Bible Verses About Patriarchal Government

Noach built an altar to Adonai. Then he took from every clean animal and every clean bird, and he offered burnt offerings on the altar.

He said, “Cursed be Kena‘an; he will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”

Then he said, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Shem; Kena‘an will be their servant.

Adonai appeared to Avram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to Adonai, who had appeared to him.

He left that place, went to the hill east of Beit-El and pitched his tent. With Beit-El to the west and ‘Ai to the east, he built an altar there and called on the name of Adonai.

But as they left, they took Lot, Avram's brother's son, and his possessions; since he was living in S'dom.

Someone who had escaped came and told Avram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Emori, brother of Eshkol and brother of 'Aner; all of them allies of Avram.

When Avram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, who had been born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

During the night he and his servants divided his forces against them, then attacked and pursued them all the way to Hovah, north of Dammesek.

He recovered all the goods and brought back his nephew Lot with his goods, together with the women and the other people.

For I have made myself known to him, so that he will give orders to his children and to his household after him to keep the way of ADONAI and to do what is right and just, so that ADONAI may bring about for Avraham what he has promised him."

Avraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child; then he sent her away. After leaving, she wandered in the desert around Be'er-Sheva.

At that time Avimelekh and Pikhol the commander of his army spoke to Avraham. They said, "God is with you in everything you do.

Therefore, swear to me here by God that you will never deal falsely with me or with my son or grandson; but according to the kindness with which I have treated you, you will treat me and the land in which you have lived as a foreigner.

Avraham said, "I swear it."

Now Avraham had complained to Avimelekh about a well which Avimelekh's servants had seized.

Avimelekh answered, "I don't know who has done this. You didn't tell me, and I heard about it only today."

Avraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Avimelekh, and the two of them made a covenant.

Avraham put seven female lambs from the flock by themselves.

Avimelekh asked Avraham, "What is the meaning of these seven female lambs you have put by themselves?"

He answered, "You are to accept these seven female lambs from me as witness that I dug this well."

This is why that place was called Be'er-Sheva [well of seven, well of an oath] - because they both swore an oath there.

When they made the covenant at Be'er-Sheva, Avimelekh departed with Pikhol the commander of his army and returned to the land of the P'lishtim.

"Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us, so choose any of our tombs to bury your dead - not one of us would refuse you his tomb for burying your dead."

They answered, "We saw very clearly that ADONAI has been with you; so we said, 'Let there be an oath between us: let's make a pact between ourselves and you