BETHUEL

(Be·thu’el) [perhaps, abode of God].

1. Abraham’s nephew, born to his brother Nahor by Milcah. (Gen. 22:20, 22) Bethuel became father to Rebekah and Laban. (Gen. 22:23; 24:15, 24, 29) He later acknowledged the divine direction that brought Abraham’s slave to his home in search of a wife for Isaac, saying, along with Laban, “From Jehovah this thing has issued.” (Gen. 24:50) He is called a Syrian or Aramaean, dwelling in the flatlands of Aram.—Gen. 25:20; 28:2, 5.

2. A comparison of the lists of towns given at Joshua 15:30; 19:4 and 1 Chronicles 4:30 indicates that this town is also called Bethul and Chesil. It was in the southern part of the territory of Judah but assigned to the tribe of Simeon as an enclave city. It, therefore, appears also to be the “Bethel” referred to at 1 Samuel 30:27 as one of the places to which David sent portions of spoil as a gift. A tentative identiflcation is with Khirbet el-Qaryatein, about twelve miles (19 kilometers) S of Hebron; although some prefer Khirbet er-Ras about fourteen miles (23 kilometers) to the W of this site.—See CHESIL.