Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba: Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew active “he called” as a passive was called. It was noted in verse 23 that the word translated “to swear an oath” sounds like the word translated “seven,” and so Beersheba can mean either “well of the oath” or “well of seven.” See Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation footnotes.

Because there both of them swore an oath: it is unlikely in translation that this play on the word “seven” and “swear an oath” can be matched in many languages. Therefore it will be sufficient to supply a footnote, as in Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .