Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Rebecca, also spelled Rebekah, is a prominent figure in the Hebrew Bible, known for her role as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob. Her account is primarily found in the Book of Genesis, where she is depicted as a woman of beauty, faith, and decisive action. Rebecca's life and actions have significant theological and historical implications within the biblical narrative.
Family Background:Rebecca was the daughter of Bethuel, an Aramean from Paddan-aram, and the sister of Laban. Her family lineage is significant as it connects her to the broader narrative of the patriarchs. She is a relative of Abraham, Isaac's father, which underscores the importance of maintaining the covenantal line within the family.
Marriage to Isaac:Rebecca's marriage to Isaac is a pivotal event in the Genesis narrative. Abraham, seeking a suitable wife for his son Isaac, sends his servant to his homeland to find a wife from his own kin. The servant's journey and encounter with Rebecca at the well is a testament to divine providence.
Genesis 24:15-16 describes the moment: "Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again."
Rebecca's willingness to leave her family and travel to a foreign land to marry Isaac demonstrates her faith and obedience. Her marriage to Isaac is marked by love and mutual respect, as seen in
Genesis 24:67 : "And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death."
Motherhood and the Birth of Esau and Jacob:Rebecca's role as a mother is central to the unfolding of God's covenantal promises. After a period of barrenness, she conceives twins, Esau and Jacob, following Isaac's prayer to the Lord. During her pregnancy, Rebecca experiences a struggle within her womb and seeks the Lord's guidance.
Genesis 25:23 records God's response: "The LORD said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.'"
This prophecy sets the stage for the future dynamics between Esau and Jacob, and Rebecca plays a crucial role in its fulfillment. Her favoritism towards Jacob and her involvement in securing Isaac's blessing for him, as described in
Genesis 27, highlight her active participation in God's plan, albeit through deceptive means.
Rebecca's Legacy:Rebecca's life is marked by her faith, courage, and the pivotal role she plays in the continuation of the Abrahamic covenant. Her actions, particularly in securing the blessing for Jacob, have far-reaching implications for the history of Israel. Despite the complexities of her character and the moral ambiguities in her account, Rebecca is remembered as a matriarch who contributed significantly to the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.
References in the New Testament:Rebecca is mentioned in the New Testament in
Romans 9:10-12 , where the Apostle Paul refers to her as part of his argument about God's sovereign choice: "Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac. Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.'"
Conclusion:Rebecca's account is a testament to the complexities of human relationships and divine sovereignty. Her life and actions continue to be studied and reflected upon for their theological and moral lessons within the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Rebecca(Romans 9:10) only. [REBEKAH]
Greek
4479. Rhebekka --Rebecca, the wife of Isaac...Rebecca, the wife of Isaac. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Rhebekka
Phonetic Spelling: (hreb-bek'-kah) Short Definition:
Rebecca Definition
...Library
OfRebecca, the Grand-Daughter of Nahor, whom Isaac Took to Wife.
... Book XVI. Chapter 33."OfRebecca, the Grand-Daughter of Nahor, Whom Isaac
Took to Wife. Isaac marriedRebecca, the grand-daughter...
Now,Rebecca, Having Long Been Barren, at Length, through the...
... Book I. Chapter VIII. Now,Rebecca, having long been barren, at length,
through the unceasing prayers of her husband? Now,Rebecca...
Life and Conduct of the Holy Women, Xanthippe, Polyxena, and...
... Life and Conduct of the Holy Women, Xanthippe, Polyxena, andRebecca.... ForRebecca
said, This is the appearance of a Prophet, and this is one of the apostles....
What was Indicated by the Divine Answer About the Twins Still Shut...
... Book XVI. Chapter 35."What Was Indicated by the Divine Answer About the
Twins Still Shut Up in the Womb ofRebecca Their Mother....
How Divine Love Makes Use of all the Passions and Affections of...
... Divine love and self-love are in our hearts as Jacob and Esau in the womb ofRebecca:
they have a very great antipathy and opposition to one another, and...
Quoted in Jerome, Epist. 36, Ad Damasum, Num. xviii. (From Galland...
... [1191] Isaac conveys a figure of God the Father;Rebecca of the Holy Spirit; Esau
of the first people and the devil; Jacob of the Church, or of Christ....
Christians, and not Jews, the Heirs of the Covenant.
... Hear ye now what the Scripture saith concerning the people. Isaac prayed for
Rebecca his wife, because she was barren; and she conceived....
Introductory Remarks. 1 the Term Hermeneutics (Greek...
... Origen, for example, in commenting on the meeting between Abraham's servant and
Rebecca at the well in Haran, says: "Rebecca came every day to the wells....
Christian Ballads.
... The "Song ofRebecca the Jewess," in "Ivanhoe," was written by Sir Walter Scott,
author of the Waverly Novels, "Marmion," etc., born in Edinburgh, 1771, and...
Occasion of Writing. Relative Position of Jews and Gentiles...
... in that He promised to Abraham that "in his seed should be blest all nations of
the earth;" [1129] and that [1130] out of the womb ofRebecca "two peoples and...
Thesaurus
Rebecca (28 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Rebecca (28 Occurrences). Romans 9:10 Not only
so, but
Rebecca also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
...Rebecca's (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version ConcordanceRebecca's (2 Occurrences). Genesis 29:12 And
Jacob told Rachel that he was a brother of her father, and...
Machpelah (6 Occurrences)
... 49:30; Genesis 50:13). Here were buried Abraham and Sarah, Isaac andRebecca,
Jacob and Leah. (Compare however the curious variant...
Rebekah (31 Occurrences)
... REBEKAH. re-bek'-a (ribhqah; Septuagint and New Testament Rhebekka, whence the usual
English spellingRebecca): Daughter of Bethuel and an unknown mother, grand...
Maids (28 Occurrences)
... Genesis 24:61 AndRebecca arose, and her maids, and they rode upon the camels, and
followed the man. And the servant tookRebecca, and went away....
Padan-aram (10 Occurrences)
... Genesis 25:20 And Isaac was forty years old when he tookRebecca as wife, the daughter
of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian....
Forefather (33 Occurrences)
... Romans 9:10 Nor is that all: later on there wasRebecca too. She was soon to bear
two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac-- (WEY RSV)....
Tens (17 Occurrences)
... Genesis 24:60 And they blessedRebecca, and said to her, Thou art our sister; mayest
thou become thousands of tens of thousands; and may thy seed possess the...
Twins (9 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Twins (9 Occurrences). Romans 9:10 Not only so, but
Rebecca also conceived by one, by our father Isaac. (See NAS)....
Resources
Who was Rebekah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Jacob in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Esau in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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