Genesis 21:22–33

A Covenant with Abimelech

²²And it came to pass at that time that ^zAbimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, ^a“God is with you in all that you do. ²³Now therefore, ^bswear ⁷to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”

²⁴And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

²⁵Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants ^chad seized. ²⁶And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” ²⁷So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them ^dmade a ⁸covenant. ²⁸And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

²⁹Then Abimelech asked Abraham, ^e“What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”

³⁰And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that ^fthey may be my witness that I have dug this well.” ³¹Therefore he ^gcalled that place ⁹Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.

³²Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. ³³Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and ^hthere called on the name of the Lord, ⁱthe Everlasting God.