrived and reported to him about a well that they had just completed digging. "We've found water!" they said. So Isaac named the well Shebah, which is why the city is named Beer-sheba to this day.
Patriarchal government » Exercised in » Forming treaties and alliances
About that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, told Abraham, "God is with you in everything that you're doing. Therefore swear an oath here by God that you won't deal falsely with me, my sons, or my descendants. Just as I've dealt graciously with you, won't you do so with me and with the land in which you live as a foreigner?" And Abraham replied, "I agree!" read more.
But then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. "I don't know who did this thing," Abimelech replied. "You didn't report this to me, and I didn't hear about it until today." So Abraham took sheep and oxen and presented them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs, so Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set aside?" He replied, "You are to accept from me these seven ewe lambs as a witness that I have dug this well." Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba, because the two of them swore an oath. So after they had made a covenant in Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to Philistine territory.
But then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. "I don't know who did this thing," Abimelech replied. "You didn't report this to me, and I didn't hear about it until today." So Abraham took sheep and oxen and presented them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs, so Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set aside?" He replied, "You are to accept from me these seven ewe lambs as a witness that I have dug this well." Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba, because the two of them swore an oath. So after they had made a covenant in Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to Philistine territory.
Someone escaped, arrived, and reported what had happened to Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, whose brothers Eshcol and Aner were allied with Abram.
"We've seen that the LORD is with you," they responded, "so we're proposing an agreement between us between us and you. Allow us to make a treaty with you by which you'll agree not to do us any harm, just as we haven't harmed you, since we've done nothing but good for you after we sent you away in peace. As a result, you've been tremendously blessed by the LORD." So Isaac held a festival for them, and they ate and drank. read more.
They woke up early the next morning and made the treaty. After this, Isaac sent them off and they left on peaceful terms. That very same day, Isaac's servants arrived and reported to him about a well that they had just completed digging. "We've found water!" they said. So Isaac named the well Shebah, which is why the city is named Beer-sheba to this day.
They woke up early the next morning and made the treaty. After this, Isaac sent them off and they left on peaceful terms. That very same day, Isaac's servants arrived and reported to him about a well that they had just completed digging. "We've found water!" they said. So Isaac named the well Shebah, which is why the city is named Beer-sheba to this day.
Wells » The occasion of feuds » Between isaac and abimelech
They filled in with sand all of the wells that Isaac's father Abraham's servants had dug during his lifetime. Then Abimelech ordered Isaac, "Move away from us! You've become more powerful than we are." So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the Gerar Valley, where he settled. read more.
Isaac re-excavated some wells that his father had first dug during his lifetime, because the Philistines had filled them with sand after Abraham's death. Isaac renamed those wells with the same names that his father had called them. While Isaac's servants were digging in the valley, they discovered a well with flowing water. But the herdsmen who lived in Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen. "The water is ours," they said. As a result, Isaac named the well Esek, for they had fiercely disputed with him about it. When his workers started digging another well, those herdsmen quarreled about that one, too, so Isaac named it Sitnah. Then he left that area and dug still another well. Because they did not quarrel over that one, Isaac named it Rehoboth, because he used to say, "The LORD has enlarged the territory for us. We will prosper in the land."
Isaac re-excavated some wells that his father had first dug during his lifetime, because the Philistines had filled them with sand after Abraham's death. Isaac renamed those wells with the same names that his father had called them. While Isaac's servants were digging in the valley, they discovered a well with flowing water. But the herdsmen who lived in Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen. "The water is ours," they said. As a result, Isaac named the well Esek, for they had fiercely disputed with him about it. When his workers started digging another well, those herdsmen quarreled about that one, too, so Isaac named it Sitnah. Then he left that area and dug still another well. Because they did not quarrel over that one, Isaac named it Rehoboth, because he used to say, "The LORD has enlarged the territory for us. We will prosper in the land."
That very same day, Isaac's servants arrived and reported to him about a well that they had just completed digging. "We've found water!" they said. So Isaac named the well Shebah, which is why the city is named Beer-sheba to this day.