1

So in Genesis 24 we have the narrator's description of the task that Abraham gives his oldest servant, namely, finding a wife for Isaac from Abraham's own country and family. This story is 66 verses long and basically consists of the entire chapter. However, smack dab in the middle of the story, beginning at 24:34, is Abraham's servant's recounting of the whole story up until that point, which itself is 14 verses long (ending around 24:48).

Now, from what I understand, Biblical authors, especially those of the Old Testament, were somewhat limited by scroll length. So my question is, why is this story repeated twice in the text? I mean, I just read this, is this where ancient audiences sometimes fell asleep and the story had to be resumed? It just sticks out to me, especially when we have maddeningly few details about certain things such as the giants mentioned in Gen. 6 or Melchizedek in Gen. 18? If we can ascribe significance to the lack of details about these things, can we not also interpret a certain level of significance due to the repetition of such a drawn out and relatively... simple story (when compared to the bombastic nature of say, the Exodus or God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, or even the mystery and wonder of creation week itself)? The author(s) could have easily just wrote "and the servant told him all that had happened" in half a verse but they chose to completely reiterate it.

Is this sort of summary in the middle of a story common in ancient near-eastern story-telling? Is there a reason for this? Does this happen elsewhere in the Bible? And finally, what should I understand about the deeper significance of this story, given I'm basically reading it twice back to back?

Improve this question
3
  • 2
    Does this happen elsewhere in the Bible - off the top of my head, Acts 10 and 11 (Peter's visit to Cornelius). There's also that one chapter in Numbers that records the gifts from each tribe in detail a glorious twelve times. Commented Oct 18, 2024 at 14:20
  • This is simply ancient story telling. Commented Oct 18, 2024 at 22:01
  • 2
    Would this have anything to do with 'having 2 witnesses' as a way to confirm what is true? Commented Oct 19, 2024 at 2:18

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
0

In the Interpreter's Bible, John H. Marks suggests that Gen. 34:28 begins a once-separate narrative in which Rachel's brother Laban is the central male character, while in the earlier narrative it his her father, Bethuel. Prof. Marks speculates that the story of Laban derives from a later tradition dealing with Jacob rather than Isaac.

This, of course, presumes that Genesis is comprised of once-distinct sources which a later compiler joined together, rather than being an account dictated to Moses by God. Marks' hypothesis suggests a source outside of those mentioned in the usual documentary hypothesis.

One explanation as to why this story appears where it does is that the ultimate redactor of Genesis had before him more than account of what seemed to be the same event. Understanding both of them to be important, he wove one into the other. Bible critics believe it is common to weave two sources together in this way in Genesis, and also - in the opposite case - to tell one story in several different ways so that it appears to be two or three separate events.

Note: Another example of this phenomena is found in the Samuel 16, where David is already Saul's armor-bearer, while in chapter 17 they seem to meet for the first time.

Improve this answer
2

In Genesis 24, the first 9 verses give us the wording of Abraham's charge to his chief servant.

The next 56 verses relate the whole story, from the servant setting out till returning to Abraham, mission accomplished.

From verses 33 to 44 (11 verses) the servant relates to Laban the commission Abraham had given him, and how it began to work out, up till that point in time. This was all news to Laban, and it was his permission that would be needed to secure the goal of the mission. A good idea is to read what to you and I is a reiteration from the point of view of Laban, who was hearing of it for the first time. Then we can understand why he was convinced, and blessed his daughter Rebekah going off with this heretofore stranger, to be married to someone neither of them had ever met.

The entire account shows the miraculous hand of God in prompting Abraham to send his servant off, the servant's obedience and astonishing success after he had prayed to God for a sign. God granted that sign. Everyone involved had to be utterly convinced that this was of God.

Not a soul involved in that amazing series of events would have fallen asleep at any point, be assured. If modern-day readers do find it a big yawn, that says more about them than it does of ancient ways of writing about divinely significant historic events.

To specifically answer the specific questions at the end: Yes, such summaries mid-account are seen elsewhere in the Old Testament. The reason for each recounting will be revealed to the astute reader who discovers context and related events; and, based on the good teaching technique of, Repetition for Emphasis, patient readers should attain maximum (and accurate) recall.

Improve this answer

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.