And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
Parallel translations
- WEB Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?”
- BSB and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”
- NKJV Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”
- NASB Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?”
- NLT Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”
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
Abimelech asks the meaning of the seven separated lambs. He seeks to understand Abraham's symbolic act.
Overview
Abimelech's question prompts Abraham to explain the purpose behind the seven ewe lambs. The inquiry sets up the formal acknowledgment of Abraham's claim to the well. The exchange illustrates the deliberate, transparent way the covenant is being established, leaving no ambiguity about the agreement between the two men.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Exod 12:26And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
- 1 Sam 15:14And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
- Gen 33:8And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
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 21:29 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.