Beersheba

In the Bible

Beersheba appears chiefly in the patriarchal narratives of Genesis.

• Abraham: After being sent away, Hagar wandered in "the wilderness of Beersheba" (Genesis 21:14; see Hagar and Ishmael). Abraham then swore an oath with Abimelech, king of Gerar, concerning a dispute over a well, gave him seven ewe lambs as a witness, and named the place Beersheba (Genesis 21:22-31). Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there and "called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God" (Genesis 21:33). After the offering on Mount Moriah, he returned and dwelt there (Genesis 22:19).
• Isaac: When Isaac went up to Beersheba, the LORD appeared to him and promised to bless him, and Isaac built an altar there. The text records that the well his servants dug was called "Shebah," and that the city was therefore named Beersheba (Genesis 26:23-33).
• Jacob: Jacob went out from Beersheba toward Haran (Genesis 28:10). Later, before going down to Egypt, he offered sacrifices there and heard the word "fear not to go down into Egypt" (Genesis 46:1-4).

When Israel divided the land, Beersheba was listed among the towns of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:28) and became part of the portion of the tribe of Simeon within Judah's inheritance (Joshua 19:1-2; see Twelve Tribes of Israel). The two sons of Samuel served as judges there (1 Samuel 8:1-2). Elijah fled from Jezebel as far as Beersheba and then went into the wilderness, where he sat down under a juniper tree (1 Kings 19:3-4). The prophet Amos condemned the worship at Beersheba along with that at Bethel and Gilgal (Amos 5:5; 8:14). Josiah defiled the high places "from Geba to Beersheba" (2 Kings 23:8). After the return from exile, people of Judah again lived there (Nehemiah 11:27).

Name and Background

In Hebrew, be'er means "well." Sheba can be read either as "seven" or as "oath." Genesis 21 mentions both the seven ewe lambs and the oath, evoking both meanings. The name is therefore interpreted as either "well of the oath" or "well of seven."

Because the region receives little rainfall, wells were a matter of survival, and Genesis repeatedly recounts disputes over them (Genesis 21:25; 26:20-22). The phrase "from Dan to Beersheba" (Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20; 2 Samuel 24:2) is an idiom meaning from Dan in the far north to Beersheba in the far south—that is, all Israel.

The archaeological site of Tel Beer Sheba lies near the modern city of Be'er Sheva in southern Israel. In 2005 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, together with Megiddo and Hazor, as one of the "Biblical Tels." Scholars differ, however, on whether the site can be identified with the Beersheba of the patriarchal period and on how the dates of the excavated strata relate to the biblical record.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

Beersheba lies on the southern boundary of the Promised Land. It is also the place where each of the three patriarchs in turn worshiped God and received renewed confirmation of His promises. The name does not appear in the New Testament. The Epistle to the Hebrews, however, remembers the lives of the patriarchs, who dwelt in tents as sojourners, as an example of faith (Hebrews 11:8-12). Preachers sometimes connect the Beersheba narratives with this passage.

Interpretation and Issues

• Two accounts of the name: The origin of the name is given separately in Genesis 21 and Genesis 26. Traditional interpretation reads the second account as a reaffirmation of the name, in light of the record that Isaac reopened the wells dug in his father's day and restored their former names (Genesis 26:18). Some critical scholars regard the two accounts as distinct traditions placed side by side.
• The term "Philistines": The passages that associate Abimelech with the Philistines (Genesis 21:32; 26:1) are a point of discussion, because the Philistines' settlement on the Canaanite coast is generally dated later than the patriarchal period. One view holds that a later name was applied to an earlier people; another holds that the term refers to an earlier group of migrants (see Philistines).

In the Korean Church

The narrative of Genesis 26—in which Isaac avoids strife by moving on to dig new wells, passes through Rehoboth, and meets God at Beersheba—is a frequent subject of sermons. The account of Elijah passing through Beersheba and resting his weary body under a juniper tree in the wilderness is also often cited in sermons on discouragement and restoration.