參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本              

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

22. And it came to pass at that time, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.

23. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son. Do to me according to the kindness that I have done to you, and to the land in which you have lived.”

24. And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

25. And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants had violently seized.

26. And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing—neither did you inform me, nor have I even heard of it, except today.”

27. And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and both of them made a covenant.

28. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29. And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What are these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”

30. And he said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, so that they may be a witness to me that I have dug this well.”

31. This is why he called that place The Well of the Living One Seeing Me, Heb. Beersheba because there they both swore an oath.

32. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, rose up. And they returned to the land of the Philistines.

33. And Abraham planted a tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

34. And Abraham lived in the Philistines’ land many days.

 (A Faithful Version)

22. 過了一段時間，有日，亞比米勒和軍中的指揮官一起到來，並對亞伯拉罕說：你做任何事都有耶和華同在。

23. 此刻，就當著耶和華起誓，你不會對我、及我的兒子，以及我的子孫作出虛假的陳述。我是以善意對待，讓你安穩在此生活。

24. 亞伯拉罕回應：我願意起這樣的誓。

25. 亞伯拉罕此時，對亞比米勒提出一事責備，因為他的手下強佔了他一口井。

26. 亞比米勒回應：真的不知道有這等事發生，也不曾聽聞，直至今日，才從你口中得知。

27. 亞伯拉罕如今牽來牛羊，要與亞比米勒立約。

28. 立約的安排是，亞伯拉罕從羊群中取出七隻母羊，放在一旁。

29. 亞比米勒好奇問亞伯拉罕：單獨放這七隻母羊，有什麼用意？

30. 亞伯拉罕解說：你收下這七隻母羊，就說明你承認這井是我挖開。

31. 亞比米勒接納，也給那地方起名叫別是巴，意為立約之井，是見證他們在此起誓。

32. 他們在別是巴立約完畢。亞比米勒和他的指揮官，返回非利士領地。

33. 亞伯拉罕在別是巴栽種一棵檉樹，以這樹記念有位永存的耶和華。

34. 亞伯拉罕在非利士地住了一段很長的時間。

https://armstronginstitute.org/873-uncovering-the-bibles-buried-cities-beersheba    The Bible gives several details about early patriarchal-period Beersheba, including how it got its name. Genesis 20:1 records that Abraham journeyed south from Mamre and “dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.” In this region, Abraham had dealings with Abimelech,    Philistine    king of Gerar. Gerar is located in the region of the modern-day Nahal Gerar, just northeast of Beersheba. (verses 27-31).  Beer is the Hebrew word for “well”;    sheba   (or sheva) is the word for “seven”; thus, the name literally means “well of the seven,” or “well of the sevenfold oath.”這處似乎與七字沒有太大關係。有待發掘！

第33節 一棵檉樹：

The  tamarisk tree  (genus Tamarix), also known as  salt cedar  or  athel pine, is  a hardy shrub or tree native to drier areas of   Eurasia and Africa  that thrives in saline and alkaline soils.  While it is valued for its   feathery foliage,   pink or white flowers, and ability to serve as a  windbreak  or shade tree, it is also recognized as a  destructive invasive species  in many parts of the United States, particularly in the Southwest and California. 

Key characteristics   include its ability to secrete salt through its leaves to tolerate high soil salinity, making it a   halophyte   that can grow up to   50 feet tall   with scale-like leaves and dense thickets.    The tree reproduces prolifically through   seeds   (up to 600,000 per plant) dispersed by wind and water, as well as through  vegetative propagation  from broken branches, allowing it to choke out native vegetation and alter local ecosystems. 

Despite its invasive nature in many regions, the tamarisk holds   spiritual and historical significance, notably in the Bible where   Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba to memorialize a covenant with God and call upon the name of the Lord.    In modern management, efforts to control its spread include   physical  removal ,   herbicide application, and the use of  biological controls  like the  tamarisk leaf beetle, though these measures are sometimes complicated by the tree’s role as a nesting site for endangered species like the  Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.

這樹似乎在提醒一事，應許多結果子。

這段對話反映出一個事實：耶和華按自己的承諾，必然照顧到底。

事件前因是因為亞伯蘭避災從迦南遷到埃及，擔心自己被殺想了一條妙計去保存自己 (婦女當時沒有現代社會男女平等帶來的尊重)，妻子變妹子。這計用以保存自己，是求生的本能  (當然有更好的方法)，有效卻害了別人。這求生所犯的錯，是時勢及不智的方法做成，在耶和華眼中，似乎是情有可原。

當時非利士王的家屬有不育的情況出現，耶和華似乎在當中成了調解雙方的矛盾的中間人，使二下合而為一，達成一致和解的心意。

耶和華處理完了，似乎不再介入。

可是在人的心態，就不一樣。亞比米勒因為對耶和華不了解，誤以為亞伯蘭得來的保護，是他可以任意操控。就想出一個萬全之策：立約，以此保障自己的安全。而亞伯蘭當時寄居人家的屬地，受到被搶了一口井也不敢投訴，啞忍了事。

如今因為這種不了解產生的誤會，卻成了亞伯蘭的祝福：能放心安居此地，而不受滋擾。

這事件，正好反映出耶和華承諾的事，在人世間是如何公平公正的成就。只是，這事件不是單一，而是世人的普遍理解：有 [神] 但不一定須要。

如果這是一個可以理解和合理的原則，它必然會有另一套見證世上有位創造者，稱耶和華，因人的不理解，差耶穌，以  [兒子]  的身份，顯明人人可以承繼，唯一的條件，轉變現有的生活方式：生存，不是求存。