Jewish History: Biblical History: "Brothers" and "Sisters":
Does the Bible ever use the word "brother" or "sister" for more distant relatives?
Nieces and nephews were definitely sometimes called brothers
and sisters. For example, Lot was Abraham's nephew and Sarah
was his niece (based on identifying Yiscah with Sarai and her
father Haran with Abraham's brother Haran in Gen.11:29), but
Abraham refers to Lot as his brother (Gen.13:8,14:14), and
told various kings that Sarah was his sister (Gen.Chs.12 and 20),
Isaac and Rebekah were cousins once removed (Rebekah's father
Besuel was the son of Abraham's brother Nachor, so he was
Isaac's first cousin; see Gen.22:23), so when Isaac tells the
Philistines that Rebekah is his sister (Gen.26:7), he is
referring to his cousin as his "sister".
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