Genesis 24:33-67

33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.” “Then tell us,” Laban said.
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 The LORD has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns.
37 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,
38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’
39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
40 “He replied, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.
41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’
42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.
43 See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”
44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.
47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ “She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ “Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms,
48 and I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.
49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other.
51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother.
54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”
55 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you[a] may go.”
56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.”
57 Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”
58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said.
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”
61 Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev.
63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[b] and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.
64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel
65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done.
67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Images for Genesis 24:33-67

Genesis 24:33-67 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 65

  • 1. S Genesis 15:3
  • 2. S Genesis 12:2
  • 3. ver 1
  • 4. S Genesis 23:6
  • 5. S Genesis 12:16; Genesis 13:2
  • 6. S Genesis 17:17; Genesis 21:2,10
  • 7. Genesis 25:5; Genesis 26:14
  • 8. Genesis 50:5,25
  • 9. ver 3
  • 10. ver 4; S Genesis 21:21
  • 11. S ver 5
  • 12. S Genesis 5:22
  • 13. ver 7; S Genesis 16:7
  • 14. S ver 12
  • 15. S Genesis 12:1
  • 16. S ver 8
  • 17. S ver 12
  • 18. S ver 13
  • 19. Proverbs 30:19; Isaiah 7:14
  • 20. S ver 14
  • 21. ver 14
  • 22. 1 Samuel 1:13
  • 23. ver 15
  • 24. S ver 17; John 4:7
  • 25. ver 18-19
  • 26. ver 20
  • 27. ver 23
  • 28. S Genesis 22:22
  • 29. S ver 24
  • 30. S ver 22
  • 31. S ver 10; Isaiah 3:19; Ezekiel 16:11-12
  • 32. S ver 26
  • 33. S ver 12
  • 34. S ver 27
  • 35. S ver 27; Genesis 47:29; Joshua 2:14
  • 36. Genesis 22:22
  • 37. Psalms 118:23
  • 38. Ge 31:7,24,29,42; Genesis 48:16
  • 39. S ver 12
  • 40. S ver 26
  • 41. Genesis 45:22; Exodus 3:22; Exodus 12:35; 2 Kings 5:5
  • 42. S ver 10,22
  • 43. ver 56,59; Genesis 30:25
  • 44. Judges 19:4
  • 45. S ver 12
  • 46. S ver 54
  • 47. Judges 19:3
  • 48. Ruth 1:16
  • 49. S ver 54
  • 50. Genesis 35:8
  • 51. Genesis 27:4,19; Genesis 28:1; Genesis 31:55; Genesis 48:9,15,20; Joshua 22:6
  • 52. S Genesis 17:16
  • 53. Genesis 22:17; Psalms 127:5; Proverbs 27:11
  • 54. S Genesis 16:1; Genesis 30:3; Genesis 46:25
  • 55. S Genesis 16:14; Genesis 25:11
  • 56. S Genesis 12:9; Genesis 20:1
  • 57. Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:2; Psalms 77:12; Psalms 119:15,27,48,97,148; Psalms 143:5; Psalms 145:5
  • 58. Genesis 18:2
  • 59. Genesis 31:17,34; 1 Samuel 30:17
  • 60. Genesis 38:14; Song of Songs 1:7; Song of Songs 4:1,3; Song of Songs 6:7; Isaiah 47:2
  • 61. Genesis 31:33
  • 62. S Genesis 18:9
  • 63. Genesis 25:20; Genesis 49:31
  • 64. Genesis 29:18,20; Genesis 34:3; Judges 16:4
  • 65. Genesis 23:1-2

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Or "she"
  • [b]. The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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