English edit

Etymology edit

From Hebrew רִבְקָה (Riḇqāh, enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare).

Proper noun edit

Rebekah

  1. (biblical) The sister of Laban; Isaac's wife; the mother of Jacob and Esau.
  2. A female given name from Hebrew, a less-common variant of Rebecca.

Usage notes edit

The spelling Rebecca originates from the Latin Vulgate, which from the 4th century onward was the Bible that was used for centuries in Western Christianity. When the King James Version appeared in 1611, the spelling Rebekah was used in the Old Testament, but the spelling Rebecca was retained in the New Testament.

Translations edit

Further reading edit