26 And Abimelech hath gone unto him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phichol head of his host; 27 and Isaac saith unto them, 'Wherefore have ye come unto me, and ye have hated me, and ye send me away from you?' 28 And they say, 'We have certainly seen that Jehovah hath been with thee, and we say, 'Let there be, we pray thee, an oath between us, between us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; 29 do not evil with us, as we have not touched thee, and as we have only done good with thee, and send thee away in peace; thou 'art' now blessed of Jehovah.' 30 And he maketh for them a banquet, and they eat and drink, 31 and rise early in the morning, and swear one to another, and Isaac sendeth them away, and they go from him in peace. 32 And it cometh to pass during that day that Isaac's servants come and declare to him concerning the circumstances of the well which they have digged, and say to him, 'We have found water;' 33 and he calleth it Shebah, 'oath,' therefore the name of the city 'is' Beer-Sheba, 'well of the oath,' unto this day.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 26:26-33
Commentary on Genesis 26:26-33
(Read Genesis 26:26-33)
When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him, Proverbs 16:7. Kings' hearts are in his hands, and when he pleases, he can turn them to favour his people. It is not wrong to stand upon our guard in dealing with those who have acted unfairly. But Isaac did not insist on the unkindnesses they had done him; he freely entered into friendship with them. Religion teaches us to be neighbourly, and, as much as in us lies, to live peaceable with all men. Providence smiled upon what Isaac did; God blessed his labours.