But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized.
Parallel translations
- WEB Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
- KJV And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
- BSB But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,
- NKJV Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had seized.
- NLT Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abraham complains to Abimelech about a well his servants had seized. He raises a legitimate grievance before sealing the covenant.
Overview
Before finalizing the treaty, Abraham honestly addresses a dispute over a vital water source, essential for survival in that land. His willingness to raise the matter openly reflects the integrity the covenant requires. The episode shows that genuine peace is built on truthful resolution of grievances rather than on suppressed resentment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 26:15–22Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped, and filled with earth.
- Gen 29:8They said, “We can’t, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth. Then we water the sheep.”
- Gen 13:7There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land at that time.
- Judg 1:15She said to him, “Give me a blessing; because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
- Prov 25:9Debate your case with your neighbor, and don’t betray the confidence of another;
- Exod 2:15–17Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
- Prov 27:5Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
- Prov 17:10A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.
- Matt 18:15“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 21:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.