Text -- Genesis 24:1-43 (NET)

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives to find a wife for my son Isaac.” 24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me to this land? Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 24:6 “Be careful never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, promised me with a solemn oath, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel before you so that you may find a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, you will be free from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. 24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. He journeyed to the region of Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. Be faithful to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, and the daughters of the people who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine if the Lord had made his journey successful or not. 24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels and gave them to her. 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, “and room for you to spend the night.” 24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master! The Lord has led me to the house of my master’s relatives!” 24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring and heard his sister Rebekah say, “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! Why are you standing out here when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?” 24:32 So Abraham’s servant went to the house and unloaded the camels. Straw and feed were given to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 24:33 When food was served, he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” “Tell us,” Laban said. 24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him when she was old, and my master has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go with me?’ 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, may events unfold as follows: 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. When the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Gen 24:1

¹ tn Heb “days.”

² tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 24:2

¹ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

² sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.

NET Notes: Gen 24:3

¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

² tn Heb “because you must not take.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:4

¹ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

² tn Heb “and take.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:5

¹ tn Heb “to go after me.”

² tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.

NET Notes: Gen 24:6

¹ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

² tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 24:7

¹ tn Or “the land of my birth.”

² tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

³ tn Or “his messenger.”

⁴ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:8

¹ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

² sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

NET Notes: Gen 24:9

¹ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:10

¹ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

² tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

³ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.

NET Notes: Gen 24:11

¹ tn Heb “well of water.”

² tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:12

¹ tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).

² tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:13

¹ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

² tn Heb “the men.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:14

¹ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

² tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:15

¹ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.

² tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 24:16

¹ tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.

NET Notes: Gen 24:17

¹ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 24:18

¹ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:19

¹ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 24:20

¹ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:21

¹ tn Heb “to know.”

² tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).

NET Notes: Gen 24:22

¹ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

² sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

³ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

NET Notes: Gen 24:23

¹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 24:24

¹ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Gen 24:25

¹ tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

NET Notes: Gen 24:27

¹ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

² tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

³ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

⁴ tn Heb “brothers.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:28

¹ tn Heb “according to.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:29

¹ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

NET Notes: Gen 24:30

¹ tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.

² tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

³ tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.

NET Notes: Gen 24:31

¹ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

² sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.

³ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

NET Notes: Gen 24:32

¹ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

³ tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

⁴ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:33

¹ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

² tn Heb “my words.”

³ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Gen 24:35

¹ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

² tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Gen 24:36

¹ tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

² tn Heb “after her old age.”

³ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Gen 24:38

¹ tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:39

¹ tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

² tn Heb “after me.”

NET Notes: Gen 24:40

¹ tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the Lord or it may have a more positive moral connotation (“serve faithfully”).

NET Notes: Gen 24:41

¹ tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).

NET Notes: Gen 24:42

¹ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

² tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

NET Notes: Gen 24:43

¹ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

² tn Heb “and it will be.”