Did Isaac lie about Rebekah being his sister?

[tonychanyt]

Gen 24:

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.”

Laban was Rebekah's brother; Bethuel was her father. Laban was listed first because of his prominent role.

52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD. 53And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?”

Who were they?

She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!”

Gill explained:

This is to be understood of her brother Laban, and of other brethren and sisters she might have; though by the connection of the words with the preceding, they seem to design her brother and mother, who spoke last; and probably all her relations are meant, who call her their sister, because so nearly related to them

Two chapters later, even her husband called her his sister in Gen 26:

6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,”

Did Isaac lie?

In a sense, he didn't. They were second cousins. In an extended sense, Rebekah was Isaac's sister. Also in Song of Solomon 4:9, "my sister, my bride" referred to the same woman.

for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. 8When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

Why did you lie to me? Why did you mislead us?

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

Did Isaac lie about Rebekah being his sister?

According to the Hebrew usage of the word "sister", it allowed a degree of flexibility. However, in the case of Isaac, he deliberately used the term misleadingly to protect his safety. In his heart, he did lie; he did not tell the whole truth about his relationship with his wife.