Why Bethuel Vanished When Eliezer Gave Gifts to Rebekah's Family

"And he gave precious things to her brother and to her mother" (Genesis 24:53). He brought out kinds of choice fruits and gave them to them. "Her brother and her mother" — and where was Bethuel? They said concerning him: that very angel of whom Abraham said to Eliezer, "He will send His angel" (Genesis 24:7), switched the dish in which there was the poison of death that was set before Eliezer, and placed it before Bethuel, and he ate it and died. And some say that an angel struck him down, because every virgin who would be married in that place — Bethuel would lie with her first; and so that he would not lie with his own daughter, the angel came and struck him down. Another explanation: that the men of his place said, "Now we shall see what he will do with his daughter. If he lies with his daughter as with the other daughters, just as he lies with our daughters, well and good; but if not, we shall kill him and all that is his." The angel struck him down over this matter on that very night. And therefore his name was called Bethuel, for he would lie with the virgin (betulah) first.