Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 21:26 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 26. 26And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Abimelech denies knowing who seized the well and says Abraham had not told him before that day. The verse records his response but does not give independent evidence that confirms or disproves it.
Read It With
- Genesis 21:22–34
Read verses 25–27. Abraham states the grievance, Abimelech answers the knowledge question, and the parties proceed to exchange animals and make a covenant. Without the surrounding negotiation, his denial can be treated as either proven innocence or proven deception.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Abimelech answers the grievance by denying prior knowledge, distinguishing the reported seizure from his claimed awareness.
Read Genesis 21:25–27 together
Why these verses belong together: Abraham's well grievance, Abimelech's denial of knowledge, the livestock exchange, and the covenant form one negotiated resolution.
Verse 25. 25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
Verse 26. 26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.
Verse 27. 27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
What Remains True
Fair conflict resolution distinguishes a person's reported knowledge from facts that still require verification.
How It Can Shape Life
- Record what each party knew and when, investigate the evidence, correct the harm, and avoid claiming either guilt or innocence beyond what the evidence supports.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 21:22–34 — Abraham and Abimelech Make a TreatySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
Where care is needed
The text reports Abimelech's denial but does not independently verify his prior knowledge or lack of knowledge.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, narrative sequence, oath, well, animals, witness, place name, worship, sojourn, and canonical recurrence.
Exact location: Genesis 21:22–34 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 20; 22:1–19; 26:12–33; 28:10; 46:1; and later Beer-sheba references
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Divine-presence claim, oath, false dealing, loyal treatment, dispute, seizure, covenant idiom, seven/oath wordplay, witness, place name, planting, invocation, divine title, and sojourner status.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 21:22–34; lemmas and morphology for hayah im, shava, shaqar, hesed, yakhach, gazal, karat berit, sheva, edah, Be'er Sheva, nata, qara, El Olam, and gur
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Time formula, Phichol, oath wording, hesed, well seizure, covenant idiom, seven lambs, Beer-sheba wordplay, tamarisk, El Olam, and sojourn translation checks.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 21 and translator notes on 21:22–34
Open NET Genesis 21 ↗