וַיַּ֥עַל מִשָּׁ֖ם בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃

He, Isaac, ascended from there to Beersheba, which was at a higher altitude than his previous location in the Valley of Gerar, as Beersheba was built on a raised area. It is also possible that Isaac’s move to Beersheba is described as an ascension due to the importance of the city.

וַיֵּרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְהוָה֙ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָנֹכִ֕י אֱלֹהֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יךָ אַל־תִּירָא֙ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֣ אָנֹ֔כִי וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֙יךָ֙ וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֣י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֔ בַּעֲב֖וּר אַבְרָהָ֥ם עַבְדִּֽי׃

The Lord appeared to him that night and said: I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, despite the fact that you have been forced to move due to the provocations of the Philistines, as I am with you; I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.

וַיִּ֧בֶן שָׁ֣ם מִזְבֵּ֗חַ וַיִּקְרָא֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה וַיֶּט־שָׁ֖ם אָהֳל֑וֹ וַיִּכְרוּ־שָׁ֥ם עַבְדֵי־יִצְחָ֖ק בְּאֵֽר׃

He built an altar there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. Like Abraham, Isaac performed a ceremony or prayer in which he publicly invoked God’s name. And he pitched his tent there. And Isaac’s servants dug a well there, near Beersheba.

וַאֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ הָלַ֥ךְ אֵלָ֖יו מִגְּרָ֑ר וַאֲחֻזַּת֙ מֵֽרֵעֵ֔הוּ וּפִיכֹ֖ל שַׂר־צְבָאֽוֹ׃

Later, Avimelekh king of the Philistines went to him, Isaac, from Gerar, with a group of his associates and Pikhol the captain of his guard.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ יִצְחָ֔ק מַדּ֖וּעַ בָּאתֶ֣ם אֵלָ֑י וְאַתֶּם֙ שְׂנֵאתֶ֣ם אֹתִ֔י וַתְּשַׁלְּח֖וּנִי מֵאִתְּכֶֽם׃

Upon seeing the arrival of a friendly delegation, Isaac said to them: Why did you come to me? After all, you hated me, and you sent me from among you.

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ רָא֣וֹ רָאִינוּ֮ כִּֽי־הָיָ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה ׀ עִמָּךְ֒ וַנֹּ֗אמֶר תְּהִ֨י נָ֥א אָלָ֛ה בֵּינוֹתֵ֖ינוּ בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ וְנִכְרְתָ֥ה בְרִ֖ית עִמָּֽךְ׃

They said: We saw that the Lord was with you, since you grew and prospered beyond the status of a private individual, and therefore we said: Let there please be an oath of a covenant between us, between us and you; we will establish a covenant with you:

אִם־תַּעֲשֵׂ֨ה עִמָּ֜נוּ רָעָ֗ה כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א נְגַֽעֲנ֔וּךָ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשִׂ֤ינוּ עִמְּךָ֙ רַק־ט֔וֹב וַנְּשַׁלֵּֽחֲךָ֖ בְּשָׁל֑וֹם אַתָּ֥ה עַתָּ֖ה בְּר֥וּךְ יְהוָֽה׃

If you will or so that you will do us no harm, when we have not touched you, and when we have done only good with you, and we sent you in peace. While it is true that we feared you and banished you from our land, nevertheless you lived among us for a certain period and were not sent away in a violent manner or with hatred. Perhaps we were mistaken in dismissing you; in any case we see that you are now the blessed of the Lord, and therefore we wish to establish a covenant with you.