Beer Sheva in the Torah
באר שבע
The traditional southern boundary of the Land of Israel, as in the phrase 'from Dan to Beer Sheva.' Abraham dug a well here and made a covenant with Abimelech, naming the place Beer Sheva — the 'Well of the Oath.' The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all passed through or lived in Beer Sheva, making it one of the most significant sites in the patriarchal narratives.
Wikimedia Commons
Chumchum14 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Key Verses
6 selected passages mentioning Beer Sheva
Abraham names the place Beer-sheba, the well of the oath
עַל־כֵּ֗ן קָרָ֛א לַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ם נִשְׁבְּע֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃
Hence that place was called Beer-sheba,dBeer-sheba I.e., “well of seven” or “well of oath.” for there the two of them swore an oath.
Abraham returns to Beer-sheba after the Binding of Isaac
וַיָּ֤שׇׁב אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶל־נְעָרָ֔יו וַיָּקֻ֛מוּ וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ יַחְדָּ֖ו אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב אַבְרָהָ֖ם בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃ {פ}
Abraham then returned to his servants, and they departed together for Beer-sheba; and Abraham stayed in Beer-sheba.
Isaac goes up to Beer-sheba, and God appears to him
וַיַּ֥עַל מִשָּׁ֖ם בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃
From there he went up to Beer-sheba.
Jacob stops at Beer-sheba to offer sacrifices before going to Egypt
וַיִּסַּ֤ע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּאֵ֣רָה שָּׁ֑בַע וַיִּזְבַּ֣ח זְבָחִ֔ים לֵאלֹהֵ֖י אָבִ֥יו יִצְחָֽק׃
So Israel set out with all that was his, and he came to Beer-sheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.ahis father Isaac I.e., Isaac and his household.
Elijah flees to Beer-sheba from Jezebel
וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֕א בְּאֵ֥ר שֶׁ֖בַע אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִיהוּדָ֑ה וַיַּנַּ֥ח אֶֽת־נַעֲר֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃
Frightened,cFrightened So many Heb. mss. and Septuagint; most mss., and the editions, read “And he saw, and.” he fled at once for his life. He came to Beer-sheba, which is in Judah, and left his servant there;
All of Israel gathered from Dan to Beer-sheba
וַיֵּצְאוּ֮ כׇּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַתִּקָּהֵ֨ל הָעֵדָ֜ה כְּאִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֗ד לְמִדָּן֙ וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע וְאֶ֖רֶץ הַגִּלְעָ֑ד אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃
Thereupon all the Israelites—from Dan to Beer-sheba and [from] the land of Gilead—marched forth, and the community assembled as one, before GOD at Mizpah.
27 more verses mention Beer Sheva across the Tanakh
Israel Wall Art
