The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah / Abraham Marries Keturah / The Death of Abraham / Ishmael's Descendants
The Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah: Genesis 24.1-67
Chapter 24 is the longest chapter of Genesis
Abraham is old, and his "only" son still is not married. Abraham calls his servant and says, "Put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but will go to my country and to my kindred and get a wife for my son Isaac" (Gen. 24.2-4).
Acts do not come more symbolic than that. The servant is asked to place his hand near the source of all Israel, to acknowledge the patriarch Abraham's power in swearing the oath.
An intermarriage is necessary. The wife is not to come from Canaan because the bloodline is to be pure. When the servant asks if he should bring Isaac to Abraham's land if she refuses to follow him to Canaan, Abraham is emphatic that Isaac should not return. Canaan is the promised land, so Isaac must remain there. If the woman does not follow the servant back, the servant is freed of the oath.
The servant loads up ten camels with gifts and heads out for Nahor. Toward evening he arrives at a well outside Nahor. Women are coming out to draw water. The servant prays to the Lord, asking, "Let the girl to whom I shall say, 'Please offer your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels' - let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master" (Gen. 24.14).
Even before he finishes speaking, he sees Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel (son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham's brother). The beautiful (and virgin) girl carries a water jar on her shoulder.
It took years and years for God to get land and a son for Abraham, but for Isaac, a wife is found in seconds. Isaac is a rather passive character, who simply receives things, like his wife, as those around him struggle. His parents are tested for his sake, his sons fight even in the womb, but for Isaac himself things come easily.
The servant does the work of courting Rebekah - she follows his prayer perfectly.
The man - by verse 21 he is no longer referred to as a servant - gives Reebekah a gold nose ring (weighing a half shekel) and two bracelets (weighing ten gold shekels). He asks whose daughter she is and whether he might spend the night. She is the daughter of Bethuel - and of course they have plenty of straw and fodder for him to spend the night. The man blesses the Lord.
Rebekah runs back to the house to tell everyone what has happened. Impressed by the nose ring and bracelets, her brother Laban runs to meet the man and invites him in. Food is brought out, but the man will not eat until he tells his errand, which tells the entire story but modifies it in two important ways:
When the man asks Abraham what to do if the girl does not follow, Abraham responds, "The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and make your way successful. You shall get a wife for my son from my kindred, from my father's house. Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my kindred; even if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath" (Gen. 24.40-41). The man is still freed from the oath if the family refuses, but in emphasizing that the Lord sent an angel to make the way successful, the man seeks to influence the family. Furthermore, the man strategically has the family responsible for giving the girl away. Abraham's original message allowed for the girl's free choice.
Laban and Bethuel are quick to give away Rebekah. The servant - as he is again called in verse 52 - gives more treasures to Rebekah: jewelry and clothing. Laban and Milcah also receive costly ornaments. Bethuel only appears to give away host daughter. He neither receives gifts for takes part in the rest of the narrative.
The servant eats and drinks , and spends the night. When he rises, Laban and Milcah ask that she might remain ten more days. The servant indicates his preference to leave immediately, to which Laban and Milcah reply that they will ask Rebekah. She agrees to leave immediately, taking along her maids. As she leaves, Laban and Milcah bless Rebekah: "May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes."
Isaac is walking in a field in the Negeb, mourning the death of his mother, when he sees camels coming. Rebekah slips from her camel, asks the servant who the man is, and veils herself when she hears who it is. The servant tells Isaac of his work.
Here is the second Freudian part of the story. Isaac takes Rebekah into Sarah's tent. He falls in love with her and marries her. In this way he is comforted after his mother's death. His sadness at the loss of his mother is replaced by the love of a new woman.
Speaking of new women...
Abraham Marries Keturah: Genesis 25.1-6
Abraham marries Keturah. Check out the genealogy below of Keturah's children.
Abraham gives all he has to Isaac. The sons of his concubines receive gifts too, but they are sent to the east, away from Isaac (again, Isaac is protected by others).
The Death of Abraham: Genesis 25.7-11
Abraham lives one hundred seventy-five years. In a remarkable show of itneraction/cooperation, Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah, where Sarah is buried. After Abraham dies God blesses Isaac, who settles at Beer-lahai-roi.
Ishmael's Descendants: Genesis 25.12-18
Abraham's death is followed by a list of survivors, not unlike modern obituaries. These are the sons of Ishmael. See above for the genealogy.
Ishmael lives one hundred thirty-seven years.
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