… Sarah will not are available in ch. 24. Lookin straight back over the facts, the latest source might possibly be merely to the daddy whom, at the beginning of the newest part, believed that he was alongside death. It is probable thus the concluding sentence went: ‘Thus Isaac try comforted after the loss of his dad.’…
Gunkel’s option would be not adequate, but not. His conflict that “if servant pertains to Isaac, Isaac tells him one to his dad has died regarding meantime,” ignores the fact that the brand new servant refers to Isaac due to the fact “their learn” until the several had the opportunity to cam (v. 65), from which section, the brand new servant do not have recognized you to definitely Abraham had died. Moreover, the notice regarding Isaac looking for spirits having his mom’s dying connects definitely to Sarah death (ch. 23), meaning that there isn’t any justification so you’re able to emend the new verse to “dad.”
A good Fragment off Culture
I recommend you to definitely to start with it had been Isaac, presumably by himself effort, which sends off his slave to locate your a partner. Hence, in the event that slave efficiency with Rebecca, the guy gifts her straight to Isaac.
When i argue during my “Isaac just before He was Abraham’s Young man” (TheTorah 2020), Abraham was once an independent patriarch, whom served alone just like the “father” of the country
An editor modified the majority of the narrative (vv. 1–52), one to begin with worried about Isaac only, to present Abraham because individual who cared for his young buck and arranged to possess his wedding in advance of his passing. For this reason, the man identifies “their learn Abraham” (vv. a dozen, twenty-seven, 42, 48) that is titled “Abraham’s servant” (vv. 34, 52), and far of your own discussion is approximately brand new slave trying to find a beneficial wife to your master’s son.
An effective fragment of your very first version of the fresh story try kept away from v. 53, which describes the new servant’s current so you can Rebecca’s brother and mommy, till the prevent of your own story, with just a number of editorial glosses (vv. 59, and you may 67a).
Right here, the latest servant was regarded simply once the “the new slave” otherwise “the guy” (vv. 53, 58, 61, 65 [twice], 66), that will exactly as be easily a regard to Isaac’s slave. Even more significantly, beginning with verse 54, we discover “the latest servant” talking with Rebecca’s mom and you will cousin from the “my personal grasp” (vv. 54, 56) in lieu of “my grasp Abraham” (as in vv. a dozen, 27, 35–37, 39, 42, 48):
?????? ??:?? ????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????? ????????? ???????????. ??:?? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ????????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ????????. ??:?? ????????? ??????? ??? ?????????? ????? ???????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????????? ????????.
Gen The fresh servant introduced things off silver and gold, and clothing, and you can provided these to Rebecca; and then he gave merchandise to their own cousin and her mother. He then and the guys with your ate and you will ate, and invested the night time. Once they arose second day, the guy said, “Provide me leave to visit my personal grasp.”… He said to all of them, “Do not slow down me personally, now that YHWH has made my personal errand successful. Provide myself log off which i could go on my grasp.”
From here up to verse 65, the fresh new servant appears to be speaking about Isaac as he states “my learn;” this can be obvious when he demonstrates to you to varfГ¶r lockas vita mГ¤n till Dominikaner kvinnor Rebecca just who the person addressing them was.
As to why is the storyline reworked to make the initiative with the is the reason and never Isaac’s? In the first place, the fresh Abraham and Isaac stories was separate life, and you may weren’t connected: Isaac was not Abraham’s son. At the same time, Isaac and his awesome young man Jacob-the daddy regarding Israel-belonged to help you a parallel, separate, federal lifestyle.