Rebekah

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Hebrew Rivqah (“a tying/binding,” often linked to a “cord”); a personal name used within the patriarchal narratives
• Period/Era: Patriarchal Period
• Main References: Genesis 24; 25:19–34; 27; 28:1–5
• Key Connections: Wife of Isaac; daughter of Bethuel; sister of Laban; mother of Esau and Jacob within the Abrahamic covenant family

Who was Rebekah?

Rebekah was a woman from Paddan-aram/Aram-naharaim brought into Isaac’s household through Abraham’s kin network (Genesis 24).
She became Isaac’s wife and a matriarch in the line of promise associated with Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 24:67; 25:19–23).
She bore twins, Esau and Jacob, shaping the genealogical development of Israel’s ancestral family (Genesis 25:24–26).
Her story centers on marriage arrangements, family lineage, and divine communication about her sons (Genesis 25:22–23).

Key Events & Achievements

• Event 1: Welcomed Abraham’s servant, provided water, and agreed to leave her family to marry Isaac (Genesis 24:15–28, 24:57–61).
• Event 2: Received an oracle during a difficult pregnancy indicating the future division and precedence of her sons (Genesis 25:22–23).
• Event 3: Directed Jacob to obtain Isaac’s blessing and later sent him to her relatives for marriage and safety (Genesis 27:6–17; 28:1–5).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Rebekah’s life shows how family decisions and divine announcements intersected in the formation of the patriarchal covenant lineage.

Key Verse

"The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”" — Genesis 25:23, ESV