In 24.59 Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, departed from Mesopotamia with her nurse to join Isaac in Canaan. But the name of her nurse was not given there. According to 25.20 Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, and according to 35.28 Isaac was one hundred and eighty when he died. Therefore nearly one hundred and forty years have passed since Rebekah’s nurse was mentioned. Admittedly it is surprising that we should discover that Rebekah’s old nurse is wandering about with Jacob’s camp and not attached to Isaac’s family.

The problem here is linked to the name Deborah. For one thing the name of the prophetess Deborah is associated with Bethel in Judges 4.5. It is also possible, according to von Rad, that there was a tradition regarding Deborah as the name of Rebekah’s nurse. In either event it seemed natural to the narrator or compiler to make a statement relating Deborah to Bethel. Some interpreters believe that verse 8 originally belonged to a different context, and that in later times it was placed here. However, there is no evidence for this suggestion.

Regardless of the history of our text at this point, translators must render the text as we have it. Some translators attempt to separate verse 8 by placing it in its own paragraph. Others try to give a hint that Deborah had moved from Isaac’s camp to Jacob’s at some stage; for example, “Deborah, who had been Rebekah’s nurse” (New Jerusalem Bible). Another translation that gives a little more information says “The old woman Deborah, who cared for Isaac’s wife Rebekah when Rebekah was a child….”

For nurse see 24.59.

Under an oak means in the ground under the branches of the tree, not under the trunk of the tree. For oak see 12.6.

Below Bethel means nearby at a lower elevation than Bethel, which Good News Translation takes to be “south of Bethel.” The primary sense is nearness.

The name of it was called Allon-bacuth: it refers to the burial place beneath the tree. As in the case of Bethel, translations differ. Some retain the Hebrew form in the text and may give a footnote explaining the Hebrew words, as in Revised Standard Version. Probably less difficult for readers is Good News Translation, which translates the meaning in its text.

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 .