Now therefore swear to me here by God: now therefore translates a word marking a consequence; that is, “because God is with you” or “because God protects you in everything, therefore….” As a consequence of knowing that God helps Abraham, Abimelech wants Abraham to be loyal to him. Although the Hebrew text has the form of an imperative here, the sense is more of a request than a command. Therefore in translation it will often be more appropriate to use a form of polite request here; for example, “I want you to promise….”

Swear to me: in 14.22 “I have sworn” translated an expression that literally meant “I have raised my hand.” See there for discussion. The verb meaning “swear an oath” in this verse (Hebrew shabaʿ) sounds like the word “seven” (shebaʿ) and may have the sense of giving or naming seven things as a way of making a solemn oath. (The BDB Hebrew Lexicon gives the basic meaning of shabaʿ as “bind oneself by seven things.”) Abimelech is asking Abraham to take an oath, to promise. Swear … by God (ʾelohim) means to do so while calling on God to punish him if he breaks the oath or fails to do what he promises to do. The full expression may sometimes be rendered, for example, “Promise me before God that you will…” or “Take an oath and may God punish you if you fail to keep your word.”

Here may refer to the location of Beersheba. However, many translations do not attempt to name the place. Good News Translation takes here to be equivalent with God’s presence in which the oath is taken. We may also say “here before God,” “here where God is,” or even “now in God’s presence.”

That you will not deal falsely with me: deal falsely translates a verb meaning to “deceive,” “betray,” “lie.” Abimelech demands that Abraham not behave in this way with him. He also asks that Abraham not deceive or betray my offspring … my posterity. In Hebrew these two words have similar sounds, and so Speiser attempts to match them with English “kith and kin.” Good News Translation and Revised English Bible express the thought clearly with “children … descendants.” In translation most languages have terms that mean “behave deceitfully” and which will be suitable in this context.

But as I have dealt loyally with you: loyally translates Hebrew chesed, meaning “kindness,” “faithfulness,” “loyalty.” Literally this is “as the loyalty that I have made with you….” We may translate “As I have been loyal in dealing with you, now you do the same with me” or “I have been loyal to you and so you must be loyal to me.” In some languages the sense of being loyal or faithful can only be expressed in general terms with something like “behaved well toward” or “done only good to”; or it may be expressed negatively, “not behaved deceitfully.” The construction as I have … with you, you will … with me is expressed in some translations as “give back to me the love [loyalty] I have shown to you.”

And with the land where you have sojourned: the land refers to the country or kingdom ruled by Abimelech. In getting Abraham’s promise of loyalty to the land, the king obtains loyalty to himself as its ruler. In many languages a person can be loyal to another person or to people, but not to an inanimate object such as land. It may therefore be necessary to say something like “and be loyal to the people of this country.” And since Abimelech is the ruler of the country, in some translations this becomes “my people.” One restructuring of the last part of the verse is “I have been kind to you while you have been a stranger in my country. Well, now, you have to treat me and my people in a kind way too.”

For discussion of sojourn see 12.10.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .