And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
Parallel translations
- WEB Abraham took sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech. Those two made a covenant.
- BSB So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men 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 17:13And hath taken of the king’s seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
- Gen 14:22–23And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
- Prov 17:8A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
- Isa 32:8But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
- Gal 3:15Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
- Prov 18:24A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
- Gen 31:44Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
- Prov 18:16A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
- Gen 26:28–31And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
- Prov 21:14A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.
- Rom 1:31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
- 1 Sam 18:3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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
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.