Topical Bible: Beer-Sheba

◄ Beer-Sheba ►

Jump to: ATS • Concordance • Thesaurus • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Etymology and Meaning:
Beer-sheba, often translated as "Well of the Oath" or "Well of Seven," derives its name from two Hebrew words: "be'er" meaning "well" and "sheba" meaning "oath" or "seven." This dual meaning reflects the significant events associated with the site, particularly the covenantal oaths and the seven lambs offered by Abraham.

Biblical Significance:
Beer-sheba holds a prominent place in biblical history as a site of covenant, worship, and divine encounter. It is first mentioned in Genesis 21:14, where Hagar and Ishmael wander in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. The location becomes significant when Abraham and Abimelech, the king of Gerar, make a covenant there, as recorded in Genesis 21:31: "Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba, because there the two of them swore an oath."

Patriarchal Connections:
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the patriarchs of Israel, all have strong ties to Beer-sheba. After making a covenant with Abimelech, Abraham plants a tamarisk tree and calls on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God, at Beer-sheba (Genesis 21:33). Isaac, Abraham's son, also resides in Beer-sheba, where the LORD appears to him, reaffirming the covenant made with Abraham (Genesis 26:23-25). Jacob, on his way to Egypt, offers sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac in Beer-sheba, where God speaks to him in visions of the night (Genesis 46:1-4).

Tribal and Territorial Importance:
Beer-sheba is located in the southern part of the land of Israel, marking the southern boundary of the territory often described as "from Dan to Beer-sheba" (Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20). This phrase signifies the extent of the land occupied by the tribes of Israel. Beer-sheba was allotted to the tribe of Simeon within the territory of Judah (Joshua 19:1-2).

Prophetic and Historical Context:
Throughout Israel's history, Beer-sheba remained a significant location. The prophet Elijah, fleeing from Jezebel, travels to Beer-sheba before continuing into the wilderness (1 Kings 19:3). The site is also mentioned in the context of the idolatrous practices condemned by the prophets, as seen in Amos 5:5: "Do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beer-sheba."

Archaeological Insights:
Modern archaeological excavations at Tel Be'er Sheva have uncovered remains from various periods, including the Iron Age, which align with the biblical narrative. Findings include a well, fortifications, and a horned altar, suggesting the site's historical and religious significance.

Theological Reflections:
Beer-sheba serves as a testament to God's faithfulness and the enduring nature of His covenants with the patriarchs. It is a place where divine promises are affirmed and where the patriarchs respond in worship and obedience. The recurring theme of covenant at Beer-sheba underscores the importance of faithfulness and the sacredness of oaths in the biblical tradition.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Beer-Sheba

The well of the oath, Genesis 21:31; 26:31,33, a city twenty-eight miles southwest of Hebron, at the southern extremity of the Holy Land. Dan lay at the northern extremity; so that the phrase, "from Dan to Beersheba," means, the whole length of the land, Jud 20:1. At Beersheba, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob often dwelt, Genesis 21:31; 22:19; 26:33; 28:10; 46:1. The town that afterwards rose here was first assigned to Judah, and then to Simeon, Joshua 15:28; 19:2. Here Samuel established his sons as judges, 1 Samuel 8:2. Elijah rested here on his way to Horeb, 1 Kings 19:3. It was a seat of idolatry in the time of Uzziah, Am 5:5; 8:14. After the captivity, it was repeopled by the Jews, Nehemiah 11:27,30, and continued a large village many centuries after the coming of Christ. Dr. Robinson found its site at Bir-es-Seba, on the border of the great desert south of Canaan-the ruins of a small straggling city, and two deep stone wells of excellent water, surrounded by stone troughs, and bearing the marks of great antiquity.

Strong's Hebrew

884. Beer Sheba -- "well of seven," a place in the Negev
... Beer Sheba. 885 . "well of seven," a place in the Negev. Transliteration: Beer
Sheba Phonetic Spelling: (be-ayr' sheh'-bah) Short Definition: Beersheba. ...
/hebrew/884.htm - 6k

964. Bizyothyah -- "contempts of the LORD," a place near Beersheba
... Bizyothyah. 965 . "contempts of the LORD," a place near Beersheba. Transliteration:
Bizyothyah Phonetic Spelling: (biz-yo-the-yaw') Short Definition: Biziothiah ...
/hebrew/964.htm - 6k

7656. Shibah -- a well in Beersheba
... 7655, 7656. Shibah. 7657 . a well in Beersheba. Transliteration: Shibah
Phonetic Spelling: (shib-aw') Short Definition: Shibah. ...
/hebrew/7656.htm - 6k

Library

The First Apostle of Peace at any Price
... land. And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. And ... creditable. He seems never
to have wandered far from the neighbourhood of Beersheba. These ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the first apostle of peace.htm

Chapter xlvi
... 1-4. And Israel set out and all who belonged to him, and he came to Beersheba
and sacrificed to the God of his father Isaac. And ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlvi.htm

Chapter xxiii
... Though in Genesis 22:19 Abraham had taken up his residence at Beersheba,
yet since that time perhaps twenty years had elapsed. For ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxiii.htm

Abraham and Isaac. Genesis xxii.
... put good work into the iron cable, he does not then fear the strain of the test
put upon it, and God knew what He had done to Abraham in the grove at Beersheba ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xxv abraham and isaac genesis.htm

National Sins and Miseries
... "And David said to Joab, and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel, from
Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 130 national sins and.htm

Joseph's Loyalty to his Family
... Then Jacob set out on his journey with all that he had. He first went to Beersheba
and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/josephs loyalty to his family.htm

The Sins of Society
... seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal ... We
must give up seeking Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba, seats of the calf worship ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the sins of society.htm

Chapter xxviii
... the man is made very apparent. 10, 11. And Jacob went forth from Beersheba
and came to Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxviii.htm

Elijah's Weakness, and Its Cube
... life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.3. And when he saw
that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/elijahs weakness and its cube.htm

Chapter xxvi
... From there he went up to Beersheba, and Yahweh appeared to him that night, saying:
I am the God of Abraham, thy father; be not afraid, for I am with thee, and ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxvi.htm

Thesaurus

Beersheba (33 Occurrences)
... And he called it Shibah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto
this day." 2. A Sacred Shrine: Beersheba was a sacred shrine. ...
/b/beersheba.htm - 22k

Beer-sheba (33 Occurrences)
Beer-sheba. Beersheba, Beer-sheba. Bees . Multi-Version Concordance ... (ASV BBE
DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV). Beersheba, Beer-sheba. Bees . Reference Bible.
/b/beer-sheba.htm - 16k

Moladah (4 Occurrences)
... Birth, a city in the south of Judah which fell to Simeon (Joshua 15:21-26; 19:2).
It has been identified with the modern el-Milh, 10 miles east of Beersheba. ...
/m/moladah.htm - 8k

Geba (22 Occurrences)
... "From Geba to Beersheba" expressed the whole extent of the kingdom of Judah, just
as "from Dan to Beersheba" described the whole length of Palestine (2 Kings 23 ...
/g/geba.htm - 17k

Ziklag (13 Occurrences)
... It has been identified with `Asluj, a heap of ruins south of Beersheba. Conder,
however, identifies it with Khirbet Zuheilikah, ruins ...
/z/ziklag.htm - 13k

Zibiah (2 Occurrences)
... zib'-ia (tsibhyah, probably "gazelle"): A woman of Beersheba, mother of King Jehoash
(Joash) of Judah (2 Kings 12:1 (Hebrew verse 2); 2 Chronicles 24:1. Codex ...
/z/zibiah.htm - 7k

Riseth (165 Occurrences)
... giveth unto Hagar (placing 'it' on her shoulder), also the lad, and sendeth her
out; and she goeth on, and goeth astray in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba; (YLT). ...
/r/riseth.htm - 37k

Shual (6 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Shual (6 Occurrences). Joshua 15:28 Hazar Shual, Beersheba,
Biziothiah, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV). ...
/s/shual.htm - 9k

Abimelech (63 Occurrences)
... Abimelech afterwards visited him when he was encamped at Beer-sheba, and expressed
a ... men made a covenant at a well, which took its name, Beersheba, from this ...
/a/abimelech.htm - 36k

Shibah (1 Occurrence)
... Phrear horkou, literally, "well of oath"; the King James Version Shebah): The name
of the original well of Beer-sheba according to Genesis 26:33. See BEERSHEBA...
/s/shibah.htm - 7k

Resources

Who was the Queen of Sheba? | GotQuestions.org

What is the biblical significance of Beer Lahai Roi? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Sabeans? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Beer-sheba (33 Occurrences)

Genesis 21:14
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 21:31
Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. Because there they sware both of them.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 21:32
So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 21:33
And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 22:19
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 26:23
And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 26:33
And he called it Shibah. Therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 28:10
And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 46:1
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Genesis 46:5
And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Joshua 15:28
and Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba, and Biziothiah,
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Joshua 19:2
And they had for their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah,
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Judges 20:1
Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, with the land of Gilead, unto Jehovah at Mizpah.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

1 Samuel 3:20
And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Jehovah.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

1 Samuel 8:2
Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Samuel 3:10
to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Samuel 17:11
But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Samuel 24:2
And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the people.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Samuel 24:7
and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Samuel 24:15
So Jehovah sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

1 Kings 4:25
And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

1 Kings 19:3
And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Kings 12:1
In the seventh year of Jehu began Jehoash to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Kings 23:8
And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he brake down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

1 Chronicles 4:28
And they dwelt at Beer-sheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

1 Chronicles 21:2
And David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring me word, that I may know the sum of them.
(ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV)

2 Chronicles 19:4
And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill-country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Chronicles 24:1
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Zibiah, of Beer-sheba.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

2 Chronicles 30:5
So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: for they had not kept it in great numbers in such sort as it is written.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Nehemiah 11:27
and in Hazar-shual, and in Beer-sheba and the towns thereof,
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Nehemiah 11:30
Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and the fields thereof, Azekah and the towns thereof. So they encamped from Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Amos 5:5
but seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Amos 8:14
They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, As thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, As the way of Beer-sheba liveth; they shall fall, and never rise up again.
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT RSV)

Subtopics

Beer-Sheba

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine in the Inheritance of Judah

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine: Afterward Assigned to Simeon

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine: Became a Seat of Idolatrous Worship

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine: Jacob Went out From, Toward Haran

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine: Named by Abraham, Who Lived There

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine: Sacrifices offered At, by Jacob

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine: The Place where Isaac Lived

Beer-Sheba: The Most Southern City of Palestine: Two Sons of Samuel Were Judges At

Beer-Sheba: The Well of, Belonged to Abraham and Isaac