Meaning of the Name Rebekah
Rebekah comes from the Hebrew form "Rivqah." Its etymology is not certain in every detail; many studies relate it to the semantic field of "to bind," "to tie," or figuratively someone who captivates. So common explanations exist, but the exact nuance is debated.
Origin
The name Rebekah is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Rebekah in the Bible?
Rebekah is the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob. In Genesis she is a decisive figure in the continuation of Abraham's line, especially in the story of Jacob's blessing. The name is chiefly associated with this matriarch.
The story of Rebekah in the Bible
Rebekah's story begins when Abraham's servant travels to Aram-Naharaim to find a wife for Isaac. At the well the servant asks God for a sign; Rebekah not only gives him water but offers to water his camels, and by this generous act shows she is the one being sought. When her family asks, she herself agrees to go. Isaac marries her and loves her; the narrative notes he was comforted after his mother's death. For a long time she has no children; Isaac prays for his wife, and Rebekah conceives twins. Troubled by the struggle within her, she inquires of the LORD and learns that two nations are in her womb and the older will serve the younger. Esau and Jacob are born; Rebekah favors Jacob, helps secure the paternal blessing for him when Isaac grows old, and sends him to her brother Laban in Harran when Esau's anger flares. In the New Testament, Paul points to her twins when speaking of God's choice. She is remembered as a decisive figure in carrying Abraham's promised line onward.
Is Rebekah mentioned in the Quran?
The name Rebekah does not appear in the Quran; in the Bible she appears in Genesis as Isaac's wife and the mother of Esau and Jacob.
Verses where Rebekah appears
- Genesis 24:15 —
Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.
- Genesis 24:67 —
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
- Romans 9:10 —
Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.