Genesis 24:35-45

35 and the Lord hath blessed my lord greatly, and he is made great; and God gave to him sheep, and oxen, silver, and gold, servants, and handmaids, and camels, and asses. (and the Lord hath greatly blessed my lord, and he is a great man; and God hath given him sheep, and oxen, silver, and gold, male and female slaves, and camels, and donkeys.)

36 And Sarah, my lord's wife, childed a son to my lord in his eld (age), and Abraham, my lord, hath given all things that he had to that son. (And Sarah, my lord's wife, bare a son for my lord in her old age, and Abraham, my lord, hath given all the things that he hath to his son.)

37 And my lord charged me greatly, and said, Thou shalt not take to my son a wife of the daughters of Canaan, in whose land I dwell, (And my lord greatly charged me, and said, Thou shalt not get a wife for my son from among the daughters of Canaan, in whose land I live,)

38 but thou shalt go to the house of my father, and of my kindred thou shalt take a wife to my son. (but thou shalt go to my father's house, and thou shalt get a wife from my family for my son.)

39 Forsooth I answered to my lord, What if the woman will not come with me?

40 (And) He said, The Lord, in whose sight I go, shall send his angel with thee, and shall direct thy way; and thou shalt take a wife to my son of my kindred, and of my father's house (and thou shalt get a wife for my son from my family, yea, from my father's house).

41 Thou shalt be innocent from my curse, when thou comest to my kinsmen, and they give not her to thee. (But thou shalt be released from this oath, if, when thou comest to my family, they will not give her to thee.)

42 Therefore I came today to the well of water, and (I) said, Lord God of my lord Abraham, if thou hast directed my way in which I go now,

43 lo! I stand beside the well of water, and the maid[en] that shall go out to draw water, (who) heareth me (say to her), Give thou to me a little of water to drink (out) of thy pot, (lo! now I stand beside the water well, and the young woman who shall go out to draw water, and when I say to her, Give thou to me a little water to drink from thy water pot,)

44 and she say to me, And thou drink, and I shall draw water to thy camels, that is the woman which the Lord hath made ready to the son of my lord. (and she say to me, Drink thou, and I shall also draw some water for thy camels, that is the woman whom the Lord hath prepared for my lord's son.)

45 While I turned in thought these things with(in) me, Rebecca appeared, coming with a pot which she bare in her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew water. And I said to her, Give thou a little to me to drink; (And while I turned these things about in thought within me, Rebecca appeared, coming with a pot which she carried on her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew some water. And I said to her, Give thou to me a little water to drink;)

Genesis 24:35-45 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.