Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 26:33/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ו:ל״ג
אבאר שבע. נקרא כן על ב' דברים או היא עיר אחרת:
1BEER-SHEBA. There were two reasons why the city was so called.17. Scripture then adds, Wherefore that place was called Beer-Sheba because there they swore both of them. However, here we are told that Beersheba was so called because of the oath (shevu’ah) taken by Isaac and Abimelech (cf. Rashi). I.E. points out that Beersheba was so called because of the oaths taken by Abraham and Isaac. Or possibly the two reasons for the name are: Abraham’s setting aside the seven (shevah) lambs and his oath (shevu’ah). Isaac merely repeated Abraham’s oath (Weiser). Or Abraham called the place Beersheba because of the setting aside of the seven lambs and Isaac called it thus because of the oath (Cherez). On the other hand, it is possible that this Beersheba is not to be identified with the Beersheba previously mentioned (Gen. 21:28-31).18