… Sarah will not can be found in ch. 24. Looking right back along side story, the fresh reference was merely to the daddy who, early in the newest chapter, believed that he was next to death. It is possible therefore that the finishing phrase went: ‘Therefore Isaac are comforted pursuing the loss of their dad.’…
Gunkel’s solution is not enough, although not. His dispute one to “in the event the servant relates to Isaac, Isaac informs your you to definitely his father keeps passed away on the interim,” ignores the truth that the slave means Isaac because “his grasp” through to the one or two got a chance to cam (v. 65), from which point, the new servant do not have understood you to Abraham got passed away. Additionally, the fresh find regarding Isaac wanting spirits to own his mom’s passing connects obviously so you’re able to Sarah death (ch. 23), which means that there is no valid reason in order to emend the verse so you’re able to “father.”
Good Fragment off Traditions
I will suggest one to to start with it had been Isaac, allegedly by himself step, which sends from their slave to obtain your a partner. Thus, in the event that servant productivity having Rebecca, he presents their straight away to Isaac.
Once i argue within my “Isaac prior to He was Abraham’s Child” (TheTorah 2020), Abraham had previously been an independent patriarch, which served by yourself because “father” of the nation
An editor changed the bulk of brand new narrative (vv. 1–52), you to definitely to begin with concerned about Isaac only, to provide Abraham given that person who looked after their young man and you may arranged for their matrimony prior to his demise. Therefore, the guy identifies “his grasp Abraham” (vv. twelve, twenty-seven, 42, 48) and that is titled “Abraham’s slave” (vv. 34, 52), and far of your own conversation is about the slave looking for a spouse to the master’s young buck.
Good fragment of first type of the narrative are maintained from v. 53, and that makes reference to the servant’s gift so you’re able to Rebecca’s sis and mommy, through to the prevent of your narrative, in just a handful of article glosses (vv. 59, and you can 67a).
Right here, the fresh new slave is actually described only just like the “the fresh slave” otherwise “the guy” (vv. 53, Tjejer chatta app 58, 61, 65 [twice], 66), that could exactly as be easily a regard to Isaac’s servant. Far more significantly, starting with verse 54, we discover “the servant” talking with Rebecca’s mother and you can sister from the “my master” (vv. 54, 56) as opposed to “my learn Abraham” (as with vv. several, twenty seven, 35–37, 39, 42, 48):
?????? ??:?? ????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????? ????????? ???????????. ??:?? ??????????? ???????????? ???? ????????????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ???????? ????????? ??????????? ????????. ??:?? ????????? ??????? ??? ?????????? ????? ???????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????????? ????????.
Gen Brand new servant introduced things from gold and silver, and you will clothes, and you will offered these to Rebecca; and then he provided gift ideas so you can their brother along with her mom. He then together with guys with him ate and you may taken, and so they spent the night time. When they emerged 2nd early morning, he told you, “Offer me get-off to see my learn.”… The guy considered all of them, “Do not reduce me, given that YHWH has made my errand winning. Offer me personally get off that we may go to my grasp.”
From this point until verse 65, the brand new slave is apparently writing on Isaac as he claims “my master;” this will be obvious as he shows you to help you Rebecca exactly who the man addressing all of them try.
As to the reasons is the story reworked to help make the initiative on the is why and never Isaac’s? To start with, the fresh new Abraham and you may Isaac stories was basically separate life, and weren’t connected: Isaac wasn’t Abraham’s young man. At the same time, Isaac with his young buck Jacob-the daddy from Israel-belonged to a parallel, separate, national customs.