Genesis 24:17

17 occurritque ei servus et ait pauxillum mihi ad sorbendum praebe aquae de hydria tua

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 necdum intra se verba conpleverat et ecce Rebecca egrediebatur filia Bathuel filii Melchae uxoris Nahor fratris Abraham habens hydriam in scapula
16 puella decora nimis virgoque pulcherrima et incognita viro descenderat autem ad fontem et impleverat hydriam ac revertebatur
17 occurritque ei servus et ait pauxillum mihi ad sorbendum praebe aquae de hydria tua
18 quae respondit bibe domine mi celeriterque deposuit hydriam super ulnam suam et dedit ei potum
19 cumque ille bibisset adiecit quin et camelis tuis hauriam aquam donec cuncti bibant
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.