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 22:23

22:23 (Now ¹²⁰  Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor.

Deuteronomy 2:30

2:30 But King Sihon of Heshbon was unwilling to allow us to pass near him because the Lord our ¹²¹  God had made him obstinate ¹²²  and stubborn ¹²³  so that he might deliver him over to you ¹²⁴  this very day.

Jude 1:4

1:4 For certain men ¹²⁵  have secretly slipped in among you ¹²⁶  – men who long ago ¹²⁷  were marked out ¹²⁸  for the condemnation I am about to describe ¹²⁹  – ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil ¹³⁰  and who deny our only Master ¹³¹  and Lord, ¹³²  Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:2

1:2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! ¹³³ 

Jude 1:15

1:15 to execute judgment on ¹³⁴  all, and to convict every person ¹³⁵  of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds ¹³⁶  that they have committed, ¹³⁷  and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ¹³⁸ 

Jude 1:7

1:7 So also ¹³⁹  Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, ¹⁴⁰  since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire ¹⁴¹  in a way similar to ¹⁴²  these angels, ¹⁴³  are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

Jude 1:16

1:16 These people are grumblers and ¹⁴⁴  fault-finders who go ¹⁴⁵  wherever their desires lead them, ¹⁴⁶  and they give bombastic speeches, ¹⁴⁷  enchanting folks ¹⁴⁸  for their own gain. ¹⁴⁹ 

Jude 1:20

1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, ¹⁵⁰ 

Psalms 5:10

5:10 Condemn them, ¹⁵¹  O God!

May their own schemes be their downfall! ¹⁵² 

Drive them away ¹⁵³  because of their many acts of insurrection, ¹⁵⁴ 

for they have rebelled against you.

Amos 3:6

3:6 If an alarm sounds ¹⁵⁵  in a city, do people not fear? ¹⁵⁶ 

If disaster overtakes a ¹⁵⁷  city, is the Lord not responsible? ¹⁵⁸ 

Acts 2:23

2:23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed ¹⁵⁹  by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. ¹⁶⁰ 

Acts 4:28

4:28 to do as much as your power ¹⁶¹  and your plan ¹⁶²  had decided beforehand ¹⁶³  would happen.

[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.

[22:23]  ¹²⁰ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).

[2:30]  ¹²¹ tc The translation follows the LXX in reading the first person pronoun. The MT, followed by many English versions, has a second person masculine singular pronoun, “your.”

[2:30]  ¹²² tn Heb “hardened his spirit” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV “made his spirit stubborn.”

[2:30]  ¹²³ tn Heb “made his heart obstinate” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “made his heart defiant.”

[2:30]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “into your hand.”

[1:4]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “people.” However, if Jude is indeed arguing that Peter’s prophecy about false teachers has come true, these are most likely men in the original historical and cultural setting. See discussion of this point in the note on the phrase “these men” in 2 Pet 2:12.

[1:4]  ¹²⁶ tn “Among you” is not in the Greek text, but is obviously implied.

[1:4]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “in the past.” The adverb πάλαι (palai) can refer to either, though the meaning “long ago” is more common.

[1:4]  ¹²⁸ tn Grk “written about.”

[1:4]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “for this condemnation.” τοῦτο (touto) is almost surely a kataphoric demonstrative pronoun, pointing to what follows in vv. 5-18. Otherwise, the condemnation is only implied (in v. 3b) or is merely a statement of their sinfulness (“ungodly” in v. 4b), not a judgment of it.

[1:4]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “debauchery.” This is the same word Peter uses to predict what the false teachers will be like (2 Pet 2:2, 7, 18).

[1:4]  ¹³¹ tc Most later witnesses (P Ψ Ï sy) have θεόν (qeon, “God”) after δεσπότην (despothn, “master”), which appears to be a motivated reading in that it explicitly links “Master” to “God” in keeping with the normal NT pattern (see Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Tim 2:21; Rev 6:10). In patristic Greek, δεσπότης (despoth") was used especially of God (cf. BDAG 220 s.v. 1.b.). The earlier and better witnesses (Ì^72,78 א A B C 0251 33 81 323 1241 1739 al co) lack θεόν; the shorter reading is thus preferred on both internal and external grounds.

[1:4]  ¹³² tn The terms “Master and Lord” both refer to the same person. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. For more discussion see ExSyn 270-78. See also Titus 2:13 and 2 Pet 1:1

[1:2]  ¹³³ tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”

[1:15]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).

[1:15]  ¹³⁵ tn Or “soul.”

[1:15]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.

[1:15]  ¹³⁷ tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebew) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.

[1:15]  ¹³⁸ sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.

[1:7]  ¹³⁹ tn Grk “as.”

[1:7]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “the towns [or cities] surrounding them.”

[1:7]  ¹⁴¹ tn Grk “strange flesh.” This phrase has been variously interpreted. It could refer to flesh of another species (such as angels lusting after human flesh). This would aptly describe the sin of the angels, but not easily explain the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. It could refer to the homosexual practices of the Sodomites, but a difficulty arises from the use of ἕτερος ({etero"; “strange,” “other”). When this is to be distinguished from ἄλλος (allos, “another”) it suggests “another of a different kind.” If so, would that properly describe homosexual behavior? In response, the language could easily be compact: “pursued flesh other than what was normally pursued.” However, would this find an analogy in the lust of angels (such would imply that angels normally had sexual relations of some sort, but cf. Matt 22:30)? Another alternative is that the focus of the parallel is on the activity of the surrounding cities and the activity of the angels. This is especially plausible since the participles ἐκπορνεύσασαι (ekporneusasai, “having indulged in sexual immorality”) and ἀπελθοῦσαι (apelqousai, “having pursued”) have concord with “cities” (πόλεις, poleis), a feminine plural noun, rather than with Sodom and Gomorrah (both masculine nouns). If so, then their sin would not necessarily have to be homosexuality. However, most likely the feminine participles are used because of constructio ad sensum (construction according to sense). That is, since both Sodom and Gomorrah are cities, the feminine is used to imply that all the cities are involved. The connection with angels thus seems to be somewhat loose: Both angels and Sodom and Gomorrah indulged in heinous sexual immorality. Thus, whether the false teachers indulge in homosexual activity is not the point; mere sexual immorality is enough to condemn them.

[1:7]  ¹⁴² tn Or “in the same way as.”

[1:7]  ¹⁴³ tn “Angels” is not in the Greek text; but the masculine demonstrative pronoun most likely refers back to the angels of v. 6.

[1:16]  ¹⁴⁴ tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

[1:16]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

[1:16]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

[1:16]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

[1:16]  ¹⁴⁸ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

[1:16]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “to their own advantage.”

[1:20]  ¹⁵⁰ tn The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.

[5:10]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “declare/regard them as guilty.” Declaring the psalmist’s adversaries guilty is here metonymic for judging them or paying them back for their wrongdoing.

[5:10]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “may they fall from their plans.” The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation. The psalmist calls judgment down on the evildoers. Their plans will be their downfall in that God will judge them for their evil schemes.

[5:10]  ¹⁵³ tn Or “banish them.”

[5:10]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew noun used here, פֶּשַׁע (pesha’), refers to rebellious actions. The psalmist pictures his enemies as rebels against God (see the next line).

[3:6]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “If the ram’s horn is blown.”

[3:6]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Or “tremble” (NASB, NIV, NCV); or “shake.”

[3:6]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “is in”; NIV, NCV, NLT “comes to.”

[3:6]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “has the Lord not acted?”

[2:23]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Or “you killed.”

[2:23]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Grk “at the hands of lawless men.” At this point the term ἄνομος (anomo") refers to non-Jews who live outside the Jewish (Mosaic) law, rather than people who broke any or all laws including secular laws. Specifically it is a reference to the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion.

[4:28]  ¹⁶¹ tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.

[4:28]  ¹⁶² tn Or “purpose,” “will.”

[4:28]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.