Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates: Shaul in the Hebrew is the same as “Saul.” The Hebrew says “from Rehoboth the river.” We saw in 31.21 that “the river” was understood to refer to the Euphrates. However, as Speiser comments, “An Edomite king of Mesopotamian origin cannot be posited without other evidence.” We may assume “the river” here refers to a local river. King James Version translates “Rehoboth by the river.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “Rehoboth, the town that is by the river.” See 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 .