Genesis 21:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.

NIV: At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, 'God is with you in everything you do.

NASB: Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, 'God is with you in all that you do;

CSB: At that time Abimelech, accompanied by Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do.

NLT: About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. 'God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,' Abimelech said.

KJV: And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

NKJV: And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.

Abimelech is the king of Gerar. He and Abraham had met under difficult circumstances, as described in Genesis 20. In short, Abraham had lied about Sarah not being his wife (Genesis 20:2). Abimelech had taken her for his own wife only to be struck with an illness and threatened with death by Abraham's God (Genesis 20:3–6). After confronting Abraham about the reasons for his lie, Abimelech had returned Sarah to Abraham, untouched, along with gifts of animals, servants, silver, and the land upon which Abraham was now settled (Genesis 20:8–15).

Apparently, realizing how abundantly God was blessing Abraham, now including the miraculous birth of a promised child, Abimelech set aside any lingering resentment over the incident and hoped to become Abraham's formal ally.

He brought with him the commander of his army and opened by stating flatly that it was apparent to him that God was with Abraham in everything he did. Having spoken to God himself in a dream, Abimelech had firsthand reason to be impressed with the level of God's favor for Abraham.

Genesis 21:22–34 describes a covenant treaty between Abraham and Abimelech, king of Gerar. Abimelech had previously given Abraham land to occupy. Now the king wishes to formalize their relationship. Abraham swears not to deceive Abimelech or his offspring again, and to deal kindly with all in the land. Abimelech agrees to recognize Abraham's ownership of a well at the place which becomes known as Beersheba, which means ''well of seve'' or ''well of the oath.''

The Lord did as He had promised. Sarah, now 90 years old, gives birth to Isaac, the long-awaited child. Her joy sours, though, over a fear that Isaac might have to share an inheritance with Ishmael. In obedience to the Lord, who promises to safeguard Ishmael, Abraham sends him and his mother, Hagar, into the wilderness. God rescues them and renews His promise to make Ishmael a great nation in his own right. Meanwhile, Abimelech, king of Gerar, approaches Abraham to make a permanent treaty between them and their descendants. The agreement includes Abraham's possession of a well, at a place which will become known as Beersheba.

In the prior chapter, Abraham managed to get Sarah back from Abimelech, following his own deception and God's intervention. Here, Abraham and Sarah finally conceive a natural child. Isaac, the long-awaited child of the promise, is born. In obedience to God, Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away. Abimelech approaches Abraham to make a treaty, giving Abraham a permanent home in a place that becomes known as Beersheba. In the following chapter, God will test Abraham's faith and obedience, in one of Scripture's ultimate examples of trust.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/30/2024 9:03:16 AM