Genesis 24:61-67

Context

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with¹ the man. So Abraham’s servant² took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now³ Isaac came from⁴ Beer Lahai Roi,⁵ for⁶ he was living in the Negev.⁷ 24:63 He⁸ went out to relax⁹ in the field in the early evening.¹⁰ Then he looked up¹¹ and saw that¹² there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up¹³ and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked¹⁴ Abraham’s servant,¹⁵ “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied.¹⁶ So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah¹⁷ into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her¹⁸ as his wife and loved her.¹⁹ So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.²⁰

Psalms 45:10-11

Context

45:10 Listen, O princess!²¹

Observe and pay attention!²²

Forget your homeland²³ and your family!²⁴

45:11 Then²⁵ the king will be attracted by²⁶ your beauty.

After all, he is your master! Submit²⁷ to him!²⁸

[24:61] ¹tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61] ²tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62] ³tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62] ⁴tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62] ⁵sn 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] ⁶tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62] ⁷tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:63] ⁸tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63] ⁹tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63] ¹⁰tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63] ¹¹tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63] ¹²tn 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] ¹³tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65] ¹⁴tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65] ¹⁵tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65] ¹⁶tn 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] ¹⁷tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67] ¹⁸tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67] ¹⁹tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67] ²⁰tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[45:10] ²¹tn Heb “daughter.” The Hebrew noun בת (“daughter”) can sometimes refer to a young woman in a general sense (see H. Haag, TDOT 2:334).

[45:10] ²²tn Heb “see and turn your ear.” The verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “see”) is used here of mental observation.

[45:10] ²³tn Heb “your people.” This reference to the “people” of the princess suggests she was a foreigner. Perhaps the marriage was arranged as part of a political alliance between Israel (or Judah) and a neighboring state. The translation “your homeland” reflects such a situation.

[45:10] ²⁴tn Heb “and the house of your father.”

[45:11] ²⁵tn After the preceding imperatives, the jussive verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive is best understood as introducing a purpose (“so that the king might desire your beauty”) or result clause (see the present translation and cf. also NASB). The point seems to be this: The bride might tend to be homesick, which in turn might cause her to mourn and diminish her attractiveness. She needs to overcome this temptation to unhappiness and enter into the marriage with joy. Then the king will be drawn to her natural beauty.

[45:11] ²⁶tn Or “desire.”

[45:11] ²⁷tn Or “bow down.”

[45:11] ²⁸sn Submit to him. The poet here makes the point that the young bride is obligated to bring pleasure to her new husband. Though a foreign concept to modern western culture, this was accepted as the cultural norm in the psalmist’s day.