How does Genesis 24:55 reflect ancient Near Eastern marriage customs? Text of Genesis 24:55 “But her brother and her mother said, ‘Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.’ ” Immediate Narrative Setting Abraham’s servant has concluded the betrothal of Rebekah to Isaac by giving costly gifts (vv. 22, 53) and receiving verbal consent from her brother Laban and her mother. The servant now seeks to return to Canaan quickly (v. 56), while Rebekah’s family asks for a brief delay. This moment captures a customary step between the formal betrothal and the physical transfer of the bride. Family Authority and Negotiation in Betrothal 1 . Parental and sibling involvement was standard across the ancient Near East. Legal tablets from Nuzi (HSS 5 67; HSS 19 76) and letters from Mari (ARM X 22) show brothers and mothers negotiating marriage terms alongside or in place of the father when the father was absent or deceased—precisely Rebekah’s situation (her father Bethuel is mentioned but silent). 2 . The request “ten days or so” parallels formulaic grace-period clauses in Hurrian contracts from Nuzi (“for one or two months let her stay until the household is satisfied”) and in Middle Assyrian laws (§29, “the bride shall stay ten days in her father’s house after the contract”). These clauses allowed the family to celebrate, make preparations, and ensure the dowry and trousseau were ready. Bride’s Post-Betrothal Transitional Period The betrothal legally bound the couple, yet social custom granted the bride time to say farewell, receive instruction, and adjust emotionally. Ugaritic wedding liturgies (KTU 1.116) describe seven-day household feasts before departure. Genesis records a similar pattern in Jacob’s “bridal week” with Leah (Genesis 29:27). The ten-day request for Rebekah fits the same rhythm of one-to-two-week intervals. Hospitality and Protective Delay Near-Eastern hospitality demanded that an honored guest (the servant) not be rushed off. Simultaneously, a family’s honor required demonstrating reluctance to part with a valued daughter too quickly. The pause also protected against any hint of coercion, confirming the bride’s free consent (v. 58, “I will go”). Nuzi marriage contracts punish a husband who removes a bride “by force” without the father’s permission. Gift Exchange, Bride-Price, and Dowry Abraham’s servant has already delivered the mohar (bride-price) in jewelry and garments (vv. 22, 53). The ten-day window allowed Laban and his mother to assemble Rebekah’s dowry—household goods she would bring to Isaac. Tablets from Alalakh (AT 28) specify that the trousseau be inventoried and dispatched shortly after the mohar is paid, often within ten days. Comparison with Extrabiblical Evidence • Nuzi Tablet HSS 5 67: “After the gifts are accepted, the girl shall remain thirty days, then she shall go to her husband’s house.” • Middle Assyrian Law §29: “When the contracting parties have eaten bread together, the bride shall stay ten days with her father.” • Mari Letter ARM X 22: A brother asks a governor for two weeks to outfit his sister before she travels to her betrothed. Such records confirm that a brief, negotiable interval was routine, and Genesis 24:55 fits comfortably inside that legal-cultural envelope. Archaeological Corroboration Excavations at Nuzi (Yorghan Tepe) yielded marriage tablets dated c. 1500 BC that match the Patriarchal milieu. The presence of camel bones in early second-millennium strata at Tel el-Maskhuta and Bir es-Safi aligns with the servant’s camel caravan (Genesis 24:10), underscoring historical consistency. Clay seal impressions from Tell el-Dab‘a depict dowry chests being loaded for transport, echoing Rebekah’s departure with “her maids” (v. 61). Consistency within Scripture Later Mosaic law institutionalizes a year-long post-betrothal period for a newly married man to “stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has taken” (Deuteronomy 24:5), reflecting the same concern for relational transition. Judges 14:8 shows Samson returning “after some days” to claim his Philistine bride, another example of an agreed interlude. Theological Significance The custom underscores God’s providential ordering of family structures: parental stewardship, voluntary consent, and measured pacing safeguard the covenant of marriage. Rebekah’s final word—“I will go”—reveals personal faith aligning with divine promise (Genesis 24:7). In the larger redemptive arc, this marriage preserves the messianic line culminating in Christ’s resurrection, the guarantee of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). |
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