Rebecca*, Rebekah — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Rebekah’s father was Bethuel, who in turn was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham’s brother (Gn 22:20-23). Abraham was her great-uncle and eventually, of course, her father-in-law. Laban, the father of Leah and Rachel, was her brother. Thus her son Jacob married his two cousins, who were sisters.

Show passage in OET: GEN 22:20–23

OET-RV GEN 22:20

20 Some time later, Avraham heard the news, Look, your brother Nahor’s wife Milkah has also given birth to sons:

OET-RV GEN 22:21

21 Uts (Uz) his eldest son, and Buz his brother and Kemuel, the father of Aram,

OET-RV GEN 22:22

22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Yidlaf, and Betuel.”

OET-RV GEN 22:23

23 ⇔Those are the eight sons that Milkah gave birth to for Avraham’s brother Nahor, and Betuel went on to father Rivkah.

OET-LV GEN 22:20

20 And_he/it _was after the_things the_these and_it _was _told to_ʼAⱱrāhām to_say THERE Milkāh also she she _has _borne children to_Nāḩōr your(ms)_brother/kindred.

OET-LV GEN 22:21

21 DOM ˊŪʦ his/its_firstborn and_DOM Būz his/its_brother and_DOM Qəmū^ʼēl the _father _of ʼArām.

OET-LV GEN 22:22

22 And_DOM Kesed and_DOM Hazo and_DOM Pildash and_DOM Jidlaph and_DOM Bətū^ʼēl.

OET-LV GEN 22:23

23 And_Bətū^ʼēl he _fathered DOM Riⱱqāh eight_sons these Milkāh she _bore to_Nāḩōr the _brother _of ʼAⱱrāhām.

Jump to OET GEN 22:20–23 section.

Genesis 24 is the account of the successful search by Abraham’s servant for a wife for Isaac. He went to Aram-naharaim (northwest Mesopotamia) in obedience to Abraham, who did not want his son to marry a local Canaanite. In answer to the servant’s prayer, Rebekah not only gave a drink to the man but also watered his camels. After a certain amount of hospitality was extended and payment was made, Rebekah willingly went to meet her new husband.

Rebekah bore twins, Esau and Jacob (25:20-27). She preferred Jacob, the younger, over Esau and was a party to the deception of her husband in securing the right of the firstborn for Jacob. Disguising Jacob to feel, look, and smell like Esau the outdoorsman was her idea. She also prepared Isaac’s favorite dish in order to facilitate the event (27:5-17).

Show passage in OET: GEN 25:20–27

OET-RV GEN 25:20

20 and Yitshak was forty years old when he married Rivkah. (She was the daughter of Betuel the Aramean from Padan -Aram, the sister of Lavan (Laban) the Aramean.)

OET-RV GEN 25:21

21 In due course, Yitshak prayed to Yahweh on his wife’s behalf because she was barren. Yahweh answered his prayer and his wife Rivkah got pregnant,

OET-RV GEN 25:22

22 but the twins kept jostling each other within her womb, so she asked, “Why’s this happening to me?” She also asked Yahweh about it

OET-RV GEN 25:23

23 and he responded,
⇔ “There’s two nations inside your womb—
⇔ two different peoples will come from within you.
⇔ One group will become stronger than the other,
⇔ and the older will serve the younger.”

OET-RV GEN 25:24

24 When the time came to give birth, she gave birth to twin boys.

OET-RV GEN 25:25

25 The firstborn came out quite red and covered with hair like a fur coat, so they named him ‘Esav’ (Esau) (which means ‘hairy’).

OET-RV GEN 25:26

26 Then his brother was born and his hand grabbed Esav’s heel, so he was named ‘Ya’akov’ (Jacob) (which means ‘heel-grabber’). Yitshak (Isaac) was sixty years old when they were born.

OET-RV GEN 25:27

27 As the boys grew up, Esav (Esau) got good at hunting, a man of the outdoors, but Ya’akov (Jacob) was a quiet man who stayed around the tents.

OET-LV GEN 25:20

20 And_he/it _was Yiʦḩāq a _son _of forty year[s] when_took_he DOM Riⱱqāh the _daughter _of Bətū^ʼēl the_ʼArammiy from_Paddan- aram the _sister _of Lāⱱān the_ʼArammiy to_him/it to/for_(a)_woman.

OET-LV GEN 25:21

21 And_ Yiʦḩāq _he _prayed to/for_YHWH to_the _front _of his/its_wife/woman if/because was_barren she and_he _was _entreated to_him/it YHWH and_ Riⱱqāh his/its_wife/woman _she/it _conceived/became _pregnant.

OET-LV GEN 25:22

22 And_ the_children _they _struggled _together in_her _inward _of_part[s] and_she/it _said if thus to/for_what this am_I and_she _went to_consult DOM YHWH.

OET-LV GEN 25:23

23 And_ YHWH _he/it _said to/for_her/it two _of nations are_in_womb _of_your and_two _of peoples from_your(pl)_inward _of_parts they _will _separate and_a _people more_than _a _people it _will _be _strong and_the_great_one it _will _serve the_young_one.

OET-LV GEN 25:24

24 And_ days _of_her _they _were _completed to_give _birth and_BEHOLD/LO/SEE twins were_in_womb _of_her.

OET-LV GEN 25:25

25 And_ the_first _he/it _went _out red of _him _of_all was_like_a _cloak _of hair and_they _called his/its_name ˊĒsāv.

OET-LV GEN 25:26

26 And_after thus his/its_brother he _came _out and_hand _of_his was_holding on_the _heel _of ˊĒsāv and_he/it _called his/its_name Yaˊₐqoⱱ/(Jacob) and_Yiʦḩāq/(Isaac) was_a _son _of sixty year[s] when_fathered DOM_them.

OET-LV GEN 25:27

27 And_ the_lads _they _grew _up and_ ˊĒsāv _he/it _was a _man who_knew hunting a _man _of the_open _country and_Yaˊₐqoⱱ was_a _man quiet who_dwelt tents.

Jump to OET GEN 25:20–27 section.

Scripture records little more of her life but does report that she was buried next to her husband in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre (49:31).