Bible Verses About Patriarchal Government: Forming treaties and alliances

And behold one, that had escaped, told Abram the Hebrew, who dwelt in the vale of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol, and the brother of Aner: for these had made a league with Abram.

At the same time Abimelech, and Phicol the general of his army, said to Abraham: God is with thee in all that thou dost.

Swear therefore by God, that thou wilt not hurt me, nor my posterity, nor my stock: but according to the kindness that I have done to thee, thou shalt do to me, and to the land wherein thou hast lived a stranger.

And Abraham said: I will swear.

And he reproved Abimelech for a well of water, which his servants had taken away by force.

And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till today.

Then Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them to Abimelech: and both of them made a league.

And Abraham set apart seven ewelambs of the flock.

And Abimelech said to him: What mean these seven ewelambs which thou hast set apart?

But he said: Thou shalt take seven ewelambs at my hand: that they may be a testimony for me, that I dug this well.

Therefore that place was called Bersabee; because there both of them did swear.

And they made a league for the well of oath.

And they answered: We saw that the Lord is with thee, and therefore we said: Let there be an oath between us, and let us make a covenant,

That thou do us no harm, as we on our part have touched nothing of thine, nor have done any thing to hurt thee; but with peace have sent thee away, increased with the blessing of the Lord.

And he made them a feast, and after they had eaten and drunk:

Arising in the morning, they swore one to another: and Isaac sent them away peaceably to their own home.

And behold, the same day the servants of Isaac came, telling him of a well which they had digged, and saying: We have found water.

Whereupon he called it Abundance: and the name of the city was called Bersabee, even to this day.