But still, with one big difference: in other episodes that repeat this topos, the hero is a person

We end this our turnover in the footsteps of Abraham in chapter 24 of the book of Genesis. We are facing one of the longest episodes of Scripture (contained in a single chapter) and one of the most curious of the narrative point of view (*).
Was classified tw as belonging to the genus 'novel' tw - showing great literary quality - and turns out to be the first episode of the small 'cycle of Isaac' because, in the end, Abraham is completely absent, "as if he had already died" (E. Blum). tw Now this mini-cycle of Isaac (Genesis 24-26) bridges the gap between two patriarchal stories: that of Abraham (Genesis 12-25) and of Jacob / Joseph (Genesis 25-50). As several scholars tw have noted, the episodes of this mini-cycle work a little like a 'missagra' tw retaking some episodes from the life of Abraham (cf. Genesis 20 and Genesis 26 with 21.22 to 34) and others anticipating the life of Jacob / Joseph (compare tw Gn and Gn 24.10 to 32 29.1 to 14, or even more generally, the theme of divine tw providence of the "story of Joseph").
The story of the marriage of Isaac differs greatly from other steps of the Hebrew Bible, relating to customs tw and wedding rituals. However, it resembles with a more specifically with the patriarch tw Jacob (see Genesis 29), with the leader and prophet Moses (see Exodus 2), or with a literary topos used at the wedding of some biblical heroes and heroines great degree of irony in the foreign Ruth (see Book of Ruth).
But still, with one big difference: in other episodes that repeat this topos, the hero is a person who goes and finds his bride; in the case of Isaac, however (note that it is the only patriarch who does not leave the borders of Palestine!), the bride is visited by an emissary of Abraham, between his "kinship". Ie, there is a mix in this episode tw (intentional) between the tops of the hero in search of a bride and formula messenger / courier, which has Sitz im Leben your in court (cf., eg, 2 Kings 18.19-35 ).
Therefore, the author of this narrative is not limited to using a current literary genre, but it adapts and develops it; so this text clearly belongs to the genus midráchico, we saw also applied in chapters of Genesis 20:26, which develop from 12.10 to 20 in this motif. In doing so, the author presents Abraham with real traces (which is not at all new, just remember what we said earlier in relation to the priestly writing), which sends its "emissary" in search of a bride for his son .
But Genesis 24 also raises another issue: the issue of marriage with foreigners (see verse 3), a theme that permeates the mini-cycle of Isaac: but see the concern of Abraham, now, and Isaac, then to get a wife their children; and the folly of Esau, to marry the "daughters of the land" (Gen 26, 34, 27, 46). Examined closely, this chapter appears to be a "novel Diaspora ', related to the issue of the prohibition of marriage with foreigners, and anticipating tw thus the plot of the book of Tobit.
Within the Abraham cycle, this novel reveals the will of the patriarch fulfill requirements that prevent marriage tw with foreigners (such as we find in Deuteronomy 7,3-4 and in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah). For the authors of this text, it was important to urge member of Mesopotamian diaspora (v. 10th) to seek wife / husband within their 'family' religion (Judaism). tw Strictly speaking, tw the family of Nahor would certainly tw be "pagan", but is not that what transpires in the narrative, to the point of Laban (the idolater of the Jacob cycle) to address the emissary of Abraham with the words "blessed of the Lord" (v . 31), or to recognize that mission tw the protection and divine will (v. 50th).
Family ties, in fact, are prepared tw by the genealogical list of 22.20 to 24 (the descendants of Nahor, Abraham's brother) in order to align the text with the priestly writing, in which Jacob to Padan-Aram departed to seek offspring Abrahamic within the family. This does not prevent the end still remains some narrative incoherence: tw the later texts, which make Laban the son of Bethuel and grandson of Nahor, tw contrast with the primitive, which was regarded by Laban son of Nahor (Gen 29, 5 , 31, 53).
Firstly, it draws attention to the absence of full divine interventions (so characteristic of the patriarchal narratives). Instead, tw and as happens in the story of Joseph comes to "providence" divine, leading men's actions and allows them to be (or not) successful. This is all too evident in "prayer" of Abraham's servant, asking for a sign to the Lord, that will allow you to evaluate the success of your mission (cf. vv. 12-14).
Yahweh, the "God of Abraham", is also evoked as "God [Elohim] of heaven and earth" (v 3.), A title of universal flavor, and the way the environment they lived in the Persian period. tw The presentation, side by side, these two names ("Yahweh" and "Elohim") of God, reveals that the only use of "Yahweh" (God as "national" of Israel) begins to be problematic tw (and this