Thematic Bible: The occasion of feuds


Thematic Bible



Now all the water-holes, which his father's servants had made in the days of Abraham, had been stopped up with earth by the Philistines. And Abimelech said to Isaac, Go away from us, for you are stronger than we are. So Isaac went away from there, and put up his tents in the valley of Gerar, making his living-place there. read more.
And he made again the water-holes which had been made in the days of Abraham his father, and which had been stopped up by the Philistines; and he gave them the names which his father had given them. Now Isaac's servants made holes in the valley, and came to a spring of flowing water. But the herdmen of Gerar had a fight with Isaac's herdmen, for they said, The spring is ours: so he gave the spring the name of Esek, because there was a fight about it. Then they made another water-hole, and there was a fight about that, so he gave it the name of Sitnah. Then he went away from there, and made another water-hole, about which there was no fighting: so he gave it the name of Rehoboth, for he said, Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will have fruit in this land.

And that day Isaac's servants came to him and gave him word of the water-hole which they had made, and said to him, We have come to water. And he gave it the name of Shibah: so the name of that town is Beer-sheba to this day.

But Abraham made a protest to Abimelech because of a water-hole which Abimelech's servants had taken by force. But Abimelech said, I have no idea who has done this thing; you never gave me word of it, and I had no knowledge of it till this day. And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement together. read more.
And Abraham put seven young lambs of the flock on one side by themselves. Then Abimelech said, What are these seven lambs which you have put on one side? And he said, Take these seven lambs from me as a witness that I have made this water-hole.

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain