Beer-Sheba; Beer-shebah

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(well of the oath). An old place in southern Palestine; so named by Abraham (Gen. 21:31-33³¹Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. ³²Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. ³³And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. (Genesis 21:31‑33)); or Isaac (Gen. 26:32-33³²And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. ³³And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day. (Genesis 26:32‑33)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

This name, signifying “well of the oath,” was given to the place where Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant not to molest each other, and confirmed it by an oath. It afterward became the dwelling place of Abraham and of Isaac, who also digged a well there, and a city is spoken of as bearing the same name (Gen. 21:14, 31-33¹⁴And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. (Genesis 21:14)
³¹Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them. ³²Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. ³³And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God. (Genesis 21:31‑33); Gen. 22:19¹⁹So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba. (Genesis 22:19): Gen. 26:23, 33²³And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. (Genesis 26:23)
³³And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day. (Genesis 26:33); Gen. 28:10¹⁰And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. (Genesis 28:10)). It became a part of Simeon’s lot, (Josh. 19:1-2¹And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. ²And they had in their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah, (Joshua 19:1‑2)); and after the settlement of the land it is constantly referred to as the most southern part of the land possessed, as Dan is pointed to as the most northern; thus “from Dan to Beer-sheba” was the common expression for the whole territory even in the days of Solomon (1 Kings 4:25²⁵And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:25)).

The prophet Amos warns the people not to trust in any places of renown or of former blessing, as Bethel, Gilgal, nor Beersheba; the glory of all had faded: they must seek Jehovah, and they should live (Amos 5:5-6⁵But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought. ⁶Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el. (Amos 5:5‑6); Amos 8:14¹⁴They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beer-sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again. (Amos 8:14)). On the return of the exiles some of them dwelt at Beer-sheba, and from thence northward to the valley of Hinnom (Neh. 11:27, 30²⁷And at Hazar-shual, and at Beer-sheba, and in the villages thereof, (Nehemiah 11:27)
³⁰Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom. (Nehemiah 11:30)). Beer-sheba is identified with Bir es Seba, 31° 15’ N, 34° 48’ E. There are still two principal wells in the district giving excellent water, besides five smaller ones.

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Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:

884 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Transliteration:

B’er

Phonic:

Sheba`

Meaning:

from 875 and 7651 (in the sense of 7650); well of an oath; Beer-Sheba, a place in Palestine

KJV Usage:

Beer-shebah

Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:

well of the oath

Potts’ Bible Proper Names:

Puteus iuramenti-Well of an oath; well of seven:-a place in Palestine, Gen. 21:31.