# Genesis 21.31

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Genesis](/codex/genesis/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 29. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30. And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
>
> **31. Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.**
>
> 32. So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33. And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God. (Genesis 21:29-33, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 29. Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves mean?” 30. 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.”
>
> **31. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because they both swore there.**
>
> 32. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God. (Genesis 21:29-33, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 29. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 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. <sup>Beersheba: that is, The well of the oath</sup>**
>
> 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. 33. And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. <sup>grove: or, tree</sup> (Genesis 21:29-33, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 29. And Abimelech saith unto Abraham, 'What [are] they, these seven lambs which thou hast set by themselves?' 30. And he saith, 'For, the seven lambs thou dost accept from my hand, so that it becometh a witness for me that I have digged this well;'
>
> **31. therefore hath he called that place 'Beer-Sheba,' for there have both of them sworn.**
>
> 32. And they make a covenant in Beer-Sheba, and Abimelech riseth, Phichol also, head of his host, and they turn back unto the land of the Philistines; 33. and [Abraham] planteth a tamarisk in Beer-Sheba, and preacheth there in the name of Jehovah, God age-during; (Genesis 21:29-33, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Passages:**

- [Amos 5.5](/codex/amos-5-5/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.