Genesis 24:17

17 And the servant ran to meet her. And he said, "Please, let me drink a little of the water from your jar."

Genesis 24:17 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 24:17

And the servant ran to meet her
He did not stop her as she went to the well, but stayed till she had been there and filled her pitcher, and then he made all the haste he could to meet her, in order to have the sign and token answered he had requested, which could not be done until she returned: and said, let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher;
or taste a little of it, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; or suffer me to swallow a little of it; for it was not so much to quench his thirst that he asked for this, for he could have got, and perhaps had had water out of the well before this time, or however could easily have supplied himself; but this was done to try whether she was the person, and whether her conduct and carriage would answer the token. Josephus F24 says, he asked other virgins and they refused him, for which churlishness Rebekah rebuked them, and gave him water liberally.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 16. sect. 2.

Genesis 24:17 In-Context

15 And it happened [that] before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah--who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham--came out, and her jar [was] on her shoulder.
16 Now the girl [was] very pleasing in appearance. [She was] a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her. And he said, "Please, let me drink a little of the water from your jar."
18 And she said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly lowered her jar in her hand and gave him a drink.
19 When she finished giving him a drink she said, "I will also draw water for your camels until they finish drinking."
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