Genesis 26:33
New International Version
He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.

New Living Translation
So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means “oath”). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”).

English Standard Version
He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Berean Standard Bible
So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.

King James Bible
And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

New King James Version
So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

New American Standard Bible
So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

NASB 1995
So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

NASB 1977
So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Legacy Standard Bible
So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Amplified Bible
So he named the well Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Christian Standard Bible
He called it Sheba. Therefore the name of the city is still Beer-sheba today.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He called it Sheba. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.

American Standard Version
And he called it Shibah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

Contemporary English Version
So Isaac named the well Shibah, and the town is still called Beersheba.

English Revised Version
And he called it Shibah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So he named it Shibah [Oath]. That is why the name of the city is still Beersheba today.

Good News Translation
He named the well "Vow." That is how the city of Beersheba got its name.

International Standard Version
So Isaac named the well Shebah, which is why the city is named Beer-sheba to this day.

Majority Standard Bible
So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.

NET Bible
So he named it Shibah; that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba to this day.

New Heart English Bible
He called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.

World English Bible
He called it “Shibah”. Therefore the name of the city is “Beersheba” to this day.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he calls it Shebah, [oath,] therefore the name of the city [is] Beer-Sheba, [Well of the Oath,] to this day.

Young's Literal Translation
and he calleth it Shebah, oath, therefore the name of the city is Beer-Sheba, well of the oath, unto this day.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will call it oath: for this the name of the city the well of the oath till this day.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whereupon he called it Abundance: and the name of the city was called Bersabee, even to this day.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, he called it, ‘Abundance.’ And the name of the city was established as ‘Beersheba,’ even to the present day.

New American Bible
He called it Shibah; hence the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.

New Revised Standard Version
He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba to this day.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he called it Sheba; therefore the name of the town is called Beer-sheba to this day.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he called its name Seba, because of this he called the name of the city Beerseba until today.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he called it, Oath: therefore he called the name of that city, the Well of Oath, until this day.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Isaac's Covenant with Abimelech
32On that same day, Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We have found water!” they told him. 33So he called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the city is Beersheba.

Cross References
Genesis 21:31
So that place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.

Genesis 21:25-30
But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized, / Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.” / So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. ...

Genesis 16:14
Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. It is located between Kadesh and Bered.

Genesis 28:19
and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.

Genesis 33:17
but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.

Genesis 35:7
There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.

Exodus 17:7
He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Numbers 20:13
These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and He showed His holiness among them.

Numbers 21:16-18
From there they went on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people so that I may give them water.” / Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, all of you sing to it! / The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people hollowed it out with their scepters and with their staffs.” From the wilderness the Israelites went on to Mattanah,

Deuteronomy 33:8
Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.

Joshua 15:19
“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

Judges 1:15
“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

2 Samuel 17:18-19
But a young man did see them and told Absalom. So the two left quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed down into it. / Then the man’s wife took a covering, spread it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain over it so nobody would know a thing.

2 Kings 3:16-20
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’ / For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’ / This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. ...

John 4:5-6
So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. / Since Jacob’s well was there, Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.


Treasury of Scripture

And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

Shebah.

Genesis 21:31
Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.

Beer-sheba.

Genesis 26:28
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;

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Beersheba Beer-Sheba City Oath
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Beersheba Beer-Sheba City Oath
Genesis 26
1. Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him.
7. He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife.
12. He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity.
18. He digs wells.
23. God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26. and Abimelech makes a covenant with him.
34. Esau's wives.














So he called it Shibah
The word "Shibah" in Hebrew is שִׁבְעָה (Shiv'ah), which means "oath" or "seven." This naming is significant as it reflects the covenantal relationship and the oath made between Isaac and Abimelech, the king of the Philistines. In the ancient Near Eastern context, naming a place often commemorated a significant event or divine encounter. The act of naming by Isaac signifies a formal recognition of God's providence and faithfulness in his life, as well as a peaceful resolution with his neighbors. This reflects the importance of oaths and covenants in biblical times, serving as binding agreements that were often sealed with a ritual or a significant act.

and to this day
The phrase "to this day" indicates the enduring legacy and historical continuity of the name Beersheba. It suggests that the events described had a lasting impact on the community and were remembered by subsequent generations. This phrase is often used in the Bible to emphasize the historical reliability and the ongoing significance of God's actions in history. It serves as a reminder to the readers of the faithfulness of God across generations, encouraging them to trust in His promises and providence.

the name of the city is Beersheba
"Beersheba" in Hebrew is בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע (Be'er Sheva), which can be translated as "Well of the Oath" or "Well of Seven." This name encapsulates both the physical and spiritual significance of the location. Archaeologically, Beersheba is a well-documented site, known for its ancient wells and strategic location in the Negev desert. Historically, it served as a key settlement and a place of refuge and sustenance for the patriarchs. Scripturally, Beersheba is a place where God's promises were reaffirmed, and His presence was experienced. The dual meaning of the name highlights the intertwining of God's covenantal promises with the practical provision of water, a vital resource in the arid landscape. This serves as a powerful metaphor for God's provision and faithfulness, both spiritually and materially, to His people.

(33) Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.--There was no city at this time at Beer-sheba, but one is mentioned at the conquest of Canaan by Joshua (Joshua 15:28). This note, as is the case generally with those which speak of a thing existing "unto this day," was added by Ezra and the men of the Great Synagogue, after the return from Babylon (comp. Genesis 22:14); and its meaning is that, whereas Abraham's name had been forgotten while the place lay desolate, this remarkable coincidence of the water being again found, just when the covenant had been confirmed by the customary sevenfold sacrifice, so impressed the minds of the people that the title of Beer-sheba never again passed into oblivion.

Verse 33. - And he called it Shebah ("Oath;" which he would certainly not have done had it not been a well): therefore the name of the city (which ultimately gathered round the well) is Beersheba - i.e. the well of the oath (vide Genesis 21:31). Isaac must have perfectly understood that the place had been so named by his father three quarters of a century previous; but either the name had been forgotten by others, or had not come into general use amongst the inhabitants, or, observing the coincidence between his finding a well just at the time of covenanting with Abimelech and the fact that his father's treaty was also connected with a well, he wished to confirm and perpetuate the early name which had been assigned to the town. It is not certain that this was Abraham s well which had been rediscovered; the probability is that it was another, since at Bir-es-Sheba two wells are still in existence (vide Genesis 21:31) unto this day - an expression used throughout Genesis to describe events separated from the age of Moses by several centuries (vide Genesis 19:37, 38; Genesis 22:14; Genesis 32:32).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He called
וַיִּקְרָ֥א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

it
אֹתָ֖הּ (’ō·ṯāh)
Direct object marker | third person feminine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

Shibah,
שִׁבְעָ֑ה (šiḇ·‘āh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7656: Shibah -- a well in Beersheba

and
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

to
עַ֖ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

this
הַזֶּֽה׃ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

day
הַיּ֥וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

the name
שֵׁם־ (šêm-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of the city
הָעִיר֙ (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

is Beersheba.
שֶׁ֔בַע (še·ḇa‘)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 884: Beersheba -- 'well of seven', a place in the Negev


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OT Law: Genesis 26:33 He called it Shibah (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 26:32
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