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. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner.”
Parallel Translations
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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. But according to the kindness that I have done to you, you shall do to me, and to the land in which you have lived as a foreigner.”
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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.
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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.'
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to Genesis 21:23 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Joshua 2:12 Now therefore, please swear to me by Yahweh, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a true sign;
- Genesis 20:14 Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.
- Genesis 14:22-23 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’
- Genesis 24:3 I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
- Genesis 26:28 They said, “We saw plainly that Yahweh was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let’s make a covenant with you,
- Genesis 31:44 Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”
- Genesis 31:53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.
- Deuteronomy 6:13 You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
- 1 Samuel 20:13 Yahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.
- 1 Samuel 20:17 Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
- 1 Samuel 20:42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’ ” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
- 1 Samuel 24:21-22 Swear now therefore to me by Yahweh, that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” David swore to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
- 1 Samuel 30:15 David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.”
- Jeremiah 4:2 and you will swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:23 But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn’t come to Corinth to spare you.
- Hebrews 6:16 For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 23. That thou wilt not deal falsely with me…
23. That thou wilt not deal falsely with me Literally it is, ‘If thou shalt lie;’ for, among the Hebrews, a defective form of speech is common in taking oaths, which is to be thus explained: ‘If thou shouldst break the promise given to me, we call upon God to sit as Judge between us, and to show himself the avenger of perjury.’ But ‘to lie,’ some here take for dealing unjustly and fraudulently; others for failing in the conditions of the covenant. I simply understand it as if it were said, ‘Thou shalt do nothing perfidiously with me or with my descendants.’ Abimelech also enumerates his own acts of kindness, the lore effectually to exhort Abraham to exercise good faith; for, seeing he had been humanely treated, Abimelech declares it would be an act of base ingratitude if he did not, in return, endeavor to repay the benefits he had received. The Hebrew word חסד(chesed) signifies to deal gently or kindly with any one. For Abimelech did not come to implore compassion of Abraham, but rather to assert his own royal authority, as will appear from the context.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Hebrew, deal falsely with me, or lie.
Hebrew, deal falsely with me, or lie.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 21:23 Now therefore swear unto me here by…
Gen 21:23 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.
Ver. 23. Swear unto me here by God, &c.] This visit, we see, was more of fear than of love: there can be no hearty love, indeed, but between true Christians. Kings, then, have their cares, crowns their crosses: thistles in their arms, and thorns in their sides. This made one cry out of his diadem, O vilis pannus ,& c. And Canutus set his crown upon the crucifix. Frederick, the Elector of Saxony, is said to have been born with the sign of a cross upon his back. {a} And the next night after that Rodulphus Rufus was crowned emperor of Germany, anno Dom. 1273, over the temple, where the crown was set upon his head, a golden cross was seen to shine, like a star, to the admiration of all that beheld it. {b} These were the same emperor’s verses concerning his crown imperial: -
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“ Nobilis es fateor, rutilisque onerata lapillis:
Innumeris curis sed comitata venis;
Quod bene si nossent omnes expendere, nemo
Nemo foret, qui te tollere vellet humo .”
{a} Scultet. Annal.
{b} Dan. Pare., Hist. Profan. Medulla., 723, 728.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain That thou wilt not deal falsely with me; that…
That thou wilt not deal falsely with me; that thou wilt not do me any hurt or injury; Heb. That thou wilt not lie unto me; i.e. as thou hast formerly professed kindness and friendship to me, give me thy oath to assure me that thou wilt be true and constant to thy own professions.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And Abraham said, I will swear. Sensible of the…
And Abraham said, I will swear. Sensible of the many favours he had received from Abimelech in times past, and was still indulged with, he very readily agreed to his proposal; and the rather, as he knew by the vision between the pieces, that it would be four hundred years before his posterity should be put into the possession of the land of Canaan; and therefore could take an oath that neither he, nor his son, nor his grandson, should be injured or dispossessed.
And Abraham said, I will swear. Sensible of the many favours he had received from Abimelech in times past, and was still indulged with, he very readily agreed to his proposal; and the rather, as he knew by the vision between the pieces, that it would be four hundred years before his posterity should be put into the possession of the land of Canaan; and therefore could take an oath that neither he, nor his son, nor his grandson, should be injured or dispossessed.
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Genesis 21:25
gen 21:25
gen 21:25
gen 21:25And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water,.... Before he swore and entered into covenant with him, he thought it advisable to inform him of an affair that had happened concerning a well of water, which in those hot and dry countries, as the southern parts of the land of Canaan were, was an affair of great importance; and to make complaint of the ill usage of Abimelech's servants with respect to it, and to reason with him about it, that the thing might be adjusted to mutual satisfaction, and so a firm basis and foundation be laid for the continuance of friendship for the future; which was wisely done before their league and covenant was ratified: this it seems was a well
which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away: that is, had by force taken the use of it to themselves for their cattle, and had deprived Abraham of it, though it was of his own digging; and perhaps there might be more than one, and the singular may be put for the plural; and so the Septuagint version has it, "the wells": see Gen 26:15.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 23. Now therefore swear unto me] The oath…
Verse 23. Now therefore swear unto me] The oath on such occasions probably meant no more than the mutual promise of both the parties, when they slew an animal, poured out the blood as a sacrifice to God, and then passed between the pieces. See this ceremony, Ge 15:18, and on Ge 15:9; Ge 15:10.
According to the kindness that I have done] The simple claims of justice were alone set up among virtuous people in those ancient times, which constitute the basis of the famous lex talionis, or law of like for like, kind office for kind office, and breach for breach.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Hurt me. Hebrew, "lie unto me, " or revolt…
Hurt me. Hebrew, "lie unto me, " or revolt and disturb the peace of my people.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 23. Not deal falsely — Perhaps Abraham’s duplicity in…
23. Not deal falsely — Perhaps Abraham’s duplicity in the matter of Sarah had somewhat to do with inciting Abimelech to seek this oath. He feared his overreaching cunning and sagacity.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 23. here] The reference is to the name of…
23. here] The reference is to the name of Beer-sheba and its popular etymology from the Hebrew word “to swear.” Abraham’s departure from Gerar is not recorded, but was doubtless included in the E narrative which is only fragmentarily preserved.
my son, &c.] R.V. marg. my offspring, nor with my posterity. The words which are not usual are found together in Job_18:19; Isa_14:22; LXX μηδὲ τὸ σπέρμα μου μηδέ τὸ ὄνομά μου, Lat. posteris stirpique meae. The original phrase is alliterative, like our “neither kith nor kin.”
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the kindness] Referring to the gifts to Abraham in Gen_20:14, and the free welcome extended to Abraham in Gen_20:15. Abimelech is desirous to seal these friendly relations by a definite compact. There is an abrupt transition, in Gen_21:25-26, to occasions of friction.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (23) Nor with my son, nor with my son’s…
(23) Nor with my son, nor with my son’s son.—The words are not those commonly used for son and grandson, but a Hebrew phrase signifying my kith and kin. They might be translated, “nor with mine offshoot nor mine offspring.” The words occur again in the same proverbial way in Job_18:19; Isa_14:22.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Now therefore swear unto me here by God the…
Now therefore swear unto me here by God the verb to swear is derived from the Hebrew numeral seven, inasmuch as the septennary number was sacred, and oaths were confirmed either by seven sacrifices. (Gen_21:28) or by seven witnesses and pledgesthat thou wilt not deal falsely with me, literally, if thou shalt lie unto me; a common form of oath in Hebrew, in which the other member of the sentence is for emphasis left unexpressed (cf. Rth_1:17, and vide. (Gen_14:23) As a prince, Abimelech was afraid of Abraham"s growing power; as a good man, he insures the safety of himself and his dominions not by resorting to war, but by forming an amicable treaty with his neighbornor with my son, nor with my son"s son: sperma kai onoma (LXX); posteri et stirps (Vulgate); offspring and progeny (Kalisch); kith and kin (Murphy)but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, (vide Gen_20:15) thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned the land being put for the people (cf. Num_14:13)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Swear unto me here by God that thou wilt…
Gen_21:23-32
Swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me
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Abraham the friend of man
I.
ABRAHAM YIELDS READILY TO THE REQUEST FOR HIS FRIENDSHIP. Abimelechs motives in seeking the friendship of Abraham were probably mixed, and included.
1. Expediency.
2. The worship of success.
3. The admiration of goodness.
II. ABRAHAM UNDERTAKES THE DUTIES OF FRIENDSHIP. He freely accepts Abimelechs conditions.
1. True and righteous dealing.
2. Gratitude for favours shown.
3. Faithfulness to the faults of a friend.
III. ABRAHAM RECOGNIZED THE SACREDNESS OF FRIENDSHIP (Gen_21:24). (T. H.Leale.)
Abraham and Abimelech
Observe--
(1) The motive that induces this friendly request; he saw that God was with him. Probably the news of the extraordinary birth of Isaac had reached the court of Abimelech, and became a topic of conversation. This, said he, is a great man, and a great family, and will become a great nation; the blessing of heaven attends him. It is our wisdom therefore, to take the earliest opportunity to be on good terms with him! Had Abimelechs successors always acted on this principle towards Israel, it had been better for them; for whether they knew it or not, God, in blessing Abraham, had promised to bless them that blessed him, and to curse them that cursed him.
(2) The solemnity with which he wished the friendship to be confirmed: swear unto me by God. . . . It is a dictate of prudence very common among magistrates to require men to swear by a name which the party holds sacred. In this view Abimelech certainly acted a wise part; for whoever made light of Gods name, the party here concerned would not. Abrahams cheerful and ready compliance. I hope he did not need to be sworn not to deal falsely; but as posterity was concerned the mere solemn the engagement the better. The friend of God has no desire but to be the friend of man. (A. Fuller.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.