Radiating God’s glory

The Profound Name

So, what happened before Rebekah fell? Isaac was coming from the way of Beer Lahai Roi (Gen. 24:62), meaning, the Well of The Living One Who Sees Me. This profound name tells us that, even after his binding on Mount Moriah, when Isaac disappeared from everyone else’s sight, he did not disappear from God’s sight. Not his earthly father, but his Heavenly Father Himself, restored him after the terrible shock he had gone through—The One Who Sees Me Lives. 

A dazzling appearance

After the time he had spent with God, some interpretations suggest that Isaac must have been simply glowing with God’s light and shining with God’s glory. Rashi (a well-known Torah commentator) writes about Rebekah and this initial meeting: “She saw his majestic appearance, and she was astounded by him.” Isaac is coming up out of the desert, radiating God’s light and dazzling Rebekah as she laid eyes on him for the first time. 
  

Hebrew reveals the amazing nuances

Maybe, this is an additional reason why “she took her veil and covered herself.” (Gen. 24:65) Of course, a bride had to be brought veiled into the presence of a bridegroom. However, both her falling off the camel, and covering herself makes more sense if we imagine Isaac shining and dazzling Rebekah. This is a wonderful example of the nuances that can only be understood in the original Hebrew. Enroll today in our live online Biblical Hebrew courses and discover the dazzling insights of the Hebrew Bible.