Gerar

Gerar was a Philistine royal city located in the Negev region, serving as the seat of King Abimelech during the patriarchal period. Abraham sojourned there during a famine, where he presented Sarah as his sister, prompting divine intervention to protect the promise of offspring and leading to a covenant of peace with Abimelech. Isaac later settled in the same area, repeating the deception with Rebekah amid conflicts over wells, before renewing the treaty with the Philistine king. These accounts in Genesis highlight themes of God's covenant faithfulness, human frailty, and the interactions between the patriarchs and surrounding nations in the biblical narrative.

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Details

Region: Negev
Modern Location: Tel Haror, Israel

Strongest connections in Scripture

Genesis 20 Genesis 26 Genesis 10

Key Passages

Abraham in Gerar

Genesis 20:1-2

Abraham sojourned in Gerar and presented Sarah as his sister to Abimelech.

A¹nd Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

Isaac in Gerar

Genesis 26:1-6

Isaac dwelt in Gerar during a famine and received divine instruction not to go to Egypt.

A¹nd there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

² And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: ³ Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; ⁴ And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; ⁵ Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. ⁶ And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

Borders of Canaan

Genesis 10:19

Gerar marked part of the southern boundary of Canaanite territory.

A¹⁹nd the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.