Genesis 24:51-61

51 Lo! Rebecca is before thee; take thou her, and go forth, and be she [the] wife of the son of thy lord, as the Lord spake.

52 And when the servant of Abraham had heard this, he felled down, and worshipped the Lord in (the) earth. (And when Abraham's servant had heard this, he fell down, and worshipped the Lord on the ground.)

53 And when vessels of silver, and of gold, and clothes were brought forth, he gave those to Rebecca for (a) gift, and he (also) gave gifts to her brethren, and (to her) mother.

54 And when a feast was made, they ate and drank together, and dwelled there. Forsooth the servant rose (up) early, and said, Deliver ye me, (so) that I (may) go (now) to my lord.

55 Her brethren and mother answered, The damsel dwell namely ten days at us, and afterward she shall go forth. (And her brothers and her mother answered, Let the young woman stay with us ten more days, and then she shall go with thee.)

56 (But) The servant said, Do not ye hold me, for the Lord hath directed my way; deliver ye me, (so) that I (may) go (now) to my lord.

57 And they said, Call we the damsel, and ask we her will.

58 And when she was called, and came, they asked her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I shall go.

59 Therefore they delivered her, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham, and his fellows, (And so they let her go, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his fellows,)

60 and wished prosperities to their sister (and wished their sister well), and said, Thou art our sister, increase thou into a thousand thousands, and thy seed wield the gates of his enemies.

61 Therefore Rebecca and her damsels ascended on the camels, and followed the man, which turned again hastily to his lord.

Genesis 24:51-61 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.