Genesis 21:33 · Bible study
Genesis 21:33 Commentary: Abraham’s Tamarisk and the Everlasting God
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Abraham planted a tamarisk at Beersheba and called on Yahweh as El Olam, a sign of covenant peace and eternal hope.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Abraham’s planting of a tamarisk and calling on God as El Olam marks a moment of settled peace and public worship after covenant with Abimelech.
- Key words: Tamarisk (eshel, H0815), Everlasting God (El Olam, H0410 + H5769), called on the name (qara beshem, H7121 + H8034).
- Main debate: Whether the planting was for practical shade or for sacred worship, and whether “grove” (KJV) implies a cultic site later prohibited.
- Theological theme: God’s eternal covenant with Abraham is honored through visible acts of worship and long-term investment in the land.
- Best use: Preaching on faith that plants for the future, the intersection of pilgrimage and permanence, and worship that declares God’s eternal nature.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Abraham planted a grove in Beer–sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and Abraham planteth a tamarisk in Beer-Sheba, and preacheth there in the name of Jehovah, God age-during;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And [Abraham] planted a tamarisk in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Eternal God.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Abimelech and Phicol, the general of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Palestines. But Abraham planted a grove in Bersabee, and there called upon the name of the Lord God eternal.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y plantó Abraham un bosque en Beer-seba, é invocó allí el nombre de Jehová Dios eterno.
E plantou Abraão um bosque em Berseba, e invocou ali o nome do SENHOR Deus eterno.
Abraham planta des tamaris à Beer-Schéba; et là il invoqua le nom de l’ Éternel, Dieu de l’ éternité.
Abraham aber pflanzte Bäume zu Beer- Seba und predigte daselbst von dem Namen des HERRN, des ewigen Gottes.
En hij plantte een bos in Ber-seba, en riep aldaar den Naam des HEEREN, des eeuwigen Gods, aan.
E Abrahamo piantò un tamarindo a Beer-Sceba, e invocò quivi il nome dell’Eterno, l’Iddio della eternità.
I nasadził Abraham drzewa w Beerseba, i wzywał tam imienia Pana Boga wiecznego.
И насадил [Авраам] при Вирсавии рощу и призвал там имя Господа, Бога вечного.
亞伯拉罕在別是巴 栽 上一棵垂絲柳樹，又在那裡 求告 耶和華─永生 神 的名。
And Abraham, after planting a holy tree in Beer-sheba, gave worship to the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 21:33
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators largely agree that this verse marks a turning point in Abraham's life. After years of wandering and conflict, he enters a period of rest following his covenant with Abimelech (Gen 21:22-32). Calvin notes that Abraham had never before planted a single shrub; the planting shows he now had a fixed habitation. Keil and Delitzsch read the tamarisk as a symbol of the eternal covenant, its hard wood and evergreen leaves pointing to God's lasting faithfulness. Matthew Henry and Wesley emphasize that Abraham made an open profession of faith, calling on God as “the Everlasting God” (El Olam) in a public act of worship. The Cambridge Bible identifies the title as “the God of Ages,” which Abraham identifies with Yahweh. All agree that the planting and invocation together express gratitude and confidence in the enduring covenant God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Abraham planted a tree and worshiped Yahweh as the Everlasting God, marking a moment of peace and covenant faithfulness after his treaty with Abimelech.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Number of trees: single tamarisk vs grove | The Hebrew 'eshel refers to a tamarisk tree; the KJV 'grove' reflects older translation tradition. | Some early interpreters (e.g., LXX, Vulgate) understood a grove or plantation, but most modern translations read a single tree. The difference affects whether Abraham created a small sacred area or simply planted one prominent tree. |
| Purpose of planting: practical vs religious | The tree provided shade and shelter in the hot climate, and the context links it directly to worship. | Gill emphasizes hospitality (shade for travellers); Calvin and Henry see it primarily as an oratory or prayer space. Both uses may have overlapped. |
| The title El Olam: scope of meaning | El Olam means 'God of eternity' or 'the Everlasting God,' affirming God's transcendence over time. | Some focus on God's eternality as creator (Matthew Henry); others stress covenant faithfulness (Keil & Delitzsch). The title may also carry the sense 'God of the world' (Gill), linking creation and covenant. |
| Abraham's settledness vs sojourner identity | Abraham remained a foreigner in Philistine territory (v. 34), yet the tree planting signals a measure of stability. | Calvin views it as a brief rest granted by God; others see tension between settlement and the call to pilgrimage. The resolution lies in trusting God's timing while living in the present. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Beersheba, meaning “well of the sevenfold oath,” marks where Abraham and Abimelech swore peace after a dispute over water rights (Gen 21:25-31). The region sits at the southern edge of Canaan, on the threshold of the Negev desert. The wells there were vital for survival; Ellicott’s commentary describes stone-lined shafts reaching never-failing springs, with worn troughs for watering flocks. Planting a tamarisk (tamarix syriaca) was no casual act. This tree lives for centuries, grows to great size, and offers dense shade in arid land. It signals that Abraham intended to stay, not permanently, but long enough to put down roots. Calvin interprets the planting as evidence that God gave Abraham “some relaxation in his extreme old age.”
The phrase “called on the name of Yahweh” echoes earlier patriarchs: Enosh’s generation (Gen 4:26) and Abraham’s own practice at Bethel (Gen 12:8). It means public worship and proclamation. Abraham likely built an altar or dedicated the grove as a meeting place with God. The title “the Everlasting God” (El Olam) contrasts with the fragile human covenant just made. Gill and Calvin both note that Abraham is declaring his trust not in Abimelech’s protection but in the God who is “from everlasting to everlasting.” After decades of wandering, famine, conflict, and waiting, this moment of settled worship is a quiet victory of faith. The tree stands as a living marker of God’s enduring grace.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Genesis 21:33. The Hebrew text is stable. The LXX and Vulgate render the tree as “grove” or “field” (LXX: aroura, Vulgate: nemus), reflecting interpretive choices rather than manuscript differences. The consistent Masoretic reading is eshel, “tamarisk.”
Reception History
Early Jewish tradition identified the tamarisk at Beersheba as a site of worship and memorial. Targumic expansions add that Abraham planted an orchard for hospitality. Christian interpreters from the Reformation era focused on the doctrine of God: Calvin used the verse to illustrate God’s providential rest for the faithful; Wesley and Henry saw it as a model of public piety. In the 19th century, Keil and Delitzsch read the tree typologically as a symbol of the everlasting covenant. The verse has also been cited in debates about sacred groves and whether Old Testament practices like planting trees for worship are normative or superseded. Modern preaching often highlights the theme of planting for future generations as an act of faith.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The tree: A sign of settled blessing after long wandering. Abraham plants a long-lived tree in a place of peace, showing confidence in God’s provision.
- The call: Public worship rooted in covenant relationship. Abraham calls on Yahweh’s name, continuing the pattern of the patriarchs and witnessing to his neighbors.
- The name: El Olam, God who endures beyond all human contracts. Abraham’s worship declares that his hope rests in the eternal God, not in temporary treaties.
Five-point outline
- A place of peace: Beersheba was born from conflict resolved by oath. God gives rest after trial.
- A planted witness: The tamarisk outlives its planter. Abraham invests in something he may not fully enjoy, trusting future generations.
- Public worship: Abraham called on the name in a grove, open to all. His faith was not private but a testimony to the Philistine community.
- The Everlasting God: The title speaks to God’s faithfulness across time. The covenant made with Abraham (Gen 17:7) is eternal.
- Sojourning with roots: Abraham remains a foreigner (v. 34) yet plants a tree. He holds permanence and pilgrimage together.
Illustration hooks
- Planting an oak sapling you know you may never see fully grown, faith that invests beyond your own lifetime.
- Setting up a regular family worship time after years of transition and instability, a declaration that God has brought you to a place of peace.
- A farmer who, after a drought, plants fruit trees because he trusts the rains will return, faith in God’s faithfulness despite present uncertainty.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If Abraham was called to be a stranger and pilgrim, why does he plant a tree that suggests permanence?
- Does the planting of a grove conflict with the later prohibition of Asherah poles (Deut 16:21)?
- How can I find “settledness” in my own life when I feel like a wanderer?
Leading a Discussion
This verse captures a moment of peace after conflict. Abraham has made a covenant with Abimelech, secured water rights, and now plants a tree and worships God. But the life of faith still involves sojourning (v. 34). How do we hold permanence and pilgrimage together? The name “Everlasting God” (El Olam) points to a foundation that does not shift, even when our circumstances do.
Discussion questions
- What does the act of planting a tree tell you about Abraham’s state of mind at this point in his story?
- Why do you think the writer specifically mentions the location, Beersheba, the well of the oath?
- How does Abraham’s public worship (“called on the name of the Lord”) differ from private prayer? What might have been his purpose?
- Read Deuteronomy 33:27. How does the title “Everlasting God” connect to the covenant promises made to Abraham?
- In what ways do you “plant trees” for future generations, things you may not fully see, but trust God will use?
- Abraham was still a foreigner (v. 34). How can we invest in a place, home, church, community, while remembering our ultimate citizenship is in heaven?
- What “wells of conflict” in your life might become “wells of peace” if you seek covenant faithfulness like Abraham did?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 4:26 | A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name. |
| Genesis 12:8 | He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on Yahweh’s name. |
| Genesis 26:23 | He went up from there to Beersheba. |
| Genesis 26:25 | He built an altar there, and called on Yahweh’s name, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac’s servants dug a well. |
| Genesis 26:33 | He called it “Shibah”. Therefore the name of the city is “Beersheba” to this day. |
| Deuteronomy 16:21 | You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah of any kind of tree beside Yahweh your God’s altar, which you shall make for yourselves. |
| Deuteronomy 33:27 | The eternal God is your dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’ |
| Judges 3:7 | The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the Hebrew word often translated as "grove" likely means an oak tree. He notes that Abraham planted an oak at Beer-sheba as part of worshiping the true God. This practice later became corrupted, as idolaters also held oaks sacred, using them for pagan rites.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees Abraham's planting of a grove as the first sign of a settled, peaceful life after years of wandering. This newfound security emboldened Abraham to worship God publicly and with greater courage, calling Him the everlasting God to show that his trust rested in no earthly king.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that Abraham identifies the God he worships, whom he calls El Olam, or the Everlasting God, with the same Jehovah revealed later to Israel. The point is a progressive knowledge of the unchanging God: early ages had a limited understanding that later revelation would expand for the chosen family.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible highlights that Abraham’s planting of a grove was not merely an agricultural act but a permanent public declaration of faith. By calling on the Everlasting God at Beer-sheba, he affirmed his trust in God’s eternal covenant despite living as a stranger in Philistine territory. This gesture served as a visible testimony to both locals and travelers that the Lord remains faithful forever.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees Abraham's grove as a lawful religious practice, likely an oratory with an altar, that the heathens later corrupted into idolatry. He notes that such groves were acceptable before Moses forbade them, and that Abraham planted it for shade and worship of the everlasting God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that the grove Abraham planted was specifically tamarisk trees, not just any grove. They interpret it as a designated site for sacrificial worship, functioning like a roofless temple where Abraham could offer worship to God.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch sees Abraham's planting of a tamarisk as a deliberate symbol. The tree's longevity, hard wood, and evergreen foliage were chosen to picture the lasting nature of God's covenant grace. Calling God "the everlasting" points to the same truth: the faithful covenant God does not change or fail.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights how the shift from Elohim to Jehovah reflects a change in audience and covenant context. He argues that Elohim appears when dealing with Abimelech, who knows only God’s general providence, while Jehovah is used for Abraham’s internal covenant history. This linguistic distinction underscores the specific relationship between God and His chosen people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry notes that Abraham, though living as a pilgrim and stranger, made open profession of his faith by planting a grove for public worship. In calling on the Lord there, Abraham honored Him not only as his covenant God but as the everlasting God, the Lord of all worlds.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Abraham planted a grove as a place for public worship, making his faith visible to neighbors. His point is that believers should not only keep their own devotion wherever they go but actively spread goodness to others. Wesley also highlights that Abraham called God "the everlasting God," honoring Him as Lord over all creation.