Rebekah

Rebekah (Rebecca) was the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. She was also the sister of Laban and the aunt of Jacob's future wives: Leah and Rachel. Rebekah first watered the camels of Abraham's servant who was sent to find a bride for his son Isaac. Rebekah then left her home with the servant and married Isaac. Rebekah later became the mother of Jacob and Esau and she helped Jacob deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the family blessing

At the Well
Scripture References Genesis 22:23; 24; 25:20-28; 26:6-35; 27:5-46;

28:5; 29:12; 35:8; 49:31; Romans9:6-16

Rebekah is first mentioned in Gen. 22: 23 as the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son. When Abraham was getting very old, he sent his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, from among the women of Abraham's home land. So the servant went out and stopped at a well to water his camels and he prayed that God would show him the proper woman for Isaac by allowing the right one to give him a drink and to water his camels for him. Before he finished speaking, Rebekah, who was very beautiful in appearance (Gen. 24: 16) came out and filled up her pitcher, and the servant asked if he could have a drink from her pitcher. Rebekah quickly gave the pitcher to him so that he could drink and she also watered his camels. Afterwards, the servant gave her a golden nose ring and two bracelets and he asked whose daughter she was and she replied her father was Bethuel and she offered him straw, feed and lodging in her home. After the servant praised God, Rebekah ran home to tell her mother what she had seen.

The Wife of Isaac
After hearing Rebekah's story, her brother Laban ran out to greet the servant and he invited him to stay at their home. After they ate, the servant told Rebekah's family of his mission and of his meeting with Rebekah and he requested that Rebekah come with him to be Isaac's wife. Laban and Bethuel then allowed Rebekah to go and the servant praised the Lord and gave Rebekah silver and gold jewelry and clothes and he gave gifts to Laban and her mother. The next day the servant requested to leave with Rebekah, but her family protested that she should stay ten more days, then she could go, but the servant pleaded with them, so they decided to ask Rebekah what she wanted to do and she decided to go then. So after a blessing from her family Rebekah took her nurse and her maids and rode on camel until she saw Isaac in the fields meditating. She asked the servant whom he was and he told her it was his master, so Rebekah took a veil and covered herself (Gen. 24: 65). Then after the servant reported to Isaac what had happened, Isaac took Rebekah into Sarah's tent and she became his wife and he loved her. not that much

The Mother of Jacob and Esau
Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah. Issac pleaded with God to give Rebekah children, and the Lord heard his request and granted it and Rebekah conceived. However, "the children struggled together within her" and Rebekah worried about what was wrong, so she went to ask the Lord. God told her that she had two nations, two people, or two sons within her womb and that one (Jacob) would be stronger than the other (Esau). When Rebekah gave birth the fisrt son to come out was Esau and the second, Jacob. Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah favored Jacob more.

In Gerar
Sometime after the birth of Esau and Jacob, there was a famine and Isaac and his family went to the king of the Philistines, King Abimelech. When Abimelech asked Isaac of Rebekah, he told them that she was his sister, so that he might not be killed because of her beauty. However, a long time later, Abimelech saw Isaac showing love to his wife, and he told Isaac to tell the truth, which he did confess that Rebekah was not his sister, but his wife.

Helping Jacob
When Isaac became old and he could not see, he told Esau to gather food for him so that he might bless his son, but Rebekah wanted Jacob to receive the family blessing instead. So she dressed him up in Esau's clothes and she put fur on him and prepared food for Isaac and sent Jacob to deceive Isaac. However, when Jacob received the blessing instead of Esau, Rebekah feared for Jacob's life and she told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban's house. Sometime yus nurse Deborah died and was buried. Rebekah's death is not mentioned in the Bible.

New Testament
Rebekah was mentioned by Paul in one of his letters to the churches in Romans 9: 10-12 about Rebekah being conceived through their ancestor Isaac and God's answer to Rebekah's prayer by saying to her "The older shall serve the younger".

Trivia

 * Rebekah means "to tie"
 * Rebekah was the first women in the Bible to be mentioned first by a well (others include Rachel and The Samaritan Woman)
 * Rebekah is Isaac's second cousin.

Family
Rebekah's family consisted of Laban, her brother, the father of Rachel and Leah, and her sons Jacob (the father of Israel) and Esau (the father of Edom).

Quotes

 * "Drink my lord." -Rebekah offering the servant a drink
 * "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." -Rebekah giving the servant's camels water
 * "I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, whom she bore to Nahor." -Rebekah telling the servant about her family
 * "Thus this man spoke to me." -Rebekah telling Laban about the servant
 * "I will go." -Rebekah agrees to go to Issac
 * "Who is this man walking in the field to meet us." -Rebekah sees Issac
 * "If all is well, why am I like this." -Rebekah wondering about her pain
 * “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.” -Rebekah instructing Jacob about the blessing
 * “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” -Rebekah easing Jacob's worries
 * “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?” -Rebekah telling Jacob to flee
 * “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” -Rebekah worries for Jacob