31
That is whyעַל כֵּןhe calledקָרָאthatהַהוּאplaceלַמָּקוֹםBeersheba,בְּאֵר שָׁבַעbecauseכִּיthereשָׁםthe two of themשְׁנֵיהֶםswore.נִשְׁבְּעוּ
Genesis 21:31
Study it in the app“That is why he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them swore.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 21:31, word by word
- he calledקָרָאkara
name
To give someone a name.
Where else “kara” appears- placeמָּקוֹםmakom
place
A place, a spot.
Where else “makom” appears- Beershebaבְּאֵרbeer
Beersheba
See it on the mapWhere else “beer” appears- the two of themשְׁנֵיshene
both
The two together, both of them.
Where else “shene” appears- sworeנִשְׁבְּעוּnishbu
swear
To promise with God as witness.
Where else “nishbu” appears
Translation note
“Beersheba” (Beer-sheva) can be understood as “well of the oath” or “well of seven”; the story plays on both (seven ewe lambs, 21:28-30; they swore, 21:31).
Places in this verse
Beersheba
Today: Beersheba (Be'er Sheva), Israel
A city at the southern edge of the land of Israel, in the Negev desert, about 47 miles (75 km) south of Jerusalem.
Abraham and Isaac made agreements there over a well (Gen 21:31; 26:33). "From Dan to Beersheba" meant the whole land.
The context
30He said, “You are to take the seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness for me that I dug this well.”
31 · This verse (above)
32So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines.
To study Genesis 21 in a group
1. What it says
What happened when Isaac was born, and what did Sarah say (vv. 1-7)?
2. What it means
What does it show about Elohim’s care that he heard the voice of the boy in the wilderness (vv. 17-19)?
3. How I live it
Whom that seems to be pushed aside can you give time and attention today?