And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
Both of them made a covenant. The account of this treaty is very interesting, as it is the earliest instance of a national or social league on record, while at the same time the special form by which the compact was ratified is not again noticed in the Old Testament history.
Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech. The presentation of these gifts was intended as a reciprocal act of kindness to the king, and an indication of Abraham's wish to live on terms of amity with his neighbours.