Genesis 24:1-67

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ¹  and the Lord had blessed him ²  in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ³  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ⁴  24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ⁵  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ⁶  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 ⁷  to find ⁸  a wife for my son Isaac.”

24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me ⁹  to this land? Must I then ¹⁰  take your son back to the land from which you came?”

24:6 “Be careful ¹¹  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ¹²  24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ¹³  promised me with a solemn oath, ¹⁴  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ¹⁵  before you so that you may find ¹⁶  a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ¹⁷  you will be free ¹⁸  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. ¹⁹ 

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. ²⁰  He journeyed ²¹  to the region of Aram Naharaim ²²  and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well ²³  outside the city. It was evening, ²⁴  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. ²⁵  Be faithful ²⁶  to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ²⁷  and the daughters of the people ²⁸  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.’ ²⁹  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ³⁰ 

24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah ³¹  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). ³²  24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ³³  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ³⁴  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 ³⁵  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ³⁶  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ³⁷  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 ³⁸  if the Lord had made his journey successful ³⁹  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ⁴⁰  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ⁴¹  and gave them to her. ⁴²  24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. ⁴³  “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. ⁴⁴  24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, ⁴⁵  “and room for you ⁴⁶  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 ⁴⁷  for my master! The Lord has led me ⁴⁸  to the house ⁴⁹  of my master’s relatives!” ⁵⁰ 

24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about ⁵¹  these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ⁵²  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 ⁵³  and heard his sister Rebekah say, ⁵⁴  “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing ⁵⁵  by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, ⁵⁶  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ⁵⁷  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ⁵⁸  the house and a place for the camels?”

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ⁵⁹  went to the house and unloaded ⁶⁰  the camels. Straw and feed were given ⁶¹  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ⁶²  24:33 When food was served, ⁶³  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ⁶⁴  “Tell us,” Laban said. ⁶⁵ 

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. ⁶⁶  The Lord ⁶⁷  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 ⁶⁸  when she was old, ⁶⁹  and my master ⁷⁰  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 ⁷¹  a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go ⁷²  with me?’ ⁷³  24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, ⁷⁴  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 ⁷⁵  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, ⁷⁶  may events unfold as follows: ⁷⁷  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ⁷⁸  When ⁷⁹  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, ⁸⁰  along came Rebekah ⁸¹  with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ ⁸²  I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter ⁸³  of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ⁸⁴ 

24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. ⁸⁵  Our wishes are of no concern. ⁸⁶  24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ⁸⁷  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ⁸⁸ 

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he ⁸⁹  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ⁹⁰ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ⁹¹  24:55 But Rebekah’s ⁹²  brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord ⁹³  has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return ⁹⁴  to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” ⁹⁵  24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want ⁹⁶  to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”

24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ⁹⁷ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ⁹⁸  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ⁹⁹  of their enemies.”

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ¹⁰⁰  the man. So Abraham’s servant ¹⁰¹  took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now ¹⁰²  Isaac came from ¹⁰³  Beer Lahai Roi, ¹⁰⁴  for ¹⁰⁵  he was living in the Negev. ¹⁰⁶  24:63 He ¹⁰⁷  went out to relax ¹⁰⁸  in the field in the early evening. ¹⁰⁹  Then he looked up ¹¹⁰  and saw that ¹¹¹  there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up ¹¹²  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked ¹¹³  Abraham’s servant, ¹¹⁴  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ¹¹⁵  So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah ¹¹⁶  into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her ¹¹⁷  as his wife and loved her. ¹¹⁸  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ¹¹⁹ 

Genesis 1:10

1:10 God called the dry ground “land” ¹²⁰  and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good.

Isaiah 62:8-9

62:8 The Lord swears an oath by his right hand,

by his strong arm: ¹²¹ 

“I will never again give your grain

to your enemies as food,

and foreigners will not drink your wine,

which you worked hard to produce.

62:9 But those who harvest the grain ¹²²  will eat it,

and will praise the Lord.

Those who pick the grapes will drink the wine ¹²³ 

in the courts of my holy sanctuary.”

Isaiah 65:21-24

65:21 They will build houses and live in them;

they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

65:22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, ¹²⁴ 

or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, ¹²⁵ 

for my people will live as long as trees, ¹²⁶ 

and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. ¹²⁷ 

65:23 They will not work in vain,

or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹²⁸ 

For the Lord will bless their children

and their descendants. ¹²⁹ 

65:24 Before they even call out, ¹³⁰  I will respond;

while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Hosea 2:15

2:15 From there I will give back her vineyards to her,

and turn the “Valley of Trouble” ¹³¹  into an “Opportunity ¹³²  for Hope.”

There she will sing as she did when she was young, ¹³³ 

when ¹³⁴  she came up from the land of Egypt.

Amos 9:13-14

9:13 “Be sure of this, ¹³⁵  the time is ¹³⁶  coming,” says the Lord,

“when the plowman will catch up to the reaper ¹³⁷ 

and the one who stomps the grapes ¹³⁸  will overtake ¹³⁹  the planter. ¹⁴⁰ 

Juice will run down the slopes, ¹⁴¹ 

it will flow down all the hillsides. ¹⁴² 

9:14 I will bring back my people, Israel; ¹⁴³ 

they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble ¹⁴⁴  and settle down. ¹⁴⁵ 

They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; ¹⁴⁶ 

they will grow orchards ¹⁴⁷  and eat the fruit they produce. ¹⁴⁸ 

Haggai 2:16-19

2:16 From that time ¹⁴⁹  when one came expecting a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures from it, there were only twenty. 2:17 I struck all the products of your labor ¹⁵⁰  with blight, disease, and hail, and yet you brought nothing to me,’ ¹⁵¹  says the Lord. 2:18 ‘Think carefully about the past: ¹⁵²  from today, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, ¹⁵³  to the day work on the temple of the Lord was resumed, ¹⁵⁴  think about it. ¹⁵⁵  2:19 The seed is still in the storehouse, isn’t it? And the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not produced. Nevertheless, from today on I will bless you.’”

Malachi 3:10-12

3:10 “Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse ¹⁵⁶  so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord who rules over all, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all. 3:11 Then I will stop the plague ¹⁵⁷  from ruining your crops, ¹⁵⁸  and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest,” says the Lord who rules over all. 3:12 “All nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in ¹⁵⁹  a delightful land,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Matthew 6:33

6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom ¹⁶⁰  and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

[24:1]  ¹ tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ² tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[24:2]  ³ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

[24:2]  ⁴ 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.

[24:3]  ⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[24:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

[24:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “and take.”

[24:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “to go after me.”

[24:5]  ¹⁰ 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.

[24:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ¹² 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.

[24:7]  ¹³ tn Or “the land of my birth.”

[24:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

[24:7]  ¹⁵ tn Or “his messenger.”

[24:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

[24:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ¹⁸ 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.

[24:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:10]  ²⁰ 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.

[24:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ²² tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:11]  ²³ tn Heb “well of water.”

[24:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

[24:12]  ²⁵ 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).

[24:12]  ²⁶ tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:13]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ²⁹ 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.

[24:14]  ³⁰ 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.”

[24:15]  ³¹ 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.

[24:15]  ³² 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.

[24:16]  ³³ 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.

[24:17]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:18]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ³⁶ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[24:21]  ³⁸ tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ³⁹ 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).

[24:22]  ⁴⁰ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ⁴¹ sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ⁴² tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:23]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:24]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ⁴⁵ 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.

[24:25]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:27]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

[24:27]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

[24:27]  ⁴⁹ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

[24:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “brothers.”

[24:28]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “according to.”

[24:29]  ⁵² tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:30]  ⁵³ 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.

[24:30]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

[24:30]  ⁵⁵ 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.

[24:31]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ⁵⁷ 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.

[24:31]  ⁵⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:32]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ⁶⁰ 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).

[24:32]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ⁶² tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:33]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ⁶⁵ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[24:35]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

[24:35]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:36]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:36]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “after her old age.”

[24:36]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:38]  ⁷¹ 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.”

[24:39]  ⁷² tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

[24:39]  ⁷³ tn Heb “after me.”

[24:40]  ⁷⁴ 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”).

[24:41]  ⁷⁵ 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).

[24:42]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ⁷⁷ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:45]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.

[24:45]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[24:47]  ⁸² tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:48]  ⁸³ tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).

[24:49]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.

[24:50]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”

[24:50]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.

[24:51]  ⁸⁷ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[24:53]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[24:55]  ⁹² tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:56]  ⁹³ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

[24:56]  ⁹⁴ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:57]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”

[24:58]  ⁹⁶ tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.

[24:60]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

[24:61]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62]  ¹⁰² tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62]  ¹⁰⁴ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.

[24:62]  ¹⁰⁵ tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:63]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.

[24:64]  ¹¹² tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[1:10]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “earth,” but here the term refers to the dry ground as opposed to the sea.

[62:8]  ¹²¹ tn The Lord’s right hand and strong arm here symbolize his power and remind the audience that his might guarantees the fulfillment of the following promise.

[62:9]  ¹²² tn Heb “it,” the grain mentioned in v. 8a.

[62:9]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and those who gather it will drink it.” The masculine singular pronominal suffixes attached to “gather” and “drink” refer back to the masculine noun תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh, “wine”) in v. 8b.

[65:22]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “they will not build, and another live [in it].”

[65:22]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “they will not plant, and another eat.”

[65:22]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “for like the days of the tree [will be] the days of my people.”

[65:22]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “the work of their hands” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “their hard-won gains.”

[65:23]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “and they will not give birth to horror.”

[65:23]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “for offspring blessed by the Lord they [will be], and their descendants along with them.”

[65:24]  ¹³⁰ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[2:15]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “Valley of Achor,” so named because of the unfortunate incident recorded in Josh 7:1-26 (the name is explained in v. 26; the Hebrew term Achor means “disaster” or “trouble”). Cf. TEV, CEV “Trouble Valley.”

[2:15]  ¹³² tn Heb “door” or “doorway”; cf. NLT “gateway.” Unlike the days of Joshua, when Achan’s sin jeopardized Israel’s mission and cast a dark shadow over the nation, Israel’s future return to the land will be marked by renewed hope.

[2:15]  ¹³³ tn Heb “as in the days of her youth” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:15]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “as in the day when” (so KJV, NASB).

[9:13]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “behold” or “look.”

[9:13]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “the days are.”

[9:13]  ¹³⁷ sn The plowman will catch up to the reaper. Plowing occurred in October-November, and harvesting in April-May (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109.) But in the future age of restored divine blessing, there will be so many crops the reapers will take all summer to harvest them, and it will be time for plowing again before the harvest is finished.

[9:13]  ¹³⁸ sn When the grapes had been harvested, they were placed in a press where workers would stomp on them with their feet and squeeze out the juice. For a discussion of grape harvesting technique, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-12.

[9:13]  ¹³⁹ tn The verb is omitted here in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation from the parallel line.

[9:13]  ¹⁴⁰ sn The grape harvest occurred in August-September, planting in November-December (see P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 109). But in the future age described here there will be so many grapes the workers who stomp them will still be working when the next planting season arrives.

[9:13]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “hills,” where the vineyards were planted.

[9:13]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “and all the hills will melt.”

[9:14]  ¹⁴³ tn This line can also be translated “I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel” and is a common idiom (e.g., Deut 30:3; Jer 30:3; Hos 6:11; Zeph 3:20). This rendering is followed by several modern English versions (e.g., NEB, NRSV, NJPS).

[9:14]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “the ruined [or “desolate”] cities.”

[9:14]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “and live [in them].”

[9:14]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “drink their wine.”

[9:14]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “gardens.”

[9:14]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “eat their fruit.”

[2:16]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “from their being,” idiomatic for “from the time they were then,” or “since the time.” Cf. KJV “Since those days were.”

[2:17]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “you, all the work of your hands”; NRSV “you and all the products of your toil”; NIV “all the work of your hands.”

[2:17]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “and there was not with you.” The context favors the idea that the harvests were so poor that the people took care of only themselves, leaving no offering for the Lord. Cf. KJV and many English versions “yet ye turned not to me,” understanding the phrase to refer to the people’s repentance rather than their failure to bring offerings.

[2:18]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “set your heart.” A similar expression occurs in v. 15.

[2:18]  ¹⁵³ sn The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520. See v. 10. Here the reference is to “today,” the day the oracle is being delivered.

[2:18]  ¹⁵⁴ sn The day work…was resumed. This does not refer to the initial founding of the Jerusalem temple in 536 b.c. but to the renewal of construction three months earlier (see 1:15). This is clear from the situation described in v. 19 which accords with the food scarcities of that time already detailed in Hag 1:10-11.

[2:18]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “set your heart.” A similar expression occurs in v. 15 and at the beginning of this verse.

[3:10]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew phrase בֵּית הָאוֹצָר (bet ha’otsar, here translated “storehouse”) refers to a kind of temple warehouse described more fully in Nehemiah (where the term לִשְׁכָּה גְדוֹלָה [lishkah gÿdolah, “great chamber”] is used) as a place for storing grain, frankincense, temple vessels, wine, and oil (Neh 13:5). Cf. TEV “to the Temple.”

[3:11]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “the eater” (אֹכֵל, ’okhel), a general term for any kind of threat to crops and livelihood. This is understood as a reference to a locust plague by a number of English versions: NAB, NRSV “the locust”; NIV “pests”; NCV, TEV “insects.”

[3:11]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “and I will rebuke for you the eater and it will not ruin for you the fruit of the ground.”

[3:12]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “will be” (so NAB, NRSV); TEV “your land will be a good place to live in.”

[6:33]  ¹⁶⁰ tc ‡ Most mss (L W Θ 0233 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy mae) read τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ (thn basileian tou qeou kai thn dikaiosunhn aujtou, “the kingdom of God and his righteousness”) here, but the words “of God” are lacking in א B pc sa bo Eus. On the one hand, there is the possibility of accidental omission on the part of these Alexandrian witnesses, but it seems unlikely that the scribe’s eye would skip over both words (especially since τοῦ θεοῦ is bracketed by first declension nouns). Intrinsically, the author generally has a genitive modifier with βασιλεία – especially θεοῦ or οὐρανῶν (ouranwn) – but this argument cuts both ways: Although he might be expected to use such an adjunct here, scribes might also be familiar with his practice and would thus naturally insert it if it were missing in their copy of Matthew. Although a decision is difficult, the omission of τοῦ θεοῦ is considered most likely to be original. NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.