For the sake of context, we need to keep in mind that Abraham was considered aged at 140 years old, which was his present state. His brother Nahor, was probably deceased at this point, and was his elder, when he was alive. Bethuel seems to have been the youngest of eight sons sired by Nahor through his wife, Milcah (Genesis 22:20-22), and Rebekah seems to be Bethuel’s firstborn (Genesis 22:23).[1] This would place Bethuel younger than Abraham, probably by several decades. Moreover, we don’t know where Bethuel would fall in age with respect to his four half-brothers, whom Nahor sired through his concubine, Reumah (Genesis 22:24). He may be younger than one or more of them, and may, in fact, be as much as 60 years younger than Abraham, who was 140 years of age (Genesis 24:1; cp. 21:5; 25:20).[2]
Therefore, one shouldn’t naturally consider Bethuel old and senile, even at age 80,[3] when at such a time permission might have been given for Rebekah to marry Isaac. Nevertheless, Laban, who was actually somewhat younger than Rebekah, seems to have had much to say during her marital negotiations (Genesis 24:29-30, 50-51, 53, 55).[4] This tends to place Bethuel’s authority in question. Even his wife seems to have more to do with the negotiations than he does. Moreover, after Rebekah was questioned by Abraham’s servant, she ran to tell her mother’s house about what had just transpired (Genesis 24:28), not her father’s house.[5] So, it seems, Bethuel is either incapacitated, perhaps premature senility, or dead at this time,[6] and the Bethuel, which the text mentions at verse-50 may be a younger brother to Leban, not the father. Finally, the fact that the dowery price is paid to Laban and Rebekah’s mother (Genesis 24:53) seems to support the idea that her father was dead.
Therefore, after the marital negotiations had been conducted and the dowery paid, they all ate and drank, and the visitors stayed the night, but in the morning Abrahm’s servant asked Leban to send him on his way back to his master, Abraham (Genesis 24:54). However, Rebekah’s family was slow to release her to leave for Canaan and asked that she be permitted to stay “a few days, at least ten” (Genesis 24:55). Some texts have “a full month,” while some scholars believe the phrase is a euphemism, meaning “a year or at least ten months,”[7] for such was the custom of a virgin to be permitted to prepare herself for her husband, and, if a year seemed too much, at least ten months, which would at least be the proof that she was a virgin, indeed (cp. Esther 2:12-13).
Nevertheless, Abraham’s servant insisted that he be permitted to leave immediately with Rebekah, Isaac’s espoused wife (Genesis 24:56), and he considered it a hindrance for Rebekah’s family to be slow in releasing her. However, when they asked that Rebekah be consulted in the matter, it seems the courtesy was extended to her, seeing she was the prospective mistress of the house of his master, Isaac (Genesis 24:57), and Rebekah forthrightly decided to go with him to meet her husband (Genesis 24:58). Therefore, the family sent Rebekah away with her nurse and her other female servants, wishing her well and blessing her in the language of the promises made to Abraham (Genesis 24:59-61; cp. 22:17), which seems to indicate Abraham’s servant informed Rebekah and her family of what the Lord had promised Abraham.
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[1] There is no mention of Laban until chapter 24.
[2] There was 60 years difference between Abraham, Terah’s youngest son, and Haran, his eldest, and perhaps there was a similar difference in age between Abraham and Bethuel.
[3] Abraham was 86 when he sired Ishmael (Genesis 16:16).
[4] Note that, although Bethuel’s name is mentioned four times in this chapter, verse-50 is the only place where he has an active role, but even here Leban’s name appears before Bethuel’s, seemingly to show he has the greater voice!
[5] When Rachel met Jacob at the well, she ran to tell her father, and he ran to meet Jacob (Genesis 29:12-13), just as he had done years earlier to meet Abraham’s servant (Genesis 24:29).
[6] The first century AD Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that Bethuel is dead at this time. See Antiquities of the Jews; Book 1, chapter 16, paragraph 2.
[7] This is the sense given by the targums Onkelos and Jonathan, and also interpreted so by Rashi and other Jewish writers.
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