Covenants
Isaac, commanded by the Lord, leaves the famine-stricken land and returns to Hebron, dwelling apart from his son Esau, as he rebuilds his life in the footsteps of his father Abraham. In a divine encounter, the Lord promises Isaac a great blessing and the multiplication of his descendants, leading Isaac to renew his covenant with God and those around him. Amid tensions with Abimelech and the Philistines, Isaac strikes a peace deal but soon realizes the curse he believes is destined for his enemies, the Philistines. His proclamation foretells their utter destruction, a fate sealed in judgment and written on the heavenly tablets, as their name and seed are wiped from the earth.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
42%
JASHER
8%
JUBILEES
50%
Exposition
Y: 2171 | YHWH tells Isaac to return to Hebron
Jasher 28:16
Jacob returns to Hebron
Jasher 28:25
Rising Action
Y: 2172 | M: 1 | D: 1 | Isaac goes to the Well of the Oath in Beersheba
Genesis 26:23, Jubilees 24:21
Climax
D: 2 | YHWH appears to Isaac
Genesis 26:24, Jubilees 24:22
Falling Action
Isaac built an altar and pitched his tent there
Genesis 26:25, Jubilees 24:23-24a
King Abimelech makes a covenant with Isaac
Genesis 26:26-31
Isaac’s servants find water
Genesis 26:32, Jubilees 24:24b
Resolution
The well is given a name
Genesis 26:33, Jubilees 24:26
Another well is dug but water is not found
Jubilees 24:25
Isaac curses the Philistines
Jubilees 24:27-33
Year: 2171
YHWH tells Isaac to return to Hebron
Jasher 28:16
16 And when the days of the famine had passed away the Lord appeared to Isaac and said unto him, Rise up, go forth from this place and return to thy land, to the land of Canaan; and Isaac rose up and returned to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan, he and all belonging to him as the Lord commanded him.
Jubilees 29:17
17 For Isaac had returned from the Well of the Oath and gone up to the tower of his father Abraham, and he dwelt there apart from his son Esau.
Jubilees 29:19
19 And Isaac went up from the Well of the Oath and dwelt in the tower of Abraham his father on the mountains of Hebron,
Jacob returns to Hebroni
Jasher 28:25
25 And when Shem died Jacob returned to his father to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan.
Year: 2172
Month: 1
Day: 1
Isaac goes to the Well of the Oath in Beersheba
Genesis 26:23
23 And he went up from thence to Beersheba.
Jubilees 24:21
21 And he went up from thence to the Well of the Oath in the first year of the first week in the [2108 A.M.] forty-fourth jubilee.
Day: 2
YHWH appears to Isaac
Genesis 26:24
24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.
Jubilees 24:22
22 And the Lord appeared to him that night, on the new moon of the first month, and said unto him: ‘I am the God of Abraham thy father; fear not, for I am with thee, and shall bless thee and shall surely multiply thy seed as the sand of the earth, for the sake of Abraham my servant.’
Isaac built an altar and pitched his tent there
Genesis 26:25
25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.
Jubilees 24:23-24a
23 And he built an altar there, which Abraham his father had first built, and he called upon the name of the Lord, and he offered sacrifice to the God of Abraham his father.
24a And they digged a well
King Abimelech makes a covenant with Isaac
Genesis 26:26-31
26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.
27 And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?
28 And 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;
29 That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the LORD.
30 And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.
31 And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
Isaac’s servants find water
Genesis 26:32
32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.
Jubilees 24:24b
24b and they found living water.
The well is given a name
Genesis 26:33
33 And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.
Jubilees 24:26
26 And he called the name of that place the Well of the Oath; for there he had sworn to Abimelech and Ahuzzath his friend and Phicol the prefect Or his host.
Another well is dug but water is not found
Jubilees 24:25
25 And the servants of Isaac digged another well and did not find water, and they went and told Isaac that they had not found water, and Isaac said: ‘I have sworn this day to the Philistines and this thing has been announced to us.’
Isaac curses the Philistines
Jubilees 24:27-33
27 And Isaac knew that day that under constraint he had sworn to them to make peace with them.
28 And Isaac on that day cursed the Philistines and said: ‘Cursed be the Philistines unto the day of wrath and indignation from the midst of all nations; may God make them a derision and a curse and an object of wrath and indignation in the hands of the sinners the Gentiles and in the hands of the Kittim.
29 And whoever escapes the sword of the enemy and the Kittim, may the righteous nation root out in judgment from under heaven; for they shall be the enemies and foes of my children throughout their generations upon the earth.
30 And no remnant shall be left to them, Nor one that shall be saved on the day of the wrath of judgment; For destruction and rooting out and expulsion from the earth is the whole seed of the Philistines (reserved), And there shall no longer be left for these Caphtorim a name or a seed on the earth.
31 For though he ascend unto heaven, Thence shall he be brought down, And though he make himself strong on earth, Thence shall he be dragged forth, And though he hide himself amongst the nations, Even from thence shall he be rooted out; And though he descend into Sheol, There also shall his condemnation be great, And there also he shall have no peace.
32 And if he go into captivity, By the hands of those that seek his life shall they slay him on the way, And neither name nor seed shall be left to him on all the earth; For into eternal malediction shall he depart.’
33 And thus is it written and engraved concerning him on the heavenly tablets, to do unto him on the day of judgment, so that he may be rooted out of the earth.
i. The return of Jacob to Hebron was challenging to place. Jasher 28:25 says that Jacob returned to his father in Hebron after Shem died, however, Isaac was in Gerar then. It wouldn’t be until 2172 that Isaac would return to Hebron which is 13 years after the death of Shem. So, I’ve placed the return of Jacob after the famine ended.
Exposition
Y: 2171 | YHWH tells Isaac to return to Hebron
Jasher 28:16
And when the days of the famine had passed away the Lord appeared to Isaac and said to him, “Rise up, go forth from this place and return to your land, to the land of Canaan;” and Isaac rose up from the Well of the Oath and returned to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan, he and all belonging to him as the Lord commanded him, up to the tower of his father Abraham, and he dwelt there apart from his son Esau, on the mountains of Hebron.
Jacob returns to Hebron
Jasher 28:25
And when Shem died Jacob returned to his father to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan.
Rising Action
Y: 2172 | M: 1 | D: 1 | Isaac goes to the Well of the Oath in Beersheba
Genesis 26:23, Jubilees 24:21
And he went up from there to the Well of the Oath (Beersheba) in the 1st year of the 1st week in the 44th jubilee.
Climax
D: 2 | YHWH appears to Isaac
Genesis 26:24, Jubilees 24:22
And the Lord appeared to him that night, on the new moon of the 1st month, and said to him: “I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not, for I am with you, and will bless you and shall surely multiply your seed as the sand of the earth, for the sake of Abraham my servant.”
Falling Action
Isaac built an altar and pitched his tent there
Genesis 26:25, Jubilees 24:23-24a
And he built an altar there, which Abraham his father had first built, and pitched his tent there, and he called upon the name of the Lord, and he offered sacrifice to the God of Abraham his father. And they dug a well.
King Abimelech makes a covenant with Isaac
Genesis 26:26-31
Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. And Isaac said to them, “Why do you come to me, seeing you hate me, and have sent me away from you?”
And they said, “We saw certainly that the LORD was with you: and we said, ‘Let there be now an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you; that you will do us no hurt, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace:’ you are now the blessed of the LORD.”
And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. And they rose up in the morning, and swore one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
Isaac’s servants find water
Genesis 26:32, Jubilees 24:24b
And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.”
Resolution
The well is given a name
Genesis 26:33, Jubilees 24:26
And he called the name of that place the Well of the Oath (Shebah/Beersheba); for there he had sworn to Abimelech and Ahuzzath his friend and Phicol the prefect Or his host.
Another well is dug but water is not found
Jubilees 24:25
And the servants of Isaac dug another well and did not find water, and they went and told Isaac that they had not found water, and Isaac said: “I have sworn this day to the Philistines and this thing has been announced to us.”
Isaac curses the Philistines
Jubilees 24:27-33
And Isaac knew that day that under constraint he had sworn to them to make peace with them. And Isaac on that day cursed the Philistines and said: “Cursed be the Philistines to the day of wrath and indignation from the middle of all nations; may God make them a derision and a curse and an object of wrath and indignation in the hands of the sinners the Gentiles and in the hands of the Kittim. And whoever escapes the sword of the enemy and the Kittim, may the righteous nation root out in judgment from under heaven; for they will be the enemies and foes of my children throughout their generations upon the earth. And no remnant will be left to them, Nor one that will be saved on the day of the wrath of judgment; For destruction and rooting out and expulsion from the earth is the whole seed of the Philistines reserved, And there shall no longer be left for these Caphtorim a name or a seed on the earth. For though he ascend to heaven, there will he be brought down, and though he make himself strong on earth, there will he be dragged forth, and though he hide himself among the nations, even from there will he be rooted out; and though he descend into Sheol, there also will his condemnation be great, and there also he will have no peace. And if he go into captivity, by the hands of those that seek his life will they slay him on the way, And neither name nor seed will be left to him on all the earth; For into eternal malediction shall he depart.”
And thus is it written and engraved concerning him on the heavenly tablets, to do to him on the day of judgment, so that he may be rooted out of the earth.
This chart shows who was alive in years 2145-2172.
Years with question marks are estimates.