Genesis 21:31

21:31 That is why he named that place ¹  Beer Sheba, ²  because the two of them swore ³  an oath there.

Genesis 18:24

18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare ⁴  the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it?

Genesis 35:7

35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ⁵  because there God had revealed himself ⁶  to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

[21:31]  ¹ tn Heb “that is why he called that place.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive, “that is why that place was called.”

[21:31]  ² sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven.” Both the verb “to swear” and the number “seven” have been used throughout the account. Now they are drawn in as part of the explanation of the significance of the name.

[21:31]  ³ sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.

[18:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[35:7]  ⁷ sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.