Genesis 21:34

Genesis 21:34

And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

a. NLT: And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.

b. NIV: And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

c. YLT: and Abraham sojourneth in the land of the Philistines many days.

d. Amplified Bible: And Abraham lived [as a resident alien] in the land of the Philistines for many days.

e. Septuagint: And Abraam sojourned in the land of the Phylistines many days.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many years.

1. “And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.”

a. Abraham [85 * 'Abraham] [Strong: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram:--Abraham.]

b. sojourned [1481 * guwr] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid):--abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, X surely.]

c. in the Philistines [6430 * Plishtiy] [Strong: patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth:--Philistine.]

d. land [776 * 'erets eh'-rets from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

e. many [7227 * rab] [Strong: by contracted from 7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality):--(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), ((ship-))master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).]

f. days [3117 * yowm yome from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.]

1). Even though the Hebrew word is the proper word for “days”, the Jewish translation is the only one that gives the word “years” in its place. It was indeed years that Abraham lived there. Probably for about 38 years. Abraham and Sarah moved there a year before Isaac’s birth (Genesis 20:1, 2), and at least Abraham lived there at least until the death of Sarah, which means all of Isaac’s growing up years were in Beersheba including the time Abraham offered up Isaac as a burnt offering.