REHOBOTH

(Re·hoʹboth) [broad places].

1. The name that Isaac gave to a well he dug. (Gen. 26:22) Though its exact location is unknown, many geographers have identified Rehoboth with Ruheibeh, some nineteen miles (30 kilometers) SW of Beer-sheba. The names bear certain similarities. In naming the well Isaac said that now God had given ample room. He and his shepherds could be fruitful without interfering with, or getting interference from, others.

2. A city of unknown location from which came Shaul, an early Edomite king. (Gen. 36:31, 37; 1 Chron. 1:43, 48) In both references to it, the place is called “Rehoboth by the River.” Generally in the Bible the designation “the River” means the Euphrates. (Ps. 72:8; 2 Chron. 9:26; compare Exodus 23:31 and Deuteronomy 11:24.) Thus some authorities have suggested either of two sites near the junction of the Khabur and Euphrates Rivers. This would mean, however, that Shaul was from a city far outside of Edomite territory. Certain modern geographers, however, believe that in these two instances “the River” refers to a river in Edom or near one of its borders, such as the Zered running into the southern end of the Dead Sea. Dr. J. Simons proposes a site about twenty-three miles (37 kilometers) SE of the tip of the Dead Sea.