A Treaty With The Philistines

When Abraham went to Canaan, it was occupied by a number of other groups.  Eventually, competition for grazing rights for their cattle forced he and Lot to separate.  The Philistines had given him permission to live ing their land, but as Abraham’s herds grew, there began to be competition for pasturage.  Knowing how thoroughly Abraham had defeated the Sumero-Akkadian army, the Philistines became concerned that the competition might result in conflict.   In Genesis 21:22-23, they came to Abraham asking to make a treaty with him.  

“And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:  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.”  They recognized that God was blessing him, and they did not want to try to fight him or his son at some time in the future. 

Abraham was well aware of the potential for conflict and readily agreed to make such a treaty.  He brought up an incident that had already occurred, in Genesis 21:24-25.  “And Abraham said, I will swear.  And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.”  Though Abraham had permission to use the land, some of the Philistines had gotten angry that he was making improvements on the land and had violently seized a well he had dug to water the cattle. 

The guilty parties had no official standing, and Abimelech had been unaware of such conflicts, according to Genesis 21:26.  “And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.”    Clearly a formal agreement was needed to limit further conflict.  They signed the agreement, and Abraham gave Abimelech a herd of cattle and sheep in payment for the use of the land, in Genesis 21:27.  “And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.”

Part of the agreement was that Abraham had full rights to the well he had dug as a home site.  Genesis 21:28-32 describes the terms.  “And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.  Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.   Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.”

With official permission to be there, Abraham made additional improvements at Beersheba.  Genesis 21:33-34 tells us, “And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.  And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.”  He planted an orchard, and built permanent structures because although they would sometimes camp in other areas while feeding their herds, Beersheba would be their home base.  After Abraham’s death, Both Isaac and Jacob would make it their home base as well, for about two hundred years. 

The Philistines had wanted a treaty because they saw God’s power in Abraham’s life.  Proverbs 16:7 tells us, “When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”  This story demonstrates that very clearly.  Though there were minor conflicts, the treaty with the Philistines would last for hundreds of years, until Israel stopped serving God during the period of the Judges.