Who was Rebekah in the Bible?
Answered from the commentary of William Kelly, Morrish Bible Dictionary, A. J. Pollock and 8 others
Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel and sister of Laban, from Abraham’s kindred in Mesopotamia, and she became Isaac’s wife. She was very fair, a virgin, and ready to serve: when Abraham’s servant asked for water, she gave him drink and drew water for his camels. When asked whether she would go with the servant to Isaac, she answered, “I will go,” and left her home to meet a husband she had never seen. She became Isaac’s wife, and he loved her.
After Isaac prayed for her, Rebekah conceived twins, Esau and Jacob; when troubled by the struggle within her, she enquired of the Lord and was told that two nations were in her womb and that the elder would serve the younger. She favoured Jacob, and when Isaac meant to bless Esau, she planned and carried out a deceit that enabled Jacob to receive the blessing. Though she knew God’s purpose, she did not wait in faith for Him to fulfil it, and her cunning scheme was wrong. Jacob left for Padan-Aram, and Rebekah did not see him again.
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Son of Nahor, a Syrian, Abraham's brother, and father of Rebekah. Gen. 22:22-23; Gen. 24:15-47; Gen. 25:20; Gen. 28:2, 5.
Twenty years after her marriage Rebecca became the mother of twin-sons, Esau and Jacob. The latter whom God said should be the first, was her favourite son; but she lacked faith, and did not wait for the promised blessing to fall upon Jacob in God's time, but sought it in her own cunning way. Her death is not recorded, but she was buried with her husband in the cave of Machpelah. Gen. 22:23; Gen. 24 — Gen. 29; Gen. 49:31; Rom. 9:10.
"And these [are] the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram, sister of Laban the Syrian. And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she [was] barren; and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If so, why [am] I thus (or, do I live?)? And she went to enquire of Jehovah. And Jehovah said to her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from they bowels; and [one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, twins [were] in her womb. And the first came out red all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out; and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob; and Isaac [was] sixty years old when she bore them" (vv. 19-26).
Rebekah was barren, but on Isaac beseeching the Lord, she conceived, and was told that she should be the mother of two nations, and the twin brothers Esau and Jacob were born, Esau being the firstborn. A famine being in the land, Isaac removed to Gerar, and there faithlessly said that Rebekah was his sister, and was rebuked by the king of the Philistines. God confirmed the blessing promised to Abraham, both as to Isaac's seed possessing all those countries, and also as to all the nations of the earth being blessed in his seed.
Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, and they had no son for about thirty years. So Isaac prayed to God and He gave Rebekah two sons, twins. The one born first was named Esau, (that means, Red); the other was called Jacob, (that means Supplanter, or, Cheater). In some countries people pray to idols for a son, but idols cannot answer, — the true God can. Being born first Esau had the better place; but God told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger.
Verse 19 draws our attention now to Isaac, whom we have seen takes Abraham's place as the vessel of God's direct testimony in the world (v.11). He was forty years of age when married to Rebekah. The same problem that Abraham had with Sarah now surfaces again with Rebekah. She had been unable to bear children. However, in this case the prayers of Isaac were answered and she became pregnant (v.21). She did not understand why she had such turmoil in her womb until she went to enquire of the Lord. It is good to see both Isaac's entreating the Lord and Rebekah's inquiring of the Lord when problems arose.
Verse 19 draws our attention now to Isaac, whom we have seen takes Abraham's place as the vessel of God's direct testimony in the world (v. 11). He was forty years of age when married to Rebekah. The same problem that Abraham had with Sarah now surfaces again with Rebekah. She had been unable to bear children. However, in this case the prayers of Isaac were answered and she became pregnant (v. 21). She did not understand why she had such turmoil in her womb until she went to enquire of the Lord. It is good to see both Isaac's entreating the Lord and Rebekah's enquiring of the Lord when problems arose.
It was 25 years after Abraham entered Canaan before Isaac was born. It was 20 years after Isaac's marriage before the birth of Esau and Jacob. The barren condition of Rebekah led Isaac to exercise faith and to cast himself upon the Lord for help. And He answered him. God delights to take up what is weak and barren and manifest His power in answer to prayer. Before the children were born the Lord had declared, "The elder shall serve the younger." The struggle in Rebekah's womb reminds us of the struggle between the two seeds (Ishmael and Isaac) in Abraham's household. God's sovereignty is here solemnly made known. He knew them before they were born and He made His choice according to His own sovereign will and purpose. "And not only this; but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac (for the children being not yet born, neither having done good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him that calleth), it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated" (Rom. 9:11-13). That this does not refer to any unconditional and eternal condemnation is clear. It must be noticed that the statement "Esau have I hated" does not appear in Genesis, but in the last book of the Old Testament. Then the character and defiance of Edom had become fully established. In Genesis the Lord speaks only of having chosen Jacob and what creature of the dust can challenge His right to do so.
Jacob’s birth was a miracle, for we are told that Rebekah, his mother, was barren, and that it was in answer to Isaac’s prayer that the sons—Esau and Jacob—were born (Gen. 25:20-21).
Arrived at a well, where his camels could be watered, Abraham’s servant prayed that the wife chosen of the Lord for Isaac should appear, and in response to the request for a drink of water should offer to give drink to his camels also. As he thus prayed, a daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, appeared. Rebekah was very fair to look upon, and acted just as Abraham’s servant prayed that she should. He then adorned her with a golden earring and two golden bracelets, enquiring eagerly who she was, and where she came from, joyously exclaiming, “I being in the way, the LORD led me” (Gen. 24:27).
The damsel returning to her mother’s house told of this unexpected happening, whereupon Laban, Rebekah’s brother, came out and entreated Abraham’s servant to enter the house. Food was put before him, but he refused to eat till he had declared his errand, so intent was he to carry out the task with which he was entrusted. He told of Abraham’s wealth, of his flocks and herds, of his men servants and women servants, of his silver and gold. He told above all of the miraculous birth of Isaac, of God’s promise to Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. He told how Abraham had given all that he had to Isaac, and that his one desire was to find a wife of his own kindred for his beloved son. Does this not remind us forcibly of the Scripture,
Verses
- Genesis 22:23(And Bethuel begot Rebecca.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
- Genesis 24:15And it came to pass before he had ended speaking, that behold, Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and [she had] her pitcher upon her shoulder.
- Genesis 24:24And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.
- Genesis 24:29And Rebecca had a brother, named Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, to the well.
- Genesis 24:58And they called Rebecca and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
- Genesis 24:67And Isaac led her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.
- Genesis 25:20–2220And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. 21And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren; and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebecca his wife conceived. 22And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.