Genesis 24:42-52

42 "So 1I 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 2successful;
43 behold, 3I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "4Please 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 5speaking in my heart, behold, 6Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and 7I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'
46 "She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, '8Drink, and I will water your camels also '; so I drank, and she watered the camels also.
47 "9Then 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 10ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 "And I 11bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, 12who 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 13deal 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, "14The matter comes from the LORD; 15so 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 16bowed himself to the ground before the LORD.

Genesis 24:42-52 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.

Cross References 16

  • 1. Genesis 24:11, 12
  • 2. Nehemiah 1:11
  • 3. Genesis 24:13
  • 4. Genesis 24:14
  • 5. 1 Samuel 1:13
  • 6. Genesis 24:15
  • 7. Genesis 24:17
  • 8. Genesis 24:18, 19
  • 9. Genesis 24:23, 24
  • 10. Ezekiel 16:11, 12
  • 11. Genesis 24:26, 52
  • 12. Genesis 24:27; Psalms 32:8; Psalms 48:14; Isaiah 48:17
  • 13. Genesis 47:29; Joshua 2:14
  • 14. Psalms 118:23; Mark 12:11
  • 15. Genesis 31:24, 29
  • 16. Genesis 24:26, 48

Footnotes 5

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.