Interesting Facts

• Bethuel is listed as one of the eight sons of Nahor and Milcah.
• He is identified as the father of Rebekah, who would later become the wife of Isaac.
• Jasher mentions that Bethuel also had a son named Laban, who plays a significant role in the story of Jacob.
• Bethuel, along with Laban, responds to Eliezer’s request for Rebekah to marry Isaac, indicating a role in familial decisions.
• Jasher records that the children of Bethuel, Sechar, Laban, and their sister Rebecca, were born in Haran.

Genealogy

• Bethuel was a grandson of Terah through his son Nahor, who was the brother of Abraham.
• His mother was Milcah, the daughter of Haran and sister of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
• He was one of the eight sons of Nahor and Milcah; his brothers included Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Kesed, Chazo, Pildash, and Tidlaf.
• Bethuel fathered Rebekah, who married Isaac.
• According to Jasher, Bethuel also fathered a son named Laban and another son named Sechar.

Historical Context

Bethuel’s life is situated in Haran, where Nahor and his family remained while Abraham journeyed to Canaan. This period precedes the central narrative of the Israelite covenant and the establishment of their lineage in the promised land. The growth of Nahor’s family in Haran represents a parallel expansion of Terah’s descendants in Mesopotamia. The narrative involving Bethuel gains prominence with Abraham’s concern for finding a suitable wife for his son Isaac from his kindred in his homeland. The journey of Abraham’s servant Eliezer to Nahor’s birthplace to seek a wife for Isaac directly involves Bethuel and his household, highlighting the cultural importance of maintaining familial ties and marrying within the extended family.

Narrative

Bethuel’s primary narrative role emerges in the context of finding a wife for Isaac. When Abraham sends his servant Eliezer to his kindred, Eliezer encounters Rebekah, Bethuel’s daughter, at a well. Rebekah identifies herself as the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor. Eliezer then goes to Bethuel’s house and recounts his mission. Bethuel, along with his son Laban, responds to Eliezer’s detailed account of the Lord’s guidance, acknowledging that the matter proceeds from the Lord and offering no objection to Rebekah’s departure with Eliezer to marry Isaac. This episode underscores Bethuel’s role as a patriarch within Nahor’s family, involved in significant familial decisions that have lasting implications for Abraham’s lineage and the unfolding of the patriarchal narratives. His consent to Rebekah’s marriage to Isaac is a crucial step in ensuring the continuation of Abraham’s promised seed through his extended family in Mesopotamia.