seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 26:25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.
26 Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”
28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.”
30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.
32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” 33 He called it Shibah,[f] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.[g]
26 Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?”
28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the Lord.”
30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully.
32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” 33 He called it Shibah,[f] and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.[g]
f. Genesis 26:33 Shibah can mean oath or seven.
g.Genesis 26:33 Beersheba can mean well of the oath and well of seven.
This summary is from the easy English site.
Abimelech was the king of the Philistines. Abimelech realised that Isaac had become powerful. Isaac had many servants. So Abimelech did not want Isaac to be an enemy. Therefore, Abimelech wanted to make an agreement with Isaac. And probably he thought, ‘I sent Isaac away. I did not punish the men who ruined his wells. Perhaps he will come and he will attack me.’
Isaac did not want to be friendly with the Philistines. But also, he did not intend to fight against them. So he was willing to make an agreement with them. They agreed to live in peace with each other.
Abraham had called this well ‘Beer-sheba’. (See Genesis 21:31.) That means ‘the well of 7’. The number 7 was a sign of an agreement. (See the comment on Genesis 21:27-30.) Isaac calls it ‘Shibah’, which means ‘agreement’. ‘Shibah’ is almost the same word as ‘sheba’. Isaac might have said, ‘Abraham called this well “the well of 7”. I call it “the well of the agreement” because I have made an agreement with Abimelech. But my name for the well is the same as Abraham’s name for it.’
Isaac did not want to be friendly with the Philistines. But also, he did not intend to fight against them. So he was willing to make an agreement with them. They agreed to live in peace with each other.
Abraham had called this well ‘Beer-sheba’. (See Genesis 21:31.) That means ‘the well of 7’. The number 7 was a sign of an agreement. (See the comment on Genesis 21:27-30.) Isaac calls it ‘Shibah’, which means ‘agreement’. ‘Shibah’ is almost the same word as ‘sheba’. Isaac might have said, ‘Abraham called this well “the well of 7”. I call it “the well of the agreement” because I have made an agreement with Abimelech. But my name for the well is the same as Abraham’s name for it.’
So now Isaac has an agreement with Abimelech over the well that Abraham dug.
