Bible Verses About Patriarchal Government: Forming treaties and alliances

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.

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.

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

that you will not harm us, just as we have not caused you offense but have done you nothing but good and sent you on your way in peace. Now you are blessed by ADONAI.'"

Yitz'chak prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.

The next morning, they got up early and swore to each other. Then Yitz'chak sent them on their way, and they left him peacefully.

That very day Yitz'chak's servants came and told him about the well they had dug, "We have found water."

So he called it Shiv'ah [oath, seven], and for this reason the name of the city is Be'er-Sheva [well of seven, well of an oath] to this day.