Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

Biblical Person · Old · Patriarchal

Rebekah

Rebekah was the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob, playing a crucial role in the continuation of the Abrahamic covenant through Jacob.

AI-assisted summary — may contain inaccuracies.

Family

Parents
Bethuel (father)

Children
Esau  ·  Jacob

Where Rebekah appears

30 verses across 2 books.

Gen29×Rom1×

Verses mentioning Rebekah

  • Gen 22:23 — And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
  • Gen 24:15 — And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
  • Gen 24:29 — And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.
  • Gen 24:30 — And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; an
  • Gen 24:45 — And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray th
  • Gen 24:51 — Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken.
  • Gen 24:53 — And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
  • Gen 24:58 — And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
  • Gen 24:59 — And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.
  • Gen 24:60 — And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
  • Gen 24:61 — And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
  • Gen 24:64 — And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
  • Gen 24:67 — And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
  • Gen 25:20 — And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
  • Gen 25:21 — And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
  • Gen 25:28 — And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
  • Gen 26:7 — And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fai
  • Gen 26:8 — And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
  • Gen 26:35 — Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.
  • Gen 27:5 — And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
  • Gen 27:6 — And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
  • Gen 27:11 — And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
  • Gen 27:15 — And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
  • Gen 27:42 — And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposin
  • Gen 27:46 — And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall
  • Gen 28:5 — And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
  • Gen 29:12 — And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
  • Gen 35:8 — But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.
  • Gen 49:31 — There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
  • Rom 9:10 — And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
Voices from the tradition

The Church Fathers on Rebekah

Patristic commentary on the Scriptures that name Rebekah.

Isaac means "rejoicing." The inquisitive king saw him playing with his wife and helpmate, Rebekah. The king (his name was Abimelech) represents, I believe, a wisdom above this world, looking down upon the mystery signified by such childlike playing. Rebekah means "submission." Oh, what prudent playing! Rejoicing joined to submission,…

— Clement of Alexandria (215) on Gen 26:8

Rebekah followed the servant and comes to Isaac. The church followed the prophetic word, to be sure, and comes to Christ. Where does she find him? "Walking," the text says, "at the well of the oath." On no occasion is one withdrawn from wells; on no occasion does one stand apart from waters. Rebekah is found "at a well." Rebekah in…

First of all consider why it is that many holy women in the Scriptures are related to have been barren, as Sarah herself, and now Rebekah. But also Rachel, Israel's beloved, was barren. Hanna also, the mother of Samuel, is recorded to have been barren. But also in the Gospels Elizabeth is related to have been barren. Yet in all these…

Isaac too demonstrated the power of prayer when he prayed over Rebekah, and she gave birth.

— Aphrahat the Persian Sage (345) on Gen 25:21

By the joy [which he received] from Rebekah, who came three years later, Isaac was comforted from the mourning of his mother with which he had been shrouded for three years.

Accordingly Jacob received his brother's clothing, because he excelled the elder in wisdom. Thus the younger brother took the clothing of the elder because he was conspicuous in the merit of his faith. Rebekah presented this clothing as a symbol of the church; she gave to the younger son the clothing of the Old Testament, the prophetic…

Learning now that he had the desired end in view, "he brought out presents of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah." Then he waited on her with confidence, as though she were already betrothed in word to Isaac. He presented her brother and mother with gifts, and, when he saw the matter had worked out in accord with his…

See how much can be learned from these few words. I mean, why did it indicate to us Esau's age? Not idly, but for us to learn from it Isaac's advanced years and the fact that he was now well beyond his prime. You see, if we recall what was said before, that at the time he married Rebekah he was in fact forty years old, whereas when the…

(Verse 8) And Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died and was buried near Bethel. If the nurse of Rebekah named Deborah is dead, as the Septuagint interpreters also translated here, and the Hebrew word is Meneketh: we cannot know why they put 'substantiam' there, 'nutricem' here.

Historic voices touch this life

36 passages from 12 historic works cite verses that mention Rebekah.