1 And Abraham H85 was old, H2204 and well stricken H935 in age: H3117 and the LORD H3068 had blessed H1288 Abraham H85 in all things.
2 And Abraham H85 said H559 unto his eldest H2205 servant H5650 of his house, H1004 that ruled over H4910 all that he had, Put, H7760 I pray thee, thy hand H3027 under my thigh: H3409
3 And I will make thee swear H7650 by the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of heaven, H8064 and the God H430 of the earth, H776 that thou shalt not take H3947 a wife H802 unto my son H1121 of the daughters H1323 of the Canaanites, H3669 among H7130 whom I dwell: H3427
4 But thou shalt go H3212 unto my country, H776 and to my kindred, H4138 and take H3947 a wife H802 unto my son H1121 Isaac. H3327
5 And the servant H5650 said H559 unto him, Peradventure the woman H802 will not be willing H14 to follow H3212 me H310 unto this land: H776 must I needs bring H7725 thy son H1121 again H7725 unto the land H776 from whence thou camest? H3318
6 And Abraham H85 said H559 unto him, Beware H8104 thou that thou bring H7725 not H6435 my son H1121 thither again. H7725
7 The LORD H3068 God H430 of heaven, H8064 which took me H3947 from my father's H1 house, H1004 and from the land H776 of my kindred, H4138 and which spake H1696 unto me, and that sware H7650 unto me, saying, H559 Unto thy seed H2233 will I give H5414 this land; H776 he shall send H7971 his angel H4397 before thee, H6440 and thou shalt take H3947 a wife H802 unto my son H1121 from thence.
8 And if the woman H802 will not be willing H14 to follow H3212 thee, H310 then thou shalt be clear H5352 from this my oath: H7621 only bring H7725 not my son H1121 thither again. H7725
9 And the servant H5650 put H7760 his hand H3027 under the thigh H3409 of Abraham H85 his master, H113 and sware H7650 to him concerning H5921 that H2088 matter. H1697
10 And the servant H5650 took H3947 ten H6235 camels H1581 of the camels H1581 of his master, H113 and departed; H3212 for all the goods H2898 of his master H113 were in his hand: H3027 and he arose, H6965 and went H3212 to Mesopotamia, H763 unto the city H5892 of Nahor. H5152
11 And he made H1288 his camels H1581 to kneel down H1288 without H2351 the city H5892 by H413 a well H875 of water H4325 at the time H6256 of the evening, H6153 even the time H6256 that women go out H3318 to draw H7579 water.
12 And he said, H559 O LORD H3068 God H430 of my master H113 Abraham, H85 I pray thee, send me H6440 good speed H7136 this day, H3117 and shew H6213 kindness H2617 unto H5973 my master H113 Abraham. H85
13 Behold, I stand H5324 here by the well H5869 of water; H4325 and the daughters H1323 of the men H582 of the city H5892 come out H3318 to draw H7579 water: H4325
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel H5291 to whom I shall say, H559 Let down H5186 thy pitcher, H3537 I pray thee, that I may drink; H8354 and she shall say, H559 Drink, H8354 and I will give H8248 thy camels H1581 drink H8248 also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed H3198 for thy servant H5650 Isaac; H3327 and thereby shall I know H3045 that thou hast shewed H6213 kindness H2617 unto my master. H113
15 And it came to pass, before he had done H3615 speaking, H1696 that, behold, Rebekah H7259 came out, H3318 who H834 was born H3205 to Bethuel, H1328 son H1121 of Milcah, H4435 the wife H802 of Nahor, H5152 Abraham's H85 brother, H251 with her pitcher H3537 upon her shoulder. H7926
16 And the damsel H5291 was very H3966 fair H2896 to look upon, H4758 a virgin, H1330 neither had any man H376 known H3045 her: and she went down H3381 to the well, H5869 and filled H4390 her pitcher, H3537 and came up. H5927
17 And the servant H5650 ran H7323 to meet her, H7125 and said, H559 Let me, I pray thee, drink H1572 a little H4592 water H4325 of thy pitcher. H3537
18 And she said, H559 Drink, H8354 my lord: H113 and she hasted, H4116 and let down H3381 her pitcher H3537 upon her hand, H3027 and gave him drink. H8248
19 And when she had done H3615 giving him drink, H8248 she said, H559 I will draw H7579 water for thy camels H1581 also, until they have done H3615 drinking. H8354
20 And she hasted, H4116 and emptied H6168 her pitcher H3537 into the trough, H8268 and ran H7323 again unto the well H875 to draw H7579 water, and drew H7579 for all his camels. H1581
21 And the man H376 wondering H7583 at her held his peace, H2790 to wit H3045 whether the LORD H3068 had made H6743 his journey H1870 prosperous H6743 or H518 not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels H1581 had done H3615 drinking, H8354 that the man H376 took H3947 a golden H2091 earring H5141 of half a shekel H1235 weight, H4948 and two H8147 bracelets H6781 for her hands H3027 of ten H6235 shekels weight H4948 of gold; H2091
23 And said, H559 Whose H4310 daughter H1323 art thou? H859 tell H5046 me, I pray thee: is there H3426 room H4725 in thy father's H1 house H1004 for us to lodge in? H3885
24 And she said H559 unto him, I am the daughter H1323 of Bethuel H1328 the son H1121 of Milcah, H4435 which she bare H3205 unto Nahor. H5152
25 She said H559 moreover unto him, We have both H1571 straw H8401 and provender H4554 enough, H7227 and H1571 room H4725 to lodge in. H3885
26 And the man H376 bowed down his head, H6915 and worshipped H7812 the LORD. H3068
27 And he said, H559 Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 God H430 of my master H113 Abraham, H85 who hath not left destitute H5800 H5973 my master H113 of his mercy H2617 and his truth: H571 I being in the way, H1870 the LORD H3068 led me H5148 to the house H1004 of my master's H113 brethren. H251
28 And the damsel H5291 ran, H7323 and told H5046 them of her mother's H517 house H1004 these things. H1697
29 And Rebekah H7259 had a brother, H251 and his name H8034 was Laban: H3837 and Laban H3837 ran H7323 out H2351 unto the man, H376 unto the well. H5869
30 And it came to pass, when he saw H7200 the earring H5141 and bracelets H6781 upon his sister's H269 hands, H3027 and when he heard H8085 the words H1697 of Rebekah H7259 his sister, H269 saying, H559 Thus H3541 spake H1696 the man H376 unto me; that he came H935 unto the man; H376 and, behold, he stood H5975 by H5921 the camels H1581 at the well. H5869
31 And he said, H559 Come in, H935 thou blessed H1288 of the LORD; H3068 wherefore standest H5975 thou without? H2351 for I have prepared H6437 the house, H1004 and room H4725 for the camels. H1581
32 And the man H376 came H935 into the house: H1004 and he ungirded H6605 his camels, H1581 and gave H5414 straw H8401 and provender H4554 for the camels, H1581 and water H4325 to wash H7364 his feet, H7272 and the men's H582 feet H7272 that were with him.
33 And there was set H7760 H3455 meat before him H6440 to eat: H398 but he said, H559 I will not eat, H398 until I have told H1696 mine errand. H1697 And he said, H559 Speak on. H1696
34 And he said, H559 I am Abraham's H85 servant. H5650
35 And the LORD H3068 hath blessed H1288 my master H113 greatly; H3966 and he is become great: H1431 and he hath given H5414 him flocks, H6629 and herds, H1241 and silver, H3701 and gold, H2091 and menservants, H5650 and maidservants, H8198 and camels, H1581 and asses. H2543
36 And Sarah H8283 my master's H113 wife H802 bare H3205 a son H1121 to my master H113 when H310 she was old: H2209 and unto him hath he given H5414 all that he hath.
37 And my master H113 made me swear, H7650 saying, H559 Thou shalt not take H3947 a wife H802 to my son H1121 of the daughters H1323 of the Canaanites, H3669 in whose land H776 I dwell: H3427
38 But H518 thou shalt go H3212 unto my father's H1 house, H1004 and to my kindred, H4940 and take H3947 a wife H802 unto my son. H1121
39 And I said H559 unto my master, H113 Peradventure the woman H802 will not follow H3212 H310 me.
40 And he said H559 unto me, The LORD, H3068 before H6440 whom I walk, H1980 will send H7971 his angel H4397 with thee, and prosper H6743 thy way; H1870 and thou shalt take H3947 a wife H802 for my son H1121 of my kindred, H4940 and of my father's H1 house: H1004
41 Then shalt thou be clear H5352 from this my oath, H423 when thou comest H935 to my kindred; H4940 and if they give H5414 not thee one, thou shalt be clear H5355 from my oath. H423
42 And I came H935 this day H3117 unto the well, H5869 and said, H559 O LORD H3068 God H430 of my master H113 Abraham, H85 if now thou do H3426 prosper H6743 my way H1870 which I go: H1980
43 Behold, I stand H5324 by the well H5869 of water; H4325 and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin H5959 cometh forth H3318 to draw H7579 water, and I say H559 to her, Give me, H8248 I pray thee, a little H4592 water H4325 of thy pitcher H3537 to drink; H8248
44 And she say H559 to me, Both drink H8354 thou, and I will also draw H7579 for thy camels: H1581 let the same be the woman H802 whom the LORD H3068 hath appointed out H3198 for my master's H113 son. H1121
45 And before I had done H3615 speaking H1696 in mine heart, H3820 behold, Rebekah H7259 came forth H3318 with her pitcher H3537 on her shoulder; H7926 and she went down H3381 unto the well, H5869 and drew H7579 water: and I said H559 unto her, Let me drink, H8248 I pray thee.
46 And she made haste, H4116 and let down H3381 her pitcher H3537 from her shoulder, and said, H559 Drink, H8354 and I will give H8248 thy camels H1581 drink H8248 also: so I drank, H8354 and she made H8248 the camels H1581 drink H8248 also.
47 And I asked H7592 her, and said, H559 Whose daughter H1323 art thou? And she said, H559 The daughter H1323 of Bethuel, H1328 Nahor's H5152 son, H1121 whom Milcah H4435 bare H3205 unto him: and I put H7760 the earring H5141 upon her face, H639 and the bracelets H6781 upon her hands. H3027
48 And I bowed down my head, H6915 and worshipped H7812 the LORD, H3068 and blessed H1288 the LORD H3068 God H430 of my master H113 Abraham, H85 which had led me H5148 in the right H571 way H1870 to take H3947 my master's H113 brother's H251 daughter H1323 unto his son. H1121
49 And now if ye will H3426 deal H6213 kindly H2617 and truly H571 with my master, H113 tell H5046 me: and if not, tell H5046 me; that I may turn H6437 to the right hand, H3225 or H176 to the left. H8040
50 Then Laban H3837 and Bethuel H1328 answered H6030 and said, H559 The thing H1697 proceedeth H3318 from the LORD: H3068 we cannot H3201 speak H1696 unto thee bad H7451 or H176 good. H2896
51 Behold, Rebekah H7259 is before thee, H6440 take H3947 her, and go, H3212 and let her be thy master's H113 son's H1121 wife, H802 as the LORD H3068 hath spoken. H1696
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's H85 servant H5650 heard H8085 their words, H1697 he worshipped H7812 the LORD, H3068 bowing himself to the earth. H776
53 And the servant H5650 brought forth H3318 jewels H3627 of silver, H3701 and jewels H3627 of gold, H2091 and raiment, H899 and gave H5414 them to Rebekah: H7259 he gave H5414 also to her brother H251 and to her mother H517 precious things. H4030
54 And they did eat H398 and drink, H8354 he and the men H582 that were with him, and tarried all night; H3885 and they rose up H6965 in the morning, H1242 and he said, H559 Send me away H7971 unto my master. H113
55 And her brother H251 and her mother H517 said, H559 Let the damsel H5291 abide H3427 with us a few days, H3117 at the least H176 ten; H6218 after H310 that she shall go. H3212
56 And he said H559 unto them, Hinder me H309 not, seeing the LORD H3068 hath prospered H6743 my way; H1870 send me away H7971 that I may go H3212 to my master. H113
57 And they said, H559 We will call H7121 the damsel, H5291 and enquire H7592 at her mouth. H6310
58 And they called H7121 Rebekah, H7259 and said H559 unto her, Wilt thou go H3212 with this man? H376 And she said, H559 I will go. H3212
59 And they sent away H7971 Rebekah H7259 their sister, H269 and her nurse, H3243 and Abraham's H85 servant, H5650 and his men. H582
60 And they blessed H1288 Rebekah, H7259 and said H559 unto her, Thou H859 art our sister, H269 be thou H1961 the mother of thousands H505 of millions, H7233 and let thy seed H2233 possess H3423 the gate H8179 of those which hate H8130 them.
61 And Rebekah H7259 arose, H6965 and her damsels, H5291 and they rode H7392 upon the camels, H1581 and followed H3212 H310 the man: H376 and the servant H5650 took H3947 Rebekah, H7259 and went his way. H3212
62 And Isaac H3327 came H935 from the way H935 of the well Lahairoi; H883 for he dwelt H3427 in the south H5045 country. H776
63 And Isaac H3327 went out H3318 to meditate H7742 in the field H7704 at H6437 the eventide: H6153 and he lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and saw, H7200 and, behold, the camels H1581 were coming. H935
64 And Rebekah H7259 lifted up H5375 her eyes, H5869 and when she saw H7200 Isaac, H3327 she lighted H5307 off H5921 the camel. H1581
65 For she had said H559 unto the servant, H5650 What H4310 man H376 is this H1976 that walketh H1980 in the field H7704 to meet us? H7125 And the servant H5650 had said, H559 It is my master: H113 therefore she took H3947 a vail, H6809 and covered herself. H3680
66 And the servant H5650 told H5608 Isaac H3327 all things H1697 that he had done. H6213
67 And Isaac H3327 brought her H935 into his mother H517 Sarah's H8283 tent, H168 and took H3947 Rebekah, H7259 and she became his wife; H802 and he loved H157 her: and Isaac H3327 was comforted H5162 after H310 his mother's H517 death.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 24
Commentary on Genesis 24 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
After the death of Sarah, Abraham had still to arrange for the marriage of Isaac. He was induced to provide for this in a mode in harmony with the promise of God, quite as much by his increasing age as by the blessing of God in everything, which necessarily instilled the wish to transmit that blessing to a distant posterity. He entrusted this commission to his servant, “the eldest of his house,” - i.e., his upper servant, who had the management of all his house (according to general opinion, to Eliezer, whom he had previously thought of as the heir of his property, but who would now, like Abraham, be extremely old, as more than sixty years had passed since the occurrence related in Genesis 15:2), - and made him swear that he would not take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Canaanites, but would fetch one from his (Abraham's) native country, and his kindred. Abraham made the servant take an oath in order that his wishes might be inviolably fulfilled, even if he himself should die in the interim. In swearing, the servant put his hand under Abraham's hip. This custom, which is only mentioned here and in Genesis 47:29, the so-called bodily oath, was no doubt connected with the significance of the hip as the part from which the posterity issued (Genesis 46:26), and the seat of vital power; but the early Jewish commentators supposed it to be especially connected with the rite of circumcision. The oath was by “ Jehovah , God of heaven and earth,” as the God who rules in heaven and on earth, not by Elohim ; for it had respect not to an ordinary oath, but to a question of great importance in relation to the kingdom of God. “Isaac was not regarded as a merely pious candidate for matrimony, but as the heir of the promise, who must therefore be kept from any alliance with the race whose possessions were to come to his descendants, and which was ripening for the judgment to be executed by those descendants” (Hengstenberg, Dissertations i. 350). For this reason the rest of the negotiation was all conducted in the name of Jehovah .
Before taking the oath, the servant asks whether, in case no woman of their kindred would follow him to Canaan, Isaac was to be conducted to the land of his fathers. But Abraham rejected the proposal, because Jehovah took him from his father's house, and had promised him the land of Canaan for a possession. He also discharged the servant, if that should be the case, from the oath which he had taken, in the assurance that the Lord through His angel would bring a wife to his son from thence.
The servant then went, with ten camels and things of every description belonging to his master, into Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor, i.e., Haran, where Nahor dwelt (Genesis 11:31, and Genesis 12:4). On his arrival there, he made the camels kneel down, or rest, without the city by the well, “ at the time of evening, the time at which the women come out to draw water, ” and at which, now as then, women and girls are in the habit of fetching the water required for the house (vid., Robinson's Palestine ii. 368ff.). He then prayed to Jehovah , the God of Abraham, “ Let there come to meet me to-day, ” sc., the person desired, the object of my mission. He then fixed upon a sign connected with the custom of the country, by the occurrence of which he might decide upon the maiden ( הנּער puella , used in the Pentateuch for both sexes, except in Deuteronomy 22:19, where נערה occurs) whom Jehovah had indicated as the wife appointed for His servant Isaac. הוכיח (Genesis 24:14) to set right, then to point out as right; not merely to appoint. He had scarcely ended his prayer when his request was granted. Rebekah did just what he had fixed upon as a token, not only giving him to drink, but offering to water his camels, and with youthful vivacity carrying out her promise. Niebuhr met with similar kindness in those regions (see also Robinson, Pal. ii. 351, etc.). The servant did not give himself blindly up to first impressions, however, but tested the circumstances.
“ The man, wondering at her, stood silent, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not .” משׁתּאה , from שׁאה to be desert, inwardly laid waste, i.e., confused. Others derive it from שׁאה = שׁעה to see; but in the Hithpael this verb signifies to look restlessly about, which is not applicable here.
After the watering of the camels was over, the man took a golden nose-ring of the weight of a beka, i.e., half a shekel (Exodus 38:26), and two golden armlets of 10 shekels weight, and (as we find from Genesis 24:30 and Genesis 24:47) placed these ornaments upon her, not as a bridal gift, but in return for her kindness. He then asked her about her family, and whether there was room in her father's house for him and his attendants to pass the night there; and it was not trill after Rebekah had told him that she was the daughter of Bethuel, the nephew of Abraham, and had given a most cheerful assent to his second question, that he felt sure that this was the wife appointed by Jehovah for Isaac. He then fell down and thanked Jehovah for His grace and truth, whilst Rebekah in the meantime had hastened home to relate all that had occurred to “ her mother's house, ” i.e., to the female portion of her family. חסד the condescending love, אמת the truth which God had displayed in the fulfilment of His promise, and here especially manifested to him in bringing him to the home of his master's relations.
As soon as Laban her brother had seen the splendid presents and heard her account, he hurried out to the stranger at the well, to bring him to the house with his attendants and animals, and to show to him the customary hospitality of the East. The fact that Laban addressed him as the blessed of Jehovah (Genesis 24:31), may be explained from the words of the servant, who had called his master's God Jehovah . The servant discharged his commission before he partook of the food set before him (the Kethibh ויישׂם in Genesis 24:33 is the imperf. Kal of ישׂם = שׂוּם ); and commencing with his master's possessions and family affairs, he described with the greatest minuteness his search for a wife, and the success which he had thus far met with, and then (in Genesis 24:49) pressed his suit thus: “ And now, if he will show kindness and truth to my lord, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand or to the left, ” sc., to seek in other families a wife for Isaac.
Laban and Bethuel recognised in this the guidance of God, and said, “ From Jehovah (the God of Abraham) the thing proceedeth; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good, ” i.e., cannot add a word, cannot alter anything (Numbers 24:13; 2 Samuel 13:22). That Rebekah's brother Laban should have taken part with her father in deciding, was in accordance with the usual custom (cf. Genesis 34:5, Genesis 34:11, Genesis 34:25; Judges 21:22; 2 Samuel 13:22), which may have arisen from the prevalence of polygamy, and the readiness of the father to neglect the children (daughters) of the wife he cared for least.
After receiving their assent, the servant first of all offered thanks to Jehovah with the deepest reverence; he then gave the remaining presents to the bride, and to her relations (brother and mother); and after everything was finished, partook of the food provided.
The next morning he desired at once to set off on the journey home; but her brother and mother wished to keep her with them עשׁור או ימים , “ some days, or rather ten; ” but when she was consulted, she decided to so, sc., without delay. “ Then they sent away Rebekah their sister (Laban being chiefly considered, as the leading person in the affair) and her nurse ” (Deborah; Genesis 35:8), with the parting wish that she might become the mother of an exceedingly numerous and victorious posterity. “ Become thousands of myriads ” is a hyperbolical expression for an innumerable host of children. The second portion of the blessing ( Genesis 24:60 ) is almost verbatim the same as Genesis 22:17, but is hardly borrowed thence, as the thought does not contain anything specifically connected with the history of salvation.
When the caravan arrived in Canaan with Rebekah and her maidens, Isaac had just come from going to the well Lahai-Roi (Genesis 16:14), as he was then living in the south country; and he went towards evening ( ערב לפנות , at the turning, coming on, of the evening, Deuteronomy 23:12) to the field “to meditate.” It is impossible to determine whether Isaac had been to the well of Hagar which called to mind the omnipresence of God, and there, in accordance with his contemplative character, had laid the question of his marriage before the Lord ( Delitzsch ), or whether he had merely travelled thither to look after his flocks and herds ( Knobel ). But the object of his going to the field to meditate , was undoubtedly to lay the question of his marriage before God in solitude. שׂוּח , meditari , is rendered “ to pray ” in the Chaldee , and by Luther and others, with substantial correctness. The caravan arrived at the time; and Rebekah, as soon as she saw the man in the field coming to meet them, sprang ( נפל signifying a hasty descent, 2 Kings 5:21) from the camel to receive him, according to Oriental custom, in the most respectful manner. She then inquired the name of the man; and as soon as she heard that it was Isaac, she enveloped herself in her veil, as became a bride when meeting the bridegroom. צעיף , θέπιστρον , the cloak-like veil of Arabia (see my Archäologie , §103, 5). The servant then related to Isaac the result of his journey; and Isaac conducted the maiden, who had been brought to him by God, into the tent of Sarah his mother, and she became his wife, and he loved her, and was consoled after his mother, i.e., for his mother's death. האהלה , with ה local, in the construct state, as in Genesis 20:1; Genesis 28:2, etc.; and in addition to that, with the article prefixed (cf. Ges. Gram . §110, 2 bc ).