Beersheba | HVSB

Beersheba·City

Beersheba (or Beersheva) is a small but important Biblical town, the central town of the southern dry area known as the Negev. The small tel has two small often dry creek beds (nahalim) on either side, and thus afforded a good place for digging wells. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the LORD (21:33), after having made a pact with Abimelech. Beersheva is understood as meaning either “well of seven” or “well of the oath”, either way referring to the pact with Abimelech (Gen 21:31). Hagar and Ishmael were sent out in the wilderness of Beersheva (Gen 21:14) and Isaac built an altar there (Gen 26:15-33). God was revealed here to Hagar (21:17), Isaac (26:24), Jacob (46:2), and to Elijah (1 Kgs 19:5). Beersheva is the proverbial southern marker of the Land of Israel with the phrase “from Dan to Beersheva” (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20, etc.) between which is 150 miles. Samuel’s corrupt sons are known to be judging there (1 Sam 8:2) and Saul fortified it against the Amalekites (1 Sam 14:48 and 15:2-9) which paved the way for David to have it as a central city as seen in the census of Joab (2 Sam 24:2ff.) In the Karnak temple in Egypt, Beersheba is known as the “Fort Abram” probably relating to Shishak’s conquest of Israel in 925 BC. Zibiah, the mother of King Jehoash, was born there (2 Kgs 12:1; 2 Ch 24:1). The archaeologist Yohanan Aharoni and others have excavated Tel Beersheva, finding an ancient Israel gate and well, as well as an impressive water system dated to the eighth century. A broken down horned and hewn altar (the stones were found reused in various walls) may have been that which was criticized by Amos (5:5 and 8:14) and torn down by King Hezekiah (2 Kgs 18:4).

Person & place data: Theographic Bible Metadata by Robert Rouse (Viz.Bible), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Genesis 22 (WEB)

1After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

He said, “Here I am.”

2He said, “Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.”

3Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey; and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. 4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. 5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come back to you.” 6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. 7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?”

He said, “Here I am, my son.”

He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together. 9They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.

11Yahweh’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He said, “Here I am.”

12He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

13Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”

15Yahweh’s angel called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, 16and said, “‘I have sworn by myself,’ says Yahweh, ‘because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies. 18All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice.’”

19So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20After these things, Abraham was told, “Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Bible version

World English Bible · public domain · ebible.org