Beer-sheba
Overview
- Type: City
- Testament: Both
- Modern Location: Be’er Sheva, in the Negev of southern Israel
Biblical Significance
Beer-sheba lay at the southern edge of the Promised Land and gave its name to the proverbial expression “from Dan to Beer-sheba,” marking the full extent of Israel from north to south (Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20). Its name means “well of the oath” or “well of seven,” recalling the covenant Abraham made with Abimelech, sealed with seven ewe lambs and an oath beside a well (Genesis 21:31). It was a place of patriarchal worship: Abraham planted a grove and called on the everlasting God there (Genesis 21:33), Isaac built an altar and dug a well after the Lord appeared to him (Genesis 26:23-25), and Jacob offered sacrifices there on his way down to Egypt, where God spoke to him in visions of the night (Genesis 46:1-4). The city thus stands as a southern boundary marker and a wellspring of the faith of the fathers.
Key Events
- Esau’s Birth and Birthright — Isaac and Rebekah dwelt in the Beer-sheba region
- Jacob’s vision on the way to Egypt (Genesis 46:1-4)
Key People Associated
- Abraham — made a covenant with Abimelech and dug a well here
- Isaac — built an altar after the Lord appeared to him
- Jacob — sacrificed here before going down to Egypt
Important Verses
- Genesis 21:31
- Genesis 26:23-33
- Genesis 46:1
Cross-References
- Genesis — the patriarchal wells, altars, and covenants
- 1 Samuel — “from Dan to Beer-sheba” as the bounds of Israel
Notes
- Samuel’s sons served as judges in Beer-sheba, and their corruption helped prompt Israel’s demand for a king (1 Samuel 8:1-5).