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Genesis 24:29-53

Listen to Genesis 24:29-53
29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was 1Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.
30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31 And he said, "2Come in, 3blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside since 4I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?"
32 So the man entered the house. Then 5Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33 But when food was set before him to eat, he said, "I will not eat until * I have told my business." And he said, "Speak on."
34 So he said, "I am 6Abraham's servant.
35 "The LORD has greatly 7blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him 8flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys.
36 "Now 9Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and 10he has given him all that he has.
37 "11My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live;
38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'
39 "12I said to my master, 'Suppose the woman does not follow * me.'
40 "He said to me, '13The LORD, before whom I have 14walked, will send 15His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father's house;
41 16then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.'
42 "So 17I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go 18successful;
43 behold, 19I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "20Please let me drink a little water from your jar ";
44 and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also "; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.'
45 "Before I had finished 21speaking in my heart, behold, 22Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and 23I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'
46 "She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, '24Drink, and I will water your camels also '; so I drank, and she watered the camels also.
47 "25Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him'; and I put the 26ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 "And I 27bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, 28who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
49 "So now if you are going to 29deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left."
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "30The matter comes from the LORD; 31so we cannot * speak to you bad or good.
51 "Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken."
52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he 32bowed himself to the ground before the LORD.
53 The servant brought out 33articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

Genesis 24:29-53 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 24

This chapter shows Abraham's concern to get a suitable wife for his son Isaac, for which purpose he commits the affair into the hands of his eldest servant, and makes him swear that he will not take one from among the Canaanites, but out of his own country, and from among his own kindred, Ge 24:1-4; which his servant agreed to, after having the nature of his charge, and of the oath, explained to him, Ge 24:5-9; upon which he departed to Mesopotamia, and coming to the city of Nahor, and to a well near it, he prayed for success, and desired direction by a token, which was granted him, Ge 24:10-22; and inquiring of the damsel, who answered to the token, whose daughter she was, and whether they had room for him and his in their house; and an agreeable answer being returned, he gave thanks to God that had directed him, and had so far made his journey prosperous, Ge 24:23-27; the damsel acquainting her parents whom and what she met with at the well, a brother of her steps out, and invites the servant in, and makes him welcome, Ge 24:28-33; but before he would eat anything, he tells his errand he was come upon, at the instance of his master; how, he had prayed for direction, and was heard, and for which he had given thanks, Ge 24:34-48; and then treats with the relations of the damsel about her marriage to his master's son, to which they agreed, Ge 24:49-51; and after having blessed God, and given his presents he brought with him to the damsel, and her family, and ate and drank with them, was for departing the next morning, Ge 24:52-54; but the friends of the damsel being desirous of her stay with them some few days, and he urgent to be gone, the affair was referred to her, and she agreed to go with him directly, Ge 24:55-58; upon which they dismissed her with their blessing, Ge 24:59,60; who being met by Isaac in the way, was received and introduced into his mother's tent, and married by him, Ge 24:61-67.

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Cross References 33

  • 1. Genesis 29:5, 13
  • 2. Genesis 29:13
  • 3. Genesis 26:29; Ruth 3:10; Psalms 115:15
  • 4. Genesis 18:3-5; Genesis 19:2, 3
  • 5. Genesis 43:24; Judges 19:21
  • 6. Genesis 24:2
  • 7. Genesis 24:1
  • 8. Genesis 13:2
  • 9. Genesis 21:1-7
  • 10. Genesis 25:5
  • 11. Genesis 24:2-4
  • 12. Genesis 24:5
  • 13. Genesis 24:7
  • 14. Genesis 5:22, 24; Genesis 17:1
  • 15. Exodus 23:20
  • 16. Genesis 24:8
  • 17. Genesis 24:11, 12
  • 18. Nehemiah 1:11
  • 19. Genesis 24:13
  • 20. Genesis 24:14
  • 21. 1 Samuel 1:13
  • 22. Genesis 24:15
  • 23. Genesis 24:17
  • 24. Genesis 24:18, 19
  • 25. Genesis 24:23, 24
  • 26. Ezekiel 16:11, 12
  • 27. Genesis 24:26, 52
  • 28. Genesis 24:27; Psalms 32:8; Psalms 48:14; Isaiah 48:17
  • 29. Genesis 47:29; Joshua 2:14
  • 30. Psalms 118:23; Mark 12:11
  • 31. Genesis 31:24, 29
  • 32. Genesis 24:26, 48
  • 33. Genesis 24:10, 22; Exodus 3:22; Exodus 11:2; Exodus 12:35

Footnotes 11

  • [a] Lit "hands"
  • [b] Lit "Thus the man"
  • [c] Lit "he"
  • [d] Lit "great"
  • [e] Lit "after she was old"
  • [f] Lit "dwell"
  • [g] Lit "fountain of water"
  • [h] Lit "hands"
  • [i] Lit "brother"
  • [j] Lit "show lovingkindness and truth"
  • [k] Lit "to"
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org

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