Rebekah

REBEKAH, or Rebecca, Daughter of Bethuel, and Wife of Isaac. Eliezar the Steward of Abraham’s House went to fetch her from Haran a City of Mesopotamia,¹ and brought her to Isaac, who then dwelt at Beer-sheba in the Land of Canaan. Rebekah lived with Isaac twenty Years, without having any Children: At last Isaac interceded for her by his Prayers, so that she conceived, and became with Child of two Children². The two Sons with which she was big struggling together in her Womb, and giving her some Uneasiness, she went to consult the Lord upon this Occasion; who told her, That two Nations were in her Womb; That one of ‘em should overcome the other, and that the elder should be subject to the younger. It is not agreed who was the Person that Rebekah here consulted with: Some will have it, that she went to Shem the Son of Noah; others, to Melchisedech; others, to Heber; others, to Abraham: And, lastly, some think she went to sacrifice upon Mount Moria, or upon the Altar that Abraham had erected Petr. Comestor. hist. Scholiast. Diodor. & Procop. in Genes. Theodor. qu. 76. in Genes. Gen. xxv. 24,25 &c.in the Forest of Beer-sheba, and that while she slept God revealed this Matter to her.

When Rebekah’s Time of Delivery was now come, she found herself the Mother of two Twins. He that came first into the World was ruddy and hairy, as if he had had a Bear’s Skin, and they gave him the Name of Esau. The other immediately follow’d, holding in his Hand the Heel of his Brother; wherefore they call’d him Jacob, or the Supplanter. When they grew up, Esau betook himself to Hunting and Tillage; but Jacob was a plain, unactive Man, and dwelt in the Tent of his³ Father. Isaac had more Inclination for Esau, but Jacob was a Favourite to Rebekah: She found Means of making him obtain the Blessing of his Father Isaac, to the Prejudice of Esau; and this against Isaac’s first Intention, who thinking himself near his Death, intended to give his last Blessing to his eldest Son Esau⁴. We have already related this famous History, under the Articles JACOB and ISAAC.

A great Famine having obliged Isaac to go to dwell at Gerar a City of the Philistines, of which Abimelech was King⁵; when the Inhabitants of the Place asked him who Rebekah was, he answered, she was his Sister, because he feared they might put him to Death, in order to possess his Wife. Abimelech had heretofore taken away Sarah, Abraham’s Wife, upon whose Account Gen. xx. 5,6,7,8.the Lord had threatned him with great Calamities; he therefore distrusted the Truth of what Isaac had told him, that Rebekah was his Sister. He watched him so narrowly, that one Day he perceiv’d him to caress her in such a manner, as better agreed with an Husband than a Brother. Abimelech then order’d him to be call’d, and said to him; Why have you thus imposed upon us? It is plain she is your Wife; and if any one had abused her, you might have drawn upon us some great Punishment from God. Then he caus’d it to be publish’d in Gerar, That if any one should meddle with this Man’s Wife, he should be put to Death.

Jacob, by the Management of his Mother Rebekah, having got his Father’s Blessing by Surprize, to the great Prejudice of his Brother Esau; he could not but be in great Wrath with him on this Account, and secretly threatned to be his death for it, as soon as his Father’s Head was laid. Rebekah had Notice of this Design,⁶ and, to prevent it, advised Jacob to go into Mesopotamia to his Uncle Laban, and there to marry one of his Daughters; and when Esau’s Passion should grow cool, she would send him Word, that he might return. She prevailed with Isaac to consent to this Journey, by insinuating to him, That her Life was become a Burden to her, on Account of the Daughters of Heth whom Esau had marry’d; and that if Jacob should also do the same, and take a Wife of this Country, her Life would no longer be supportable to her. After this Time the Scripture makes no farther mention of Rebekah; and the Year of her Death is uncertain: But it is plain, that she died before Isaac; because it is said, that Isaac Gen. xlix. 31. & xxxv. 29.was put in the Tomb with Rebekah his Wife, and that this Tomb was the same wherein Abraham and Sarah had been before buried, and where afterwards Jacob and Leah were deposited.

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