Well of the Oath
(1-minute read)
In a saga spanning years, Abraham embarks on a bold journey away from the Philistines, settling near Hebron where his people thrive by newly dug wells. However, this newfound prosperity stirs trouble when Abimelech’s servants seize the precious well, igniting a fierce confrontation. Tensions escalate as Abraham stands his ground, determined to reclaim what is rightfully his, leading to an intense face-off with Abimelech and his captain, Phichol.
Amid the conflict, a dramatic covenant is forged between Abraham and Abimelech, solidified by the symbolic exchange of sheep and 7 ewe lambs. Peace is restored in Beersheba, where Abraham plants a lush grove with four gates welcoming travelers from all directions. His home becomes a sanctuary of generosity, offering sustenance and comfort to all who pass by, as Abraham dedicates his life to spreading knowledge of the Lord. Meanwhile, Abraham’s descendants and distant relatives like Lot’s and Ishmael’s offspring multiply and flourish, carving their own legacies in the land, while the echoes of Terah’s passing signal the close of an era.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
42%
JASHER
58%
Exposition
J: 43 | Y: 2075 | Abraham moves to Beersheba and digs wells
Jasher 22:3-4
Rising Action
Abraham’s servants quarrel with Abimelech’s servants
Jasher 22:5
Climax
Abimelech and Phichol meet with Abraham
Genesis 21:22-25, Jasher 22:6
Abimelech claims he didn’t know what his servants had done
Genesis 21:26, Jasher 22:7
Falling Action
Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant at Beersheba
Genesis 21:27-32, Jasher 22:8-10
Resolution
Abraham plants a grove in Beersheba
Genesis 21:33-34, Jasher 22:11-14
Y: 2079 | Rebekah born
Genesis 22:23a
Y: 2080-2086? | Lot’s grandchildren born
Jasher 24:24-26
Y: 2080-2093? | Ishmael and Meribah’s grandchildren born
Jasher 25:22-23
Y: 2084 | Terah died
Genesis 11:32, Jasher 22:32-34
Abraham learns about Nahor’s children
Genesis 22:20, Jasher 22:16
Jubilee: 43
Year: 2075
Abraham moves to Beersheba and digs wellsi
Jasher 22:3-4
3 And the days increased and reached twenty six years, and after that Abraham with his servants and all belonging to him went from the land of the Philistines and removed to a great distance, and they came near to Hebron, and they remained there, and the servants of Abraham dug wells of water, and Abraham and all belonging to him dwelt by the water, and the servants of Abimelech king of the Philistines heard the report that
4 Abraham’s servants had dug wells of water in the borders of the land.
Abraham's servants quarrel with Abimelech's servants
Jasher 22:5
5 And they came and quarreled with the servants of Abraham, and they robbed them of the great well which they had dug.
Abimelech and Phichol meet with Abraham
Genesis 21:22-25
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
Jasher 22:6
6 And Abimelech king of the Philistines heard of this affair, and he with Phicol the captain of his host and twenty of his men came to Abraham, and Abimelech spoke to Abraham concerning his servants, and Abraham rebuked Abimelech concerning the well of which his servants had robbed him.
Abimelech claims he didn’t know what his servants had done
Genesis 21:26
26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
Jasher 22:7
7 And Abimelech said to Abraham, As the Lord liveth who created the whole earth, I did not hear of the act which my servants did unto thy servants until this day.
Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant at Beersheba
Genesis 21:27-29
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
Genesis 21:30-32
30 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.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
Jasher 22:8-10
8 And Abraham took seven ewe lambs and gave them to Abimelech, saying, Take these, I pray thee, from my hands that it may be a testimony for me that I dug this well.
9 And Abimelech took the seven ewe lambs which Abraham had given to him, for he had also given him cattle and herds in abundance, and Abimelech swore to Abraham concerning the well, therefore he called that well Beersheba, for there they both swore concerning it.
10 And they both made a covenant in Beersheba, and Abimelech rose up with Phicol the captain of his host and all his men, and they returned to the land of the Philistines, and Abraham and all belonging to him dwelt in Beersheba and he was in that land a long time.
Abraham plants a grove in Beersheba
Genesis 21:33
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
Jasher 22:11
11 And Abraham planted a large grove in Beersheba, and he made to it four gates facing the four sides of the earth, and he planted a vineyard in it, so that if a traveler came to Abraham he entered any gate which was in his road, and remained there and ate and drank and satisfied himself and then departed.
Jasher 22:12-14
12 For the house of Abraham was always open to the sons of men that passed and repassed, who came daily to eat and drink in the house of Abraham.
13 And any man who had hunger and came to Abraham’s house, Abraham would give him bread that he might eat and drink and be satisfied, and any one that came naked to his house he would clothe with garments as he might choose, and give him silver and gold and make known to him the Lord who had created him in the earth; this did Abraham all his life.
14 And Abraham and his children and all belonging to him dwelt in Beersheba, and he pitched his tent as far as Hebron.
Genesis 21:34
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
Year: 2079
Rebekah born
Genesis 22:23a
23a And Bethuel begat Rebekah:
Year: 2080-2086
Lot’s grandchildren born
Jasher 24:24-26
24 And the two sons of Lot went and took themselves wives from the land of Canaan, and they bare children to them, and the children of Moab were Ed, Mayon, Tarsus, and Kanvil, four sons, these are fathers to the children of Moab unto this day.
25 And all the families of the children of Lot went to dwell wherever they should light upon, for they were fruitful and increased abundantly.
26 And they went and built themselves cities in the land where they dwelt, and they called the names of the cities which they built after their own names.
Year: 2080-2093
Ishmael and Meribah’s grandchildren born
Jasher 25:22-23
22 And these are the names of the sons of Nebayoth the first born of Ishmael; Mend, Send, Mayon; and the sons of Kedar were Alyon, Kezem, Chamad and Eli.
23 And the sons of Adbeel were Chamad and Jabin; and the sons of Mibsam were Obadiah, Ebedmelech and Yeush; these are the families of the children of Ribah the wife of Ishmael.
Year: 2084
Terah died
Genesis 11:32
32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Jasher 22:32-34
32 And Terah lived twenty-five years after he begat Zoba.
33 And Terah died in that year, that is in the thirty-fifth year of the birth of Isaac son of Abraham.
34 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and he was buried in Haran.
Abraham learns about Nahor’s children
Genesis 22:20
20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;
Jasher 22:16
16 And children were born to Nahor which Milca the daughter of Haran, and sister to Sarah, Abraham’s wife, bare to him.
i. The 26 years are assumed to be from when Isaac was born.
(7-minute read)
Exposition
J: 43 | Y: 2075 | Abraham moves to Beersheba and digs wells
Jasher 22:3-4
After 26 years had passed, Abraham, along with his servants and everything he owned, left the land of the Philistines and moved far away. They came near to Hebron and settled there. Abraham’s servants dug wells for water, and everyone with Abraham lived near the water. When the servants of Abimelech, king of the Philistines, heard that Abraham’s servants had dug wells on the edge of their territory,
Rising Action
Abraham’s servants quarrel with Abimelech’s servants
Jasher 22:5
They came and argued with Abraham’s servants and ended up taking the large well they had dug.
Climax
Abimelech and Phichol meet with Abraham
Genesis 21:22-25, Jasher 22:6
At that time, Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, came with 20 men to speak with Abraham. They said, “God is with you in everything you do. Now, swear to me here by God that you will not deceive me, my son, or my grandson. Just as I have shown kindness to you, do the same to me and to the land where you’ve been staying.”
Abraham replied, “I will swear.”
Then Abraham confronted Abimelech about the well of water that Abimelech’s servants had violently taken.
Abimelech claims he didn’t know what his servants had done
Genesis 21:26, Jasher 22:7
Abimelech said, “As the Lord lives, who created the whole earth, I had no idea who did this. You didn’t tell me, and I hadn’t heard anything about it until today.”
Falling Action
Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant at Beersheba
Genesis 21:27-32, Jasher 22:8-10
Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set 7 ewe lambs apart from the flock.
Abimelech asked, “What do these 7 ewe lambs mean that you’ve set aside?”
Abraham replied, “You are to accept these 7 ewe lambs from me as a witness that I dug this well.”
So Abimelech took the 7 ewe lambs from Abraham—along with the cattle and herds Abraham had also given him. That place was named Beersheba because the two of them swore an oath there. They made a covenant at Beersheba, and afterward Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, got up and returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham and everyone with him stayed in Beersheba for a long time.
Resolution
Abraham plants a grove in Beersheba
Genesis 21:33-34, Jasher 22:11-14
Abraham called on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God, at that place.
He planted a large grove in Beersheba and built it with 4 gates facing the 4 directions of the earth. He also planted a vineyard there. When a traveler came to Abraham, he could enter through whichever gate was on his path, stay, eat, drink, be satisfied, and then continue on his way. Abraham’s home was always open to people passing by, and many came daily to eat and drink in his house.
Anyone who was hungry and came to Abraham’s house received bread to eat and drink until satisfied. Anyone who came naked was clothed with garments of his choosing. Abraham would also give him silver and gold and teach him about the Lord who had created him. Abraham did this throughout his entire life.
Abraham, his children, and everyone with him lived in Beersheba, and he pitched his tent as far as Hebron. He stayed in the land of the Philistines for many years.
Y: 2079 | Rebekah born
Genesis 22:23a
Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.
Y: 2080-2086? | Lot’s grandchildren born
Jasher 24:24-26
Lot’s 2 sons married wives from the land of Canaan and had children. The children of Moab were Ed, Mayon, Tarsus, and Kanvil—4 sons who became the ancestors of the Moabites. All the families of Lot’s descendants settled wherever they found land, for they were very fruitful and multiplied greatly.
They built cities in the areas where they settled and named the cities after themselves.
Y: 2080-2093? | Ishmael and Meribah’s grandchildren born
Jasher 25:22-23
The sons of Nebayoth, Ishmael’s firstborn, were Mend, Send, and Mayon.
The sons of Kedar were Alyon, Kezem, Chamad, and Eli.
The sons of Adbeel were Chamad and Jabin.
The sons of Mibsam were Obadiah, Ebedmelech, and Yeush. These were the families of the children of Ribah, Ishmael’s wife.
Y: 2084 | Terah died
Genesis 11:32, Jasher 22:32-34
Terah lived 25 years after the birth of Zoba. He died in the 35th year after Isaac, son of Abraham, was born. Terah lived a total of 205 years and was buried in Haran.
Abraham learns about Nahor’s children
Genesis 22:20, Jasher 22:16
After these events, someone came and told Abraham, saying, “Look, Milcah has also given birth to children for your brother Nahor.”
This chart shows who was alive in the years 2075-2085.