… Sarah doesn’t appear in ch. 24. Searching right back over the facts, brand new source might be just to the father whom, early in new section, believed he was near to death. It is probable ergo that finishing phrase went: ‘So Isaac try comforted after the loss of their dad.’…

Gunkel’s solution is not sufficient, not. Their disagreement that “when the slave pertains to Isaac, Isaac says to him one their father has actually passed away about meantime,” ignores the fact that new slave identifies Isaac due to the fact “his grasp” up until the a few got a way to talk (v. 65), where part, the new slave would not have identified one Abraham got passed away. Moreover, the new find on the Isaac selecting spirits for his mother’s dying connects needless to say so you’re able to Sarah demise (ch. 23), which means there isn’t any valid reason to emend the fresh new verse to “dad.”

A Fragment out of Community

I suggest one to originally it absolutely was Isaac, allegedly by himself initiative, whom directs regarding their servant to locate him a wife. For this reason, in the event the servant returns that have Rebecca, he presents their own straight to Isaac.

Whenever i argue in my “Isaac before He was Abraham’s Young man” (TheTorah 2020), Abraham had previously been a different patriarch, exactly who served by yourself while the “father” of the nation

A publisher changed the bulk of the brand new story (vv. 1–52), that in the first place focused on Isaac simply, presenting Abraham while the individual who maintained his young buck and you may put up for their relationships before their dying. Ergo, the man refers to “his learn Abraham” (vv. a dozen, twenty-seven, 42, 48) and that is entitled “Abraham’s servant” (vv. 34, 52), and much of the talk concerns brand new servant in search of an excellent spouse on master’s child.

A beneficial fragment of very first type of the fresh new narrative was preserved out-of v. 53, which describes new servant’s gift to help you Rebecca’s sister and mommy, through to the avoid of your story, in just a number of article glosses (vv. 59, and you may 67a).

Here, brand new slave are described simply because the “the brand new servant” otherwise “the man” (vv. 53, 58, 61, 65 [twice], 66), which will exactly as be easily a mention of the Isaac’s servant. Way more significantly, beginning with verse 54, we discover “the servant” speaking to Rebecca’s mommy and brother in the “my personal learn” (vv. 54, 56) rather than “my master Abraham” (such as vv. 12, twenty seven, 35–37, 39, 42, 48):

?????? ??:?? ????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????? ????????? ???????????. ??:?? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ????????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ????????. ??:?? ????????? ??????? ??? ?????????? ????? ???????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????????? ????????.

Gen The newest servant introduced items off gold and silver, and you may garments, and you may gave these to Rebecca; and then he provided merchandise to their brother and her mommy. Then he in addition to dudes that have him consumed and you will used, plus they spent the night time. When they arose next early morning, the guy said, “Provide me personally leave to consult with my learn.”… He considered all of them, “Don’t decrease myself, since YHWH has made my personal errand successful. Bring myself exit which i might go to my grasp.”

From here up to verse 65, the fresh servant is apparently dealing with Isaac as he claims “my learn;” this is certainly obvious when he teaches you so you can Rebecca just who the man dealing with them is actually.

Why was the storyline reworked to really make the initiative for the is why and never Isaac’s? In the first place, the fresh Abraham and you will Isaac stories was basically separate Г¶verlГ¤gsen webbplats fГ¶r internationella studenter way of life, and you will just weren’t linked: Isaac was not Abraham’s son. Meanwhile, Isaac with his young buck Jacob-the daddy out-of Israel-belonged to help you a simultaneous, separate, national society.