riages were considered the most eligible by the Naḥorites (2919).—49. that I may turn, etc.] not to seek a bride elsewhere (Di.), but generally 'that I may know how to act.'
50-61. Departure of Rebekah, with the consent and blessing of her relatives.—50. The relatives, recognising the hand of Providence in the servant's experiences, decline to answer bad or good: i.e., anything whatever, as 3124. 29, Nu. 2413 etc.
The v. as a whole yields a perfectly good sense: 'we cannot speak,
because Yahwe has decided'; and 51 is a natural sequel. It is a serious
flaw in Gu.'s analysis of 50ff., that he has to break up 50, connecting (
Hebrew characters)
with 51, and the rest of the v. with 57f. ('we cannot speak: let
the maiden decide').—On the other hand, (Hebrew characters) in 50 is barely consistent
with (Hebrew characters) in 53. 55. Since the mention of the father after the
brother would in any case be surprising, Di. al. suppose that here
again (Hebrew characters) is an interpolation; Kit. reads (Hebrew characters), and Ho. substitutes
(Hebrew characters). Gu. (219) considers that in this recension Bethuel is a younger
brother of Laban.
51. Here, at all events, the matter is settled in accordance
with custom, without consulting the bride.—53. The
presents are given partly to the bride and partly to her
relatives. In the latter we may have a survival of the (Hebrew characters)
(3412, Ex. 2216, 1 Sa. 1825† ) or purchase-price of a wife; but
Gu. rightly observes that the narrative springs from a more
refined idea of marriage, from which the notion of actual
purchase has all but disappeared. So in Islam mahr and
ṣadaḳ (the gift to the wife) have come to be synonymous
terms for dowry (KM2, 93, 96): cf. Benzinger, Arch.2 106.—55.
The reluctance to part with Rebekah is another indication
of refined feeling (Gu.). On (Hebrew characters), v.i.—56. The
servant's eagerness to be gone arises from the hope of finding
his old master still alive.—57, 58. The question here put to
Rebekah is not whether she will go now or wait a few days,
53. (Hebrew characters) (Ezr. 16, 2 Ch. 213 3223† )] 'costly gifts,' fr. [root] (Hebrew characters), Ar. maǧada
= 'be noble.'—55. (Hebrew characters)] GSV read (Hebrew characters); and so SV and many Greek
curss. in 53.—(Hebrew characters)] 'a few days, say ten,' is a fairly satisfying rendering
(G (Greek characters)); 'a year or ten months' (TO Ra.) is hardly admissible.
But the text seems uncertain: [E] (Hebrew characters); S (Syriac characters)
(cf. 2914). In deference to [E]S we may insert (Hebrew characters) before (Hebrew characters): 'a month
or at least ten days' (Ols. Ba.).—(Hebrew characters)] probably 3rd fem. (so all Vns.).*
