Whenever I across a Christian who acts like he's an expert on the bible. I simply ask him how well versed are you with the Hebrew bible and what type of method do you use to interpret the texts which your not sure about. 9 out of 10 admit they don't know Hebrew which is highly unsual for them as they are known for lying their way out when they get corned, but hey at least they've admitted to something.
Now that we've established that most Christians do not know Hebrew nor have that understanding on how to interpret the Hebrew texts. I would like to focus on a specific topic which Christian are unaware of. The Age of Rebecca when she got Married to Isaac?.
This subject has been discussed by many Christians mainly low level apologist who again have no idea of the Hebrew language and tried using their own interpretations which only backfired on them. The most obvious argument they make is the bible does not tell us Rebecca's Age at all you won't find it anywhere. Seems like a valid argument that's only if you read the English translation you won't find the age of Rebecca, but does this apply with the Hebrew text and the Answer is No. Before we get into the actual age given in the Hebrew bible I would like to show how certain words can give us a full picture of what the subject is for example :
A baby is not an infant nor is an infant an adolescent nor is an adolescent a teenager nor is a teenager and old man or women. Each word gives a picture of who we are referring to the words are only meant for that specific person. Each word will only fit that age. Just like me say he is an old man I'm not speaking of a baby or an infant or even a teenager rather I'm specifying who and what age the person fits in just by using this specific word which is only meant for that age category. This also applies for Arabic and Hebrew texts certain words would only apply on Specific object or subject. Now let's read from the book of Genesis and show old old was Rebecca.
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Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. And the girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar, and came up.
(Genesis 24:15-16)
Just to have a little background info on the above passage The beginning of chapter 24 you'll read that Abraham was old and asked his servant to go find his son Isaac a Wife. So his servant who made an oath to find Isaac a wife set off on his he came to a water well where he found Rebecca. The interesting part comes when we read verse 15 :
"And the girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar, and came up." Verse 15. The question is was Rebecca really a girl as the bible states if so how Old? The Hebrew text gives us the answer.
The Hebrew text used for girl is NAAR! Now this word NAAR in Hebrew means child of 10 years or less
Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics defines the word as someone who is a “minor”, “very young person, including a baby”:
“MINOR*
A. DEFINITION OF THE TERM
Katan (minor) and yeled (child are Hebrew terms used interchangeable. The term yeled in the Bible is used for a human being from birth through adulthood, including an infant (tinok), a lad (NAAR), a youth (elem), and even a fetus (ubar). The term Katan refers to a very young person, particularly when compared to an older person. In Jewish law, the term Katan distinguishes a minor from an adult with regard to legal rights and responsibilities. The Halakhic age of a katan is defined differently in accordance with specific laws.
The word naar refers to a VERY YOUNG PERSON, INCLUDING A BABY. The word is also used to denote a maid or servant.” (Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics: A compilation of Jewish medical law on all topics of medical interest, from the most ancient sources to the most current deliberations and decisions, with a concise medical and historical background, and a comprehensive analysis of relevant general ethical approaches [Translated by Fred Rosner, M. D., An updated and edited English version of the Hebrew 1998/ 1988, edition 2003] compiled and written by Avraham Steinberg, M.D., volume 1, page 679)
scholars Johann Buxtorf and Franz Delitzsch write on the word Na’ar:
“2. N’r II. Johann Buxtorf connects na’ar with n’r II, ‘shake off.’ A na’ar is a ‘LITTLE BOY, AN INFANT,’ IN THAT HE HAS BEEN ‘FORCED OUT OF HIS MOTHER’S WOMB.’ Franz Delitzsch takes as his starting point the striking use of n’r in the Pentateuch to refer to a FEMALE, concluding that ‘originally it denoted a NEW-BORN INFANT OF EITHER SEX,’ since it ‘is an ancient derived noun with the meaning ‘shaking off, bringing forth’ (cf. Job 39:3), concretely: that which has been brought forth, offspring.’” (9. F. Delitzsch, ‘Pentateuch-Kritisce Studien. VIII, ‘Seitschrift fur Wissenschaft und Kirkliches Leben, 1 (1880), 393-99.) (Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, by (edited) G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Jozef Fabry, [William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.K., translated by David E. Green, 1998], Volume 9, page 475)
A complete Hebrew and English critical and pronouncing dictionary:
“נַעֲרָ na’ar. … A lad, youth, son, a young servant, an INFANT, or NEW-BORN BABE, because just liberated from the womb. Jud. 13:17. Exod. 2:6. Gen. 24:19. 2 Sam. 13:33. …” (A complete Hebrew and English critical and pronouncing dictionary: on a new and improved plan, containing all the words in the Holy Bible, Both Hebrew and Chaldee, with the vowel points, prefixes and Affixes, as they stand in the original text: Together with their derivation, literal and etymlogical meaning, as it occurs in every part of the Bible and illustrated by numerous citations from the Targums, Talmud and cognate Dialects. [New York: Published by Collins, Keese & Co., 230 Pearl Street, University Press – J. F. Trow, Printer, 1837] by William L. Roy (profesor of oriental Languages in New York), page 516 – 517)
Hebrew-English Lexicon:
“נַעֲרָ m. (with suff. …; pl. …). – INFANT. – II. BOY. – III. Youth. – IV. Servant. …” (Hebrew-English Lexicon – Containing all the Hebrew And Chaldee words in the Old Testament Scriptures, with their meanings in English [BJT – Maltae terricolis linguae, coelestibus una – London: Samuel Bagster And Sons, Limited, New York – james Pott & Co., 1898], page 169)
A Complete Hebrew-English Pocket-Dictionary to the Old Testament:
“נַעֲרָ (na’ar) pt. נַעֲרָ, pt. p. …, to shake, to stir; to shake out. – Ni. … fut. …, to share oneself free from, to get rid of; to be shaken off. – Pi. …, fut., to shake, push, drive away. – Hith. … to shake oneself from. נַעֲרָ (na’ar) m, w.s. … pl. …, c. …, CHILD, boy, youth; servant; male; maid, GIRL.” (A Complete Hebrew-English Pocket-Dictionary to the Old Testament, [Third edition, Berlin – Schoneberg (Prof. G. Langenscheidt), Langenscheidtsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, London, W. C. H. Grevel & Co. New York, The International News company – Johannesburg: Hermann Michaelis, third edition] by Professor Karl Feyerabend, Ph, D. page 218 – 219)
We also read Rebecca had her own NURSE, its so obvious why she had a NURSE because she was a little girl!
Send me away that I may go to my master." And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes." Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go. Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men (Genesis 24:57:59)
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Here's more evidence from the bible that NAAR means baby or up to 10 years old.
When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby (NAAR) was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”(Exodus 2:6)
Moses answered, "We will go with our young (NAAR) and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD." (Exodus 10:9)
Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, "Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy (NAAR) and was afraid. (Judges 8:20)
Then Manoah prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child (NAAR) who will be born.” (Judges 13:8)
Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child (NAAR) grew up and the LORD blessed him. (Judges 13:24)
And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young(NAAR). (1 Samuel 1:24)
"Start running," he told the boy, "so you can find the arrows as I shoot them." So the boy (NAAR) ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. (1 Samuels 20:36)
David pleaded with God for the child (NAAR). He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. (2 Samuel 12:16)
Hadad fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites from his father's servants. At the time Hadad was a small boy (NAAR). (1 kings 11:17)
young men and women, old men and children (NAAR). (Psalm 148:12)
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Even the book of Jasher confirms Rebecca was 10 years old. Note Joshua
10:13 speaks of the book of Jasher as a book of Authority to confirm the sun standing still
(THE BOOK OF JASHAR 24:37-45)
37. And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Eliezer, for the sake of his servant Abraham, and he happened to meet with the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, brother to Abraham, and Eliezer came to her house.
38. And Eliezer related to them all his concerns, and that he was Abraham’s servant, and they greatly rejoiced at him.
39. And they all blessed the Lord who brought this about, and they gave him, Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, for a wife for Isaac.
40. And the young woman was of very comely appearance, she was a virgin, and Rebecca was ten years old in those days.
41. And Bethuel and Laban and his children made a feast on that night, and Eliezer and his men came and ate and drank and rejoiced there on that night.
42. And Eliezer rose up in the morning, he and the men that were with him, and he called to the whole household of Bethuel, saying, send me away that I may go to my master; and they rose up and sent away Rebecca and her nurse Deborah, the daughter if UZ and they gave her silver and gold , men servants and maid servants, and they blessed her.
43. And they sent Eliezer away with his men; and the servants took Rebecca, and he went and returned to his master to the land of Canaan.
44. And Isaac took Rebecca and she became his wife, and he brought her into the tent.
45. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca, the daughter of his uncle Bethuel, for a wife.
We can now conclude with utmost certainty that Rebecca was 10 years old when she Married Isaac.
Thanks to Kaleef K. Karim for his research and reference from discover the truth
