… Sarah will not appear in ch. 24. Lookin back along the facts, brand new source might be in order to the father just who, early in the brand new section, believed he had been near to passing. It’s possible hence that finishing sentence went: ‘So Isaac is actually comforted adopting the death of their dad.’…
Gunkel’s solution is not sufficient, although not. His conflict that “if the slave relates to Isaac, Isaac says to him you to their dad keeps died regarding interim,” ignores the reality that the brand new servant means Isaac since the “their grasp” before the a few got a chance to cam (v. 65), at which part, the new slave lack identified you to definitely Abraham got died. More over, the newest find regarding Isaac selecting comfort for their mom’s dying sexiga Israel kvinnor connects needless to say so you’re able to Sarah death (ch. 23), which means that there’s no valid reason to help you emend the fresh verse in order to “father.”
A Fragment of Customs
I will suggest one to begin with it was Isaac, presumably on his own initiative, who delivers out-of their servant locate him a wife. Therefore, in the event the servant production that have Rebecca, he presents their particular right to Isaac.
Whenever i argue during my “Isaac prior to He was Abraham’s Child” (TheTorah 2020), Abraham had previously been another patriarch, which served by yourself just like the “father” of the nation
An editor revised the bulk of the fresh narrative (vv. 1–52), one to in the first place concerned about Isaac merely, presenting Abraham due to the fact one who cared for his child and install to possess his wedding before his death. Hence, the guy makes reference to “his master Abraham” (vv. 12, twenty seven, 42, 48) and is called “Abraham’s servant” (vv. 34, 52), and much of one’s dialogue is all about brand new slave finding an excellent spouse into the master’s child.
Good fragment of one’s basic variety of brand new narrative try kept from v. 53, and this relates to new servant’s present to Rebecca’s sibling and you can mom, up until the prevent of one’s narrative, with just a handful of article glosses (vv. 59, and you can 67a).
Here, this new slave is described just because the “brand new slave” or “the person” (vv. 53, 58, 61, 65 [twice], 66), that’ll just as easily be a mention of the Isaac’s servant. Way more somewhat, beginning with verse 54, we discover “the latest servant” speaking to Rebecca’s mother and you can cousin from the “my master” (vv. 54, 56) unlike “my master Abraham” (as in vv. a dozen, twenty-seven, 35–37, 39, 42, 48):
?????? ??:?? ????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????? ????????? ???????????. ??:?? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ????????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ????????. ??:?? ????????? ??????? ??? ?????????? ????? ???????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????????? ????????.
Gen The slave introduced stuff from silver and gold, and garments, and you may provided them to Rebecca; and then he provided gifts to help you her sister along with her mom. Then he while the men having your consumed and consumed, as well as invested the night. Once they emerged 2nd morning, he told you, “Promote me personally get off to consult with my personal learn.”… He thought to them, “Don’t decrease me, since YHWH made my errand profitable. Promote me personally exit which i might have to go to my learn.”
From here up to verse 65, brand new slave is apparently referring to Isaac when he claims “my personal learn;” that is obvious as he demonstrates to you to Rebecca exactly who the guy addressing them was.
As to the reasons is actually the storyline reworked to make the step with the is why rather than Isaac’s? In the first place, brand new Abraham and Isaac stories had been separate living, and you will just weren’t connected: Isaac was not Abraham’s young buck. At the same time, Isaac and his son Jacob-the father of Israel-belonged so you can a multiple, separate, national traditions.