So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.
Parallel translations
- WEB Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant.
- KJV And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
- NKJV So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
- NASB So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
- NLT Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.
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 gives Abimelech sheep and cattle, and the two make a covenant. They formally seal their agreement of peace.
Overview
Abraham's gift of livestock ratifies the covenant and establishes a bond of peace between him and Abimelech. The making of covenants, central to the Bible's storyline, here governs human relationships through solemn commitment. This treaty secures Abraham's standing in the land and reflects the wider peace that flows from God's blessing on His servant.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ezek 17:13He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land,
- Gen 14:22–23But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
- Prov 17:8A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
- Isa 32:8But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.
- Gal 3:15Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.
- Prov 18:24A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
- Gen 31:44Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
- Prov 18:16A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.
- Gen 26:28–31“We can plainly see that the LORD has been with you,” they replied. “We recommend that there should now be an oath between us and you. Let us make a covenant with you
- Prov 21:14A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.
- Rom 1:31They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless.
- 1 Sam 18:3Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 21:27 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
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