Genesis 20:1

Abraham journeyed from thence. No reason is given for Abraham’s departure from the grove of Mamre near Hebron (chs. 13:18; 14:13; 18:1) for the southland, the Negeb (see on ch. 13:1). It is likely that God directed his footsteps thither, either in the pursuance of his pilgrim life or that he might be a witness to the inhabitants of the region. Again, his flocks may have required fresh grazing land, or political changes may have disturbed the peace and security of the country. While Abraham’s early confederates at Hebron, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner, were Amorites (see ch. 14:13), the Hittites were apparently in control of the region some years later (see ch. 23:3). Critics have declared it impossible for the Hittites to have reached southern Palestine as early as the 19th century B.C., but more recent discoveries prove this to have been so. Some perhaps reached Hebron and expelled the Amorites. If so, Abraham may have moved to the Negeb to avoid the unsettled conditions of the transition period. Whatever may have led him to the southland, he made it his home for about 20 years.

Kadesh and Shur. Kadesh-bamea was about 80 mi. southwest of Hebron, and Shur lay to the west of Kadesh, not far from Egypt (see ch. 16:7). The word “dwelled” seems to indicate that Abraham spent some time in this region, a stay which must have awakened sacred memories in Hagar’s heart (see ch. 16:7-14).

Gerar. Since the southern Negeb was a semidesert region, its pasturelands may in time have proved inadequate. This area, which had but few oases, was later called the “wilderness of Zin.” Turning northward again, Abraham made his temporary abode at Gerar, which lay in a very fertile valley to the south of Gaza. Huge grain silos of the Persian period uncovered in the great mound of Gerar show that it was then the center of a grain-producing area. Though evidence is lacking, the city may have been equally important in earlier times.