Genesis 24:8

8 forsooth if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be holden by the oath; nevertheless lead not again my son thither (but do not lead my son back there).

Genesis 24:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 24:8

And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee
Or "but" if F13, which is said by Abraham, not as doubting she would be willing, of which he was satisfied, being persuaded that that God that had made him willing to leave his own country, and his father's house, would make her willing to do the like, and come and settle with his son in the land that God had given him; but this, and what follows, he said to make the mind of his servant easy, who had some doubt about it, or however was desirous of knowing how he must act should that be the case; and what it was he was to take an oath to do, and how far, and how far not, that would oblige him: then thou shalt be clear from this my oath;
which he enjoined his servant to take; the sense is, when he had done all he could to get the consent of the damsel, and her friends, to go with him and marry his master's son; and after all she could not be prevailed upon to come with him, then he was free from his oath, having done all that that obliged him to, and he not attempting to take one from any other quarter: only bring not my son thither again;
neither agree with the damsel and her parents, that he shall come to them, nor persuade him to comply with such terms.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (Maw) "sin autem", V. L.

Genesis 24:8 In-Context

6 Abraham said, Beware, lest any time thou lead again thither my son; (And Abraham said, Nay! Beware, lest any time thou lead my son back there;)
7 the Lord God of heaven that took me from the house of my father, and from the land of my birth, which spake to me, and swore (to me), and said, I shall give this land to thy seed, (yea,) he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take from thence a wife to my son (and thou shalt get a wife from there for my son);
8 forsooth if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be holden by the oath; nevertheless lead not again my son thither (but do not lead my son back there).
9 Therefore the servant putted his hand under the hip of Abraham, his lord, and swore to him on this word (and swore to him on this matter).
10 And he took ten camels of the flock of his lord, and went forth, and bare with him of all the goods of his lord (And then he took ten camels from his lord's herd, and went forth, and took with him many good things from his lord); and he went forth, and came to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.