The Setting of the Treaty and the Importance of Water Rights

Genesis 21 records a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech, the king of Gerar, at Beersheba. At the heart of this treaty was the question of access to water. In a semi-arid land like the Negev, rainfall was scarce, and wells determined survival. Whoever controlled a well controlled the means of life for people, flocks, and herds. Abraham’s dispute with Abimelech over a well in Beersheba (Gen. 21:25) highlights the real and pressing necessity of securing water rights. Such agreements were not merely private matters; they had legal and political ramifications, establishing boundaries, ownership, and spheres of authority. Treaties concerning water rights are attested in the ancient world, and the biblical account reflects this reality with precision. Abraham formally set apart seven ewe lambs as a testimony that he had dug the well, providing permanent witness of his rights. Thus, the place was called Beersheba, “Well of the Oath” or “Well of Seven.”

This act of securing water shows Abraham’s prudence and foresight. He was not a wanderer without place or claim; by God’s providence, he established lawful rights within the land promised to him. This set the foundation for his descendants who would later return under Joshua’s leadership.

Abraham’s Public Proclamation of Jehovah’s Name

After the treaty, Abraham “planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God” (Gen. 21:33). The Hebrew phrase “to call on the name of Jehovah” means more than prayer; it involves public proclamation. Abraham was not merely offering private devotion but openly declaring the name and character of the true God in the presence of Canaanite peoples. He boldly preached Jehovah as “the Everlasting God,” contrasting the eternal, unchanging Creator with the temporary and false deities of the land.

This reveals Abraham’s role not only as a patriarch but also as a herald of divine truth. Just as he had earlier refused the king of Sodom’s spoils while invoking Jehovah’s name, here again he bears witness before a pagan king that Jehovah alone is worthy of worship. In so doing, Abraham foreshadowed the Christian responsibility to confess Jehovah and His Son, Jesus Christ, before men. Believers today continue this heritage by publicly declaring the message of salvation, offering the “fruit of lips which make public declaration to His name.”

The Land of the Philistines in Abraham’s Day

The reference to Abraham sojourning “many days in the land of the Philistines” (Gen. 21:34) has often been seized upon by critics who argue that this is an anachronism. According to mainstream historical reconstructions, the Philistines—identified with the Sea Peoples from the Aegean—arrived in Canaan around 1200 B.C.E., many centuries after Abraham’s time around 1900 B.C.E. How then can Genesis describe Abraham interacting with Philistines?

The answer is twofold. First, there is strong reason to believe that smaller groups of Aegean migrants, later known collectively as Philistines, had settled in the southern coastal regions of Canaan long before the massive migration of the Sea Peoples. The Bible itself traces the Philistines to Caphtor (Crete or the Aegean), and it is fully consistent with historical patterns of gradual migration that earlier waves of settlers could have been present during Abraham’s time. These earlier groups may have been smaller colonies or settlements that laid the groundwork for the later, more powerful Philistine confederacy of Samson, Saul, and David’s era. Thus, Genesis accurately reflects the reality that Abraham encountered such people in the land.

Second, it is possible that the name “Philistines” is used in Genesis as a Spirit-guided editorial update for the sake of later readers. Just as Genesis 14:14 refers to “Dan” before the tribe of Dan existed, so too the land known by Abraham under a different designation may have been rendered as “Philistia” in order to identify it clearly for the audience of Moses or later inspired writers. This does not mean the text is mistaken; rather, it reflects God’s provision to ensure clarity for His people across time.

The Reliability of the Biblical Account

Critics often argue from silence, claiming that because extrabiblical sources do not mention the Philistines in Abraham’s time, the Genesis account must be inaccurate. Yet history repeatedly shows the folly of this reasoning. The Hittites, once dismissed as a biblical invention, were later confirmed through archaeology. Belshazzar, long ridiculed as fictional, was proven to be a real Babylonian ruler. Sodom and Gomorrah were likewise scoffed at until excavation revealed evidence of cities fitting their biblical description. Time and again, Scripture has been vindicated against skepticism.

The Philistines fit this same pattern. Archaeology demonstrates Aegean influence in Canaan well before the traditional date of the Sea Peoples’ arrival, and Scripture affirms that Philistines came from Caphtor. Whether Genesis refers to an earlier wave of settlers or uses the later name for audience clarity, the inspired text is fully accurate. Furthermore, the consistency of the biblical witness—from Genesis through the monarchy, exile, and prophetic writings—demonstrates that the Philistines were a real and significant people in Israel’s history until their final disappearance under Assyrian and Babylonian domination.

Theological Implications of the Treaty

The treaty at Beersheba is more than an episode of ancient diplomacy. It illustrates Jehovah’s providence in preserving Abraham, providing him secure access to water, and giving him a place of witness. Abraham’s proclamation of Jehovah as the Everlasting God at Beersheba underscores the eternal faithfulness of the covenant-keeping God. While nations rise and fall, and while settlers such as the Philistines enter and leave history, Jehovah remains unchanged, ensuring that His promises to Abraham’s seed will be fulfilled.

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