“And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, thy mothers father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.”

And Jacob did as ordered.  His choice was limited to the two sisters.

THE COURTING OF REBEKAH

Isaac himself had even less liberty of choice than Jacob.  He courted Rebekah by proxy—­or rather his father courted her through her father, for him, by proxy!  When Abraham was stricken with age he said to his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had, and enjoined on him, under oath,

“thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I shall dwell; but thou shalt go into my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

And the servant did as he had been ordered.  He journeyed to the city of Mesopotamia where Abraham’s brother Nahor and his descendants dwelt.  As he lingered at the well, Rebekah came out with her pitcher upon her shoulder.  “And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her.”  And she filled her pitcher and gave him drink and then drew water and filled the trough for all his camels.  And he gave her a ring and two bracelets of gold.  And she ran and told her mother’s house what had happened.  And her brother Laban ran out to meet the servant of Abraham and brought him to the house.  Then the servant delivered his message to him and to Rebekah’s father, Bethuel; and they answered:  “Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife.”  And he wanted to take her next day, but they wished her to abide with them at the least ten days longer.  “And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.  And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man?  And she said, I will go.  And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.”  And Isaac was in the field meditating when he saw their camels coming toward him.  Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she lighted off her camel, and asked the servant who was the man coming to meet them; and when he said it was his master, she took her veil and covered herself.  And Isaac brought her into her mother’s tent and she became his wife, and he loved her.

Such is the story of the courting of Rebekah.  It resembles a story of modern courtship and love about as much as the Hebrew language resembles the English, and calls for no further comment.  But there is another story to consider; my critics accused me of ignoring the three R’s of Hebrew love—­Rachel, Rebekah, and Ruth.  “The courtship of Ruth and Boaz is a bold and pretty love-story.”  Bold and pretty, no doubt; but let us see if it is a love-story.  The following omits no essential point.