He replied, “You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand as my witness that I dug this well.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.”
- KJV And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
- NKJV And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.”
- NASB He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness for me, that I dug this well.”
- NLT Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.”
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 explains the seven lambs are a witness that he dug the well. They serve as public proof of his rightful claim.
Overview
Abraham gives the lambs to Abimelech as a binding testimony confirming his ownership of the well he dug. This formal witness secures his water rights in a land where wells were vital. The arrangement demonstrates how God's servant pursues just resolution and lasting peace through honest, verifiable agreement.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Gen 31:52This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.
- Josh 22:27–28Rather, let it be a witness between us and you and the generations to come, that we will worship the LORD in His presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings.’ Then in the future, your descendants cannot say to ours, ‘You have no share in the LORD!’
- Josh 24:27And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”
- Gen 31:44–48Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
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 21:30 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.