Genesis24
English Standard Version
1Now was , in . And the Lord had in all things.
2And to his , the of his , who had of all that he had, your under my ,
3that I may make you by the Lord, the of and of the , that you will not a for my from the of the , whom I ,
4but will to my and to my , and a for my .
5The to him, the may not be to to this . Must I then your to the from which you ?
6 to him, See to you do not my .
7The Lord, the of , who from my and from the of my , and who to me and to me, To your I will this , he will his , and you shall a for my from there.
8But if the is not to , then you will be from this of mine; only you must not my .
9So the his under the of his and to him .
10Then the of his and , all sorts of from his ; and he and to to the of .
11And he the the the of at the of , the when women to water.
12And he , O Lord, of my , me and my .
13 , I am by the of , and the of the of the are to .
14Let the to whom I shall , let your that I may , and who shall , , and I will your —let her be the one whom you have for your . By this I shall that you have to my .
15Before he had , , , was to the of , the of , , with her on her .
16The was in , a no man had . She to the and her and .
17Then the to and , a to drink from your .
18She , , my . And she let her upon her and gave him a .
19When she had giving him a , she , I will water for your , until they have .
20So she her into the and again to the to water, and she for all his .
21The at her in to whether the Lord had his not.
22When the had , the a a , and for her ,
23and , you . Is in your for us to spend the ?
24She to him, I am the of the of , whom she to .
25She , We have of and , to spend the .
26The bowed his and the Lord
27and , be the Lord, the of my , who has not his and his my . As for me, the Lord has in the to the of my .
28Then the and her about these .
29 had a whose was . toward the , to the .
30As soon as he the and the on his , and the of his , the to me, he to the . And , he was the at the .
31He , Come , O of the Lord. do you ? For I have the and a for the .
32So the to the and the , and and to the , and there was to his and the of the who were with him.
33Then food was to . But he , I will not until I have what I have to . He , Speak .
34So he , I am .
35The Lord has my , and he has become . He has him and , and , male and , and .
36And my a to my she was , and to him he has all that he has.
37My made me , , You shall not a for my from the of the , in whose I ,
38 you shall to my and to my and a for my .
39I to my , Perhaps the will not .
40But he to me, The Lord, whom I have , will his with you and your . You shall a for my from my and from my .
41 you will be from my , when you to my . And if they will not her to you, you will be from my .
42I to the and , O Lord, the of my , you the I ,
43 , I am by the of . Let the who to , to whom I shall , me a from your to ,
44and who will to me, , and I will for your , let her be the whom the Lord has for my .
45 I had in my , behold, with her on her , and she to the and . I to her, let me .
46She let her from her shoulder and , , and I will your . So I , and she the .
47Then I her, are you? She , The of , , whom to him. So I the on her and the on her .
48Then I bowed my and the Lord and the Lord, the of my , who had by the to the of my for his .
49 then, you going to and to my , me; and not, me, that I may to the to the .
50Then and and , The has from the Lord; we to you .
51 , is ; her and , and let her wife of your , as the Lord has .
52When their , he himself to the before the Lord.
53And the of and , and , and them to . also gave to her and to her .
54And he and the who were with him and , and they spent the there. When they in the , he , Send me to my .
55Her and her , Let the with , at days; that she may .
56But he to them, Do not , since the Lord has my . Send me that I may to my .
57They , Let us the and her.
58And they and to her, Will you with this ? She , I will .
59So they their and her , and and his .
60And they and to her, , may you of , and may your the of those who him!
61Then and her and on the and . Thus the and went his .
62Now had from and was in the .
63And to in the . And he his and , and , there were .
64And her , and when she , she the
65and to the , is , in the to ? The , It is my . So she her and .
66And the all the that he had .
67Then into the of his and , and she became his , and he her. So was his death.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 24.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Abraham's care for Isaac's marriage. (1–9). The journey of Abraham's servant to Mesopotamia, His meeting with Rebekah. (10–28). Rebekah and her relatives consent to her marriage. (29–53). The happy meeting and marriage of Isaac and rebekah. (54–67).
vv1-9
The effect of good example, good teaching, and the worship of God in a family, will generally appear in the piety, faithfulness, prudence, and affection of the servants. To live in such families, or to have such servants, both are blessings from God which should be highly valued, and thankfully acknowledged. But no concern in life is of greater importance to ourselves, to others, or to the church of God, than marriage. It therefore ought always to be undertaken with much care and prudence, especially with reference to the will of God, and with prayer for his direction and blessing. Where good parents are not consulted and regarded, the blessing of God cannot be expected. Parents, in disposing of their children, should carefully consult the welfare of their souls, and their furtherance in the way to heaven. Observe the charge Abraham gave to a good servant, one whose conduct, faithfulness, and affection, to him and his family, he had long known. Observe also, that Abraham remembers that God had wonderfully brought him out of the land of his birth, by the call of his grace; and therefore doubts not but He will prosper his care, not to bring his son thither again. God will cause that to end in our comfort, in which we sincerely aim at his glory.
vv10-28
Abraham's servant devoutly acknowledged God. We have leave to be particular in recommending our affairs to the care of Divine providence. He proposes a sign, not that he intended to proceed no further, if not gratified in it; but it is a prayer that God would provide a good wife for his young master; and that was a good prayer. She should be simple, industrious, humble, cheerful, serviceable, and hospitable. Whatever may be the fashion, common sense, as well as piety, tells us, these are the proper qualifications for a wife and mother; for one who is to be a companion to her husband, the manager of domestic concerns, and trusted to form the minds of children. When the steward came to seek a wife for his master, he did not go to places of amusement and sinful pleasure, and pray that he might meet one there, but to the well of water, expecting to find one there employed aright. He prayed that God would please to make his way in this matter plain and clear before him. Our times are in God's hand; not only events themselves, but the times of them. We must take heed of being over-bold in urging what God should do, lest the event should weaken our faith, rather than strengthen it. But God owned him by making his way clear. Rebekah, in all respects, answered the characters he sought for in the woman that was to be his master's wife. When she came to the well, she went down and filled her pitcher, and came up to go home with it. She did not stand to gaze upon the strange man his camels, but minded her business, and would not have been diverted from it but by an opportunity of doing good. She did not curiously or confidently enter into discourse with him, but answered him modestly. Being satisfied that the Lord had heard his prayer, he gave the damsel some ornaments worn in eastern countries; asking at the same time respecting her kindred. On learning that she was of his master's relations, he bowed down his head and worshipped, blessing God. His words were addressed to the Lord, but being spoken in the hearing of Rebekah, she could perceive who he was, and whence he came.
vv29-53
The making up of the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah is told very particularly. We are to notice God's providence in the common events of human life, and in them to exercise prudence and other graces. Laban went to ask Abraham's servant in, but not till he saw the ear-ring, and bracelet upon his sister's hands. We know Laban's character, by his conduct afterwards, and may think that he would not have been so free to entertain him, if he had not hoped to be well rewarded for it. The servant was intent upon his business. Though he was come off a journey, and come to a good house, he would not eat till he had told his errand. The doing our work, and the fulfilling our trusts, either for God or man, should be preferred by us before our food: it was our Saviour's meat and drink, Joh 4:34. He tells them the charge his master had given him, with the reason of it. He relates what had happened at the well, to further the proposal, plainly showing the finger of God in it. Those events which to us seem the effect of choice, contrivance, or chance, are “appointed out” of God. This hinders not, but rather encourages the use of all proper means. They freely and cheerfully close with the proposal; and any matter is likely to be comfortable, when it proceeds from the Lord. Abraham's servant thankfully acknowledges the good success he had met with. He was a humble man, and humble men are not ashamed to own their situation in life, whatever it may be. All our temporal concerns are sweet if intermixed with godliness.
Key Words
אַבְרָהָם: Abraham, the later name of Abram
זָקֵן: to be old
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
בָרַךְ: to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason)
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
עֶבֶד: a servant
זָקֵן: old
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
מָשַׁל: to rule
Cross References
Genesis 24Explicit parallel of the rare solemn oath-taking ceremony of putting a hand under the thigh.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Both servants prioritize their spiritual mission and duty over physical nourishment.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Direct verbal parallel: 'let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them' matches God's promise.
Provides the lineage of Nahor's family, verifying Rebekah's relation to Abraham's house.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The servant watches intently to see if God answered his specific prayer for guidance.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Explicit fulfillment of Abraham transferring all his inheritance to Isaac, his sole covenant heir.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Poole, Calvin
The servant repeats Abraham's reassuring promise that God would send His angel before him.
Supported by Poole, Calvin
The servant repeats his initial prayer at the well, recounting the specific test of hospitality he proposed.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
Illustrates 'before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came,' showing answered prayer.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Identifies the origin of the well Beer-lahai-roi from Hagar's encounter with the Lord.
Shows Isaac continued to live near the well Lahai-roi after Abraham's death.
Mosaic prohibition confirming Abraham's principle against marrying children to pagan Canaanites.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Torah law forbidding marriages with Canaanites to prevent spiritual apostasy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The original call out of Chaldaea, framing why Isaac must not go back there.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
New Testament commentary on patriarchs refusing to return to the country they had left.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Rebekah's lineage precisely identifies her as Bethuel's daughter, verifying the family news in chapter 22.
Supported by Poole
Laban's characteristic eager run to meet guests is repeated when he meets Jacob.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The servant confirms the initial statement of the chapter that God had blessed Abraham abundantly.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Poole, Calvin
The servant recounts his initial cautious question to Abraham about the woman refusing.
Supported by Poole, Calvin
Matches the truth that 'a prudent wife is from the Lord,' who appointed Rebekah.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The servant repeats his worshipful response upon first realizing Rebekah was of his master's kindred.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
The Hebrew idiom 'deal kindly and truly' is used here and later by Jacob to Joseph.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Laban's confession 'we cannot speak bad or good' matches God's warning to him in Genesis 31:24.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel account of a bride-to-be immediately journeying with her damsels to meet her husband.
Parallels the custom of alighting from a riding beast to show respect to a superior.
Supported by JFB
Establishes the divine pattern of marriage that Isaac fulfills by taking Rebekah as his wife.
Identifies the 'eldest servant' of Abraham's house as likely Eliezer of Damascus.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Resolves the servant's doubt when Rebekah explicitly agrees to follow him to Canaan.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The servant's own recapitulation of Abraham's promise regarding the angel sent before him.
Supported by John Calvin
The servant's desire not to be hindered, recognizing God has indeed prospered his way.
Supported by Matthew Henry
An act of bowing and worshipping in prompt gratitude for God's revealed mercy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Illustrates the ancient custom of washing a guest's feet, fulfilled perfectly in Christ's humility.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Refers to Sarah bearing Isaac in her old age according to God's miraculous promise.
Supported by Poole, Calvin
Isaac continues the family prohibition against marrying Canaanite women for his son Jacob.
Supported by Poole
Repeats the terms of the oath Abraham laid out regarding the woman's potential refusal to follow.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Verbal link in giving 'jewels of silver, and jewels of gold' during a departure.
Supported by Matthew Henry