| Easton's Bible Dictionary A noose, the daughter of Bethuel, and the wife of Isaac (Genesis 22:23; 24:67). The circumstances under which Abraham's "steward" found her at the "city of Nahor," in Padan-aram, are narrated in Genesis 24-27. "She can hardly be regarded as an amiable woman. When we first see her she is ready to leave her father's house for ever at an hour's notice; and her future life showed not only a full share of her brother Laban's duplicity, but the grave fault of partiality in her relations to her children, and a strong will, which soon controlled the gentler nature of her husband." The time and circumstances of her death are not recorded, but it is said that she was buried in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 49:31). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia REBEKAH re-bek'-a (ribhqah; Septuagint and New Testament Rhebekka, whence the usual English spelling Rebecca): Daughter of Bethuel and an unknown mother, grand-daughter of Nahor and Milcah, sister of Laban, wife of Isaac, mother of Esau and Jacob.
Her name is usually explained from the Arabic, rabqat, "a tie-rope for animals," or, rather, "a noose" in such a rope; its application would then by figure suggest the beauty (?) of her that bears it, by means of which men are snared or bound; The root is found in Hebrew only in the noun meaning "hitching-place" or "stall," in the familiar phrase "fatted calf" or "calf of the stall," and in view of the meaning of such names as Rachel and Eglah the name Rebekah might well mean (concrete for abstract, like riqmah, chemdah, etc.) a "tied-up calf" (or "lamb"?), one therefore peculiarly choice and fat.
Rebekah is first mentioned in the genealogy of the descendants of Nahor, brother of Abraham (Genesis 22:20-24). In fact, the family is there carried down just so far as is necessary in order to introduce this woman, for whose subsequent appearance and role the genealogy is obviously intended as a preparation. All this branch of the family of Terah had remained in Aram when Abraham and Lot had migrated to Canaan, and it is at Haran, "the city of Nahor," that we first meet Rebekah, when in Genesis 24 she is made known to Abraham's servant at the well before the gate.
That idyllic narrative of the finding of a bride for Isaac is too familiar to need rehearsal and too simple to require comment. Besides, the substance both of that story and of the whole of Rebekah's career is treated in connection with the sketches of the other actors in the same scenes. Yet we note from the beginning the maiden's decision of character, which appears in every line of the narrative, and prepares the reader to find in subsequent chapters the positive, ambitious and energetic woman that she there shows herself.
Though the object of her husband's love (Genesis 24:67), Rebekah bore him no children for 20 years (Genesis 25:20, 26). Like Sarah, she too was barren, and it was only after that score of years and after the special intercession of Isaac that God at length granted her twin sons. "The purpose of God according to election," as Paul expresses the matter in Romans 9:11, was the cause of that strange oracle to the wondering, inquiring parents, "The elder shall serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23).
Whether because of this oracle or for some other reason, it was that younger son, Jacob, who became the object of his mother's special love (Genesis 25:28). She it was who led him into the deception practiced upon Isaac (Genesis 27:5-17), and she it was who devised the plan for extricating Jacob from the dangerous situation into which that deception had brought him (Genesis 27:42-46). When the absence of Jacob from home became essential to his personal safety, Rebekah proposed her own relations in Aram as the goal of his journey, and gave as motive the desirability of Jacob's marrying from among her kindred. Probably she did not realize that in sending her favorite son away on this journey she was sending him away from her forever. Yet such seems to have been the case. Though younger than Isaac, who was still living at an advanced age when Jacob returned to Canaan a quarter of a century later, Rebekah seems to have died during that term. We learn definitely only this, that she was buried in the cave of Machpelah near Hebron (Genesis 49:31).
Outside of Genesis, Rebekah is alluded to in Scripture only in the passage from Romans (9:10-12) already cited. Her significance there is simply that of the wife of Isaac and the mother of two sons of such different character and destiny as Esau and Jacob. And her significance in Gen, apart from this, lies in her contribution to the family of Abraham of a pure strain from the same eastern stock, thus transmitting to the founders of Israel both an unmixed lineage and that tradition of separateness from Canaanite and other non-Hebrew elements which has proved the greatest factor in the ethnological marvel of the ages, the persistence of the Hebrew people.
J. Oscar Boyd |  | Multi-Version Concordance Rebekah (31 Occurrences) Romans 9:10 And not only 'so', but also Rebecca, having conceived by one -- Isaac our father -- (See NAS NIV) Genesis 22:23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:15 It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:29 Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:30 It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. (WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her,'Please let me drink.' (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:51 Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:53 The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:58 They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:59 They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:60 They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:61 Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 24:67 Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 25:20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 25:21 Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 25:26 After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. (See NIV) Genesis 25:28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 26:7 The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, "She is my sister," for he was afraid to say, "My wife," lest, he thought, "the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 26:8 It happened, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 26:35 They grieved Isaac's and Rebekah's spirits. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 27:5 Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 27:6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 27:11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 27:15 Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 27:42 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 27:46 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?" (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 28:5 Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah's brother, Jacob's and Esau's mother. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 29:12 Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 35:8 Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 49:31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah: (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) |
