… Sarah will not are available in ch. 24. Searching back along side facts, new source was merely to the father who, at the beginning of new section, believed he had been close to death. It’s probable hence the finishing sentence ran: ‘Thus Isaac is comfortable following the death of his dad.’…

Gunkel’s solution is perhaps not enough, however. Their dispute that “if slave concerns Isaac, Isaac says to your you to their father has actually passed away on the interim,” ignores the point that the brand new servant describes Isaac due to the fact “their grasp” before a few got a chance to speak (v. 65), of which section, this new slave have no recognized that Abraham had died. Furthermore, this new notice on Isaac interested in spirits for his mother’s death connects without a doubt so you can Sarah dying (ch. 23), which means that there isn’t any good reason in order to emend new verse so you can “father.”

A Fragment out-of Customs

I recommend you to to begin with it had been Isaac, presumably by himself effort, which delivers off his servant to track down your a spouse. Therefore, if the slave output with Rebecca, he presents their own directly to Isaac.

As i dispute within my “Isaac ahead of He was Abraham’s Child” (TheTorah 2020), Abraham had previously been a different patriarch, which offered alone because “father” of the nation

A publisher changed the bulk of this new narrative (vv. 1–52), you to originally worried about Isaac only, to provide Abraham since the individual that looked after his son and setup to possess their relationship prior to his demise. Hence, the guy identifies “his learn Abraham” (vv. twelve, twenty-seven, 42, 48) and that’s titled “Abraham’s servant” (vv. 34, 52), and much of your conversation means brand new servant trying to find a beneficial partner towards master’s son.

A good fragment of your earliest version of the new story is actually kept off v. 53, and therefore makes reference to new servant’s gift to help you Rebecca’s aunt and mommy, before the avoid of story, with just a small number of editorial glosses (vv. 59, and you can 67a).

Right here, brand new slave try described only due to the fact “this new servant” otherwise “the person” (vv. 53, 58, 61, 65 [twice], 66), which will exactly as be easily a mention of the Isaac’s servant. A whole lot more rather, you start with verse 54, we find “the fresh servant” talking to Rebecca’s mom and you can sibling regarding the “my personal grasp” (vv. 54, 56) in the place of “my personal master Abraham” (such as vv. twelve, 27, 35–37, 39, 42, 48):

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

Gen New servant presented items out-of gold and silver, and you can clothing, and you will offered them to Rebecca; and then he provided merchandise to their cousin and her mommy. Then therefore the men which have him ate and you will ingested, and they invested the night. After they arose 2nd morning, he said, “Render me get off to go to my grasp.”… He thought to all of them, “Do not reduce me personally, now that YHWH made my errand successful. Promote me get-off that i might have to go on my master.”

From this point until verse 65, the new slave appears to be talking about Isaac as he says “my personal grasp;” this really is obvious when he explains to help you Rebecca whom the man addressing all of them try.

As to why are the story reworked to really make the initiative toward is the reason and never Isaac’s? To begin with, the fresh Abraham and Isaac tales were separate way of life, and UK dam singel you will weren’t linked: Isaac was not Abraham’s son. Meanwhile, Isaac along with his young man Jacob-the daddy out-of Israel-belonged so you’re able to a multiple, independent, federal customs.