Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

2 3 : 1-2 5 : 1 8 GENESIS .& 1
and my brother (agree to this marriage) ’ . . . or (I do
this) of my own free will.’ The only thing, then, that is
missing is the penalty clause, which, mould surely be out
of place in a literary transcript” (ABG, 184-185). This
author takes the position, of course, that “there can be little
doubt that Bethuel was no longer alive at the time,- which
is why Laban was free to exercise his prerogatives as
brother.” The evidence cited to ’support this view, by
way of contrast with those suggested above, is (1) that in
v. 50, the listing of the father after the son is irregular;
(2) that what is worse, no gifts for the father are
mentioned in v. 53, although Rebekah’s “brother and
mother” are mentioned as recipients; (3) similarly, in v.
$5, it is again “her brother and her mother” who ask that
the prospective bride postpone her journey, whereas nothing
is said about the father. Various genealogical references
to Bethuel (vv. 15, 24; also 22:22, 23, and 1$:20) present
no difficulty, however. Speiser concludes: “The inclusion
of Bethuel in vs. $0 is due either to a marginal gloss inspired
by the genealogical references, or to some textual
misadventure” (ibid., 184). We have tried to present
all aspects of this problem: the student may draw his own
conclusions. It should be kept in mind that in any and
all such trivia no question of the fundamental integrity of
the Bible is involved.
3. Abraham’s Provisions for His Variows Lines (25:l-
18)
(1) The Line by Keturah (25:1-4)
1 And Abraham took another wife, and her name
was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, lmzd Johhan,
and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shah. 3 And
Jokshan begat Skeba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan
were Asshrim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the
sons of Midian: Ephab, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida,
and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
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