What Does Genesis 26:23 Mean in the King James?

And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba.

Genesis 26:23 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The destination’s name binds a well to an oath, carrying provision and promise in a single place-name.

THE MEANING

Your movement carries you toward a place whose name holds a well beside an oath. Water and pledged word meet in one name, joining provision with promise.

THE ROOT

בְּאֵר שָׁבַע

Be’er Sheva

GROWS FROM

שבע

sh-b-ʿ

The consonants ⁨שבע⁩ form words for both seven and swearing an oath.

“Beer-sheba” in this verse is Be’er Sheva. Be’er (⁨בְּאֵר⁩, be’er, “well”) joins a source of water to sheva (⁨שֶׁבַע⁩, sheva, “seven”), while the same consonants appear in shava (⁨שָׁבַע⁩, shava, “swear an oath”). The name can therefore hold both “well of seven” and “well of the oath,” binding the place’s water to a pledged word.

ALSO GROWS

shava: to swear, to bind oneself by an oath

שָׁבַע

This verbal form links the name’s ending to the sense “well of the oath.”

shevu’ah: oath

שְׁבוּעָה

This noun makes the pledge explicit, joining the well’s concrete provision to a binding word.

sheva: seven

שֶׁבַע

This form preserves the number in the place-name, which can also be read as “well of seven.”

THE PATTERN

A spoken promise gains firmness through an oath.

Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.

Genesis 21:31 · KJVThe place receives its name where the two parties swear, joining the well to an oath.

And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

Genesis 26:33 · KJVThe naming connects Beer-sheba directly with Shebah, carrying the oath and seven meanings together.

Where in God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

Hebrews 6:17 · KJVThe oath makes the promised word firm, as it does within Beer-sheba’s name.

THE THREAD

And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day.

Genesis 26:33 · KJV

This verse exposes what the name in your verse holds: Beer-sheba is linked to Shebah. The consonants ⁨שבע⁩ carry both “seven” and “swear an oath,” so the place-name joins the well’s water to a binding word.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us