וַֽיְהִי֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ וּפִיכֹל֙ שַׂר־צְבָא֔וֹ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר אֱלֹהִ֣ים עִמְּךָ֔ בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֖ה עֹשֶֽׂה׃

It was at that time, after Abraham had fathered a son, that Avimelekh and Pikhol, the captain of his guard, said to Abraham, saying: Although you are not the ruler of a great kingdom, we see that God is with you in all that you do. They began this political discussion by invoking God.

וְעַתָּ֗ה הִשָּׁ֨בְעָה לִּ֤י בֵֽאלֹהִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה אִם־תִּשְׁקֹ֣ר לִ֔י וּלְנִינִ֖י וּלְנֶכְדִּ֑י כַּחֶ֜סֶד אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֤יתִי עִמְּךָ֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה עִמָּדִ֔י וְעִם־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־גַּ֥רְתָּה בָּֽהּ׃

Now take an oath to me here by God that you shall not deceive or betray me, or my son, or my son’s son; like the kindness that I have done with you in allowing you to live within my territory and in taking a certain responsibility for your welfare, do with me personally, and also with the land in which you resided.

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם אָנֹכִ֖י אִשָּׁבֵֽעַ׃

Abraham said: I will agree to take an oath and pledge to be trustworthy in my relations with your people and country.

וְהוֹכִ֥חַ אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ עַל־אֹדוֹת֙ בְּאֵ֣ר הַמַּ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּזְל֖וּ עַבְדֵ֥י אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ׃

On this same occasion, Abraham reprimanded Avimelekh with regard to the well of water that Avimelekh’s servants had stolen. Abraham had previously dug a well, which Avimelekh’s servants then took by force. Abraham had not complained at that point, but once he was negotiating a covenant with Avimelekh, he decided to raise the matter. Since Avimelekh had publicly declared that he had a positive relationship with Abraham and had treated him with kindness, Abraham found it appropriate to note the unresolved issues in their relationship and try to reconcile them.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי מִ֥י עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וְגַם־אַתָּ֞ה לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֗י וְגַ֧ם אָנֹכִ֛י לֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי בִּלְתִּ֥י הַיּֽוֹם׃

Avimelekh said: I do not know who did this thing; and you also did not tell me it had happened, nor did I hear of it, other than today. I can take no responsibility for the incident. I did not send those people, and I never heard anything about this incident until now. By this statement, Avimelekh conceded that the well belonged to Abraham.

וַיִּקַּ֤ח אַבְרָהָם֙ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לַאֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם בְּרִֽית׃

Abraham took flocks and cattle and gave them to Avimelekh as a gift and as his contribution to the feast prepared there. And the two of them established a covenant. The covenant may have been formalized by a ceremony in which the animals were cut in half.

וַיַּצֵּ֣ב אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶת־שֶׁ֛בַע כִּבְשֹׂ֥ת הַצֹּ֖אן לְבַדְּהֶֽן׃

Abraham placed, set aside, seven ewes of the flock he had given as a gift by themselves.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם מָ֣ה הֵ֗נָּה שֶׁ֤בַע כְּבָשֹׂת֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִצַּ֖בְתָּ לְבַדָּֽנָה׃

Avimelekh said to Abraham: What are these seven ewes that you have placed by themselves? If you intend to give them to me or to contribute them to the feast, why did you separate them from the rest of the flock?

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֚י אֶת־שֶׁ֣בַע כְּבָשֹׂ֔ת תִּקַּ֖ח מִיָּדִ֑י בַּעֲבוּר֙ תִּֽהְיֶה־לִּ֣י לְעֵדָ֔ה כִּ֥י חָפַ֖רְתִּי אֶת־הַבְּאֵ֥ר הַזֹּֽאת׃

He, Abraham, said: Because you shall take seven ewes from me, so that it will be for me as a testament, that I dug this well. These seven sheep will symbolize your consent that the well belongs to me, like an addendum to our covenant. By accepting them you give your assurance that your servants will not steal the well from me again.

עַל־כֵּ֗ן קָרָ֛א לַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ם נִשְׁבְּע֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because both of them took an oath there. The name evokes both the oath [ shevua ] about the well [ be’er ] and the number seven [ sheva ].

וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ בְרִ֖ית בִּבְאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיָּ֣קָם אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ וּפִיכֹל֙ שַׂר־צְבָא֔וֹ וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

They established a covenant in Beersheba. Then Avimelekh and Pikhol, the captain of his guard, arose, and they returned to the land of the Philistines, from where they had traveled to the place of Abraham’s encampment.

וַיִּטַּ֥ע אֶ֖שֶׁל בִּבְאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיִּ֨קְרָא־שָׁ֔ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה אֵ֥ל עוֹלָֽם׃

He, Abraham, planted a tamarisk in Beersheba, and he proclaimed there the name of the Lord, God of the Universe. This was Abraham’s practice throughout his travels. Wherever he encamped, he would build an altar, teach the residents of that place about God, and make His name known to them.

וַיָּ֧גָר אַבְרָהָ֛ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃ (פ)

Abraham did not return immediately to Hebron, but resided in the land of the Philistines for many days.