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

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[24:63] ⁸tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.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