The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
Genesis 24
Chapter XXIV · Vol. I, pp. 249–253
1 Abraham sweareth his servant. 10 The servant's journey: 12 His prayer and sign. 15 Rebekah meeteth him, and fulfilleth his sign, 22 receiveth jewels, 23 showeth her kindred, 25 and inviteth him home. 26 The servant blesseth God. 29 Laban entertaineth him. 34 The servant showeth his message. 50 Laban and Bethuel approve of it. 58 Rebekah consenteth to go. 62 Isaac meeteth her, and bringeth her home.
2 And Abraham said unto his celdest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh;
c ch. 15.2.
3 And I will make thee dswear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, ethat thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites,8 among whom I dwell:
d ch. 21.23; 26.31; 31.44-53. 1 Sa. 20.17. Nu. 5.21. Ex. 22.11. 1 Ki. 8.22. De. 6.13; 10.20. Is. 45.23; 65.16. Je. 12.16.
e ch. 26.34,35; 27.46; 28.1,2. Ex. 34.16. De. 7.3. See ch. 6.2.
8 Abraham's care about the marriage of Isaac, suggests an important parental duty. The rich Canaanites that dwelt around him, and who might have strengthened his son by their connection and influence, he utterly rejects; and directs his attention to a distant land, and a family comparatively poor. Education and principle, not riches and power, were the grounds upon which he sought to secure his son's domestic happiness and prosperity. The language of Laban, ver. 31, and of both Laban and Bethuel, ver. 50, 51, in which they ascribe the ruling of all events to the LORD; but above all their parting blessing in the name of the LORD, ver. 60, exhibit the quality of that religious system under which Rebekah was nurtured, and the grounds of the choice that Abraham made.—C.
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said unto him, fPeradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 The LORD God of heaven, which gtook me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he hshall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be iclear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.k
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
10 And the servant took ten camels,9 of the camels of his master, and departed; (for all the goods of his master were in his hand;) and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia,1 unto lthe city of Nahor.
9 God, who has distributed the earth into different climates, has given to every one animals and plants suited to its peculiarities. The camel has, accordingly, been denominated the ship of the desert. It moves with great speed, carries a heavy burden, drinks as much water at a draught as will supply it for several days, and is so docile that it will kneel down to be laden or unladen, or to rest.—C.
1 Hebrew Aram-Naharaim, 'Aram of the two rivers.' Mesopotamia, the rendering of the Septuagint and Vulgate Versions, has unfortunately been adopted by our translators.—P.
11 And he made his camels to mkneel down without the city by a well of water, at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.2
m To rest themselves, Pr. 12.10. Ge. 33.13,14.
2 Women go out to draw water. In most countries there are certain kinds of labour appropriated by common consent, some to men, others to women. In Mesopotamia and most eastern countries generally, it seems the drawing of water, as a domestic work, was the woman's part; while, as afterwards appears, the care of the flocks was allotted to the man.—C.
12 And he said, O LORD nGod of my master Abraham, I pray thee, osend me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.
n ch. 15.1; 17.7,8. Ex. 3.6. 2 Ki. 2.14. Mat. 7.7.
o Ps. 127.1. 1 Th. 3.11. ch. 27.10.
13 Behold, pI stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city qcome out to draw water:
14 And rlet it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink; and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master.3
r ch. 15.8-17. Ju. 6.17,36-40. 1 Sa. 14.9. 2 Sa. 5.24. Ps. 86.17.
3 The servant appears to have been thoroughly inspired with the spirit and faith of his master. He looked to God for guidance, and trusted in him alone for success. It is a noble lesson for the people of God in all ages.—P.
15 And it came to pass, sbefore he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitchert upon her shoulder.
s ver. 45. Ju. 6.36-40. Da. 9.23. Is. 58.9; 65.24. Ps. 145.18; 34.15; 65.2.
16 And the damsel was very fair4 to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man uknown her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
4 Heb. good of countenance.
u Ge. 4.1. Nu. 31.17,18.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water5 of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man, xwondering at her, held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ear-ring6 of half a shekel[≈ 5.7 g · 0.2 oz] weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels[≈ 110 g · 4 oz] weight of gold,7
6 Or, jewel for the forehead, 1 Pe. 3.4. Ex. 32.2,3. Is. 3.21.
7 £18, 5s. The weight of the ornaments put upon Rebekah appears extraordinary. But Chardin assures us that throughout all Asia the women wear rings and bracelets of as great weight, and even heavier. Sometimes the arm is covered with them from the wrist to the elbow. The poor people wear as many of glass or horn. They hardly ever take them off, they are their riches.—Harmer. See ver. 30.
23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?
24 And she said unto him, I am the ydaughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.
y ch. 11.29; 22.20,23. ver. 15.
25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.
27 And he said, aBlessed be the LORD God of my master8 Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's bbrethren.
a ch. 9.26; 14.20. Ps. 68.19; 72.18,19. 1 Ch. 29.10-13. Ep. 1.3. 1 Ti. 1.17.
8 There is often a remarkable similarity between the characters of master and servant; the servant insensibly, or by direct imitation, imbibing a portion of the master's spirit, sentiments, and manner. The conduct of Abraham's servant well illustrates and confirms this observation. His diligent application to business, ver. 33, 54, 56, well answers to the conduct of Abraham, ch. 22.5, while his piety in the 12, 27, 42, 48, and 52 verses of this chapter, beautifully corresponds to the invariable practice of Abraham in building an altar, and calling on the name of the LORD, wherever Providence ordered his lot.—Note, How common is it to hear complaints of unfaithful servants. Let those who complain remember this faithful servant of Abraham—the pious example and instruction by which, under grace, his character was formed.—C.
b Kinsfolk, ch. 13.8. Ex. 2.11,13.
28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's chouse these things.
c Tent, ver. 67; ch. 31.33. The women had tents separate from the men.
29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man unto the well.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the ear-ring, and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me, that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.
31 And he said, Come in, thou dblessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? 9for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
d ch. 26.29. Ru. 3.10. Ps. 115.15.
9 From the circumstance of the mother's house being mentioned, ver. 28, some have conjectured that her father, Bethuel, was dead, and the person called Bethuel, ver. 50, was a younger brother. This is possible; but the mother's house might be mentioned were even the father alive: for in Asiatic countries the women have apartments entirely separate from those of the men, in which their little children and grown-up daughters reside with them.—I.
32 And the man came into the house: and he1 ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water eto wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.
1 Laban.
e ch. 18.4; 19.2. 1 Ti. 5.10.
33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, fI will not eat until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.4
4 Abraham had received intelligence concerning the family of Nahor, and we may suppose they had also heard of him; but now the report was authenticated, and the particulars ascertained. The narrative is beautifully simple; well suited to recommend Isaac, and to promote the object of the journey. The servant's heart was so deeply engaged in the business, that he could not eat till he had declared it.—Scott.
35 And the LORD hath gblessed my master greatly, and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels, and asses.
36 And Sarah, my master's wife, hbare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hathi he given all that he hath.
h ch. 17.17; 18.10-14; 21.1-7.
i ch. 25.5.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thouk shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
k See ver. 3-9.
38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.
39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.
40 And he said unto me, The LORD, lbefore whom I walk, will msend his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
41 Then shalt thou be clear5 from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.6
5 Free from the guilt and curse of violating it, De. 29.12.
6 Or as the word signifies, 'from this curse,' the guilt of violating the oath, and the consequent curse that must follow; an oath implying a sanction or curse to follow on the violation of it, whether it be expressed or no.—I.
42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do nprosper my way which I go;
43 Behold,o I stand by the well of water: and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;
o ver. 13,14.
44 And she say to me, pBoth drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out7 for my master's son.
p He. 13.2. 1 Ti. 2.10. Is. 32.8.
7 Marked out.
45 And before I had done speaking qin mine heart,8 behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
q Ro. 8.26. 1 Sa. 1.13. Ne. 2.4. 2 Sa. 7.27. Is. 58.9; 65.24. Mat. 7.7.
8 That is to say, before he had ended the prayer which he was offering up to God in secret.—I.
46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink; and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.9
9 Between Orfa and Bir we met with several wells, at which the young women of the neighbouring villages, or of the tribes of the Curds and Turkomans, who were wandering in these parts, watered their flocks. As soon as we accosted them, they brought us water to drink, and likewise watered our horses. Similar civilities had been shown me in other parts, but here it appeared particularly remarkable, as Rebekah, who was certainly brought up in these parts, showed herself equally obliging to travellers.—Niebuhr.
47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the ear-ring1 upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.r
A.M. 2147. B.C. 1857.
1 Or, nose-jewel, ver. 22, an ornament still in common use among young women in many parts of the East. Chardin says they are worn in the left nostril, which is bored low down in the middle.
r Typical of the church's ornaments, Eze. 16.12. Ep. 5.26. Is. 62.4,5.
48 And sI bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had tled me in the right way, to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.
49 And now, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the uright hand, or to the left.
50 Then Laban2 and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee xbad or good.
2 Laban is put first, as his father seems to have left the management of this affair chiefly to him.
x Anything, 2 Sa. 13.22, but we fully acquiesce in the determination of God's providence.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath yspoken.
y Directed, ver. 15. 2 Sa. 16.10.
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, zhe worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.
53 And the servant brought forth jewels3 of silver, and jewels of gold,4 and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother aprecious things.
3 Heb. vessels.
4 Jewels. So named from the word Jew, because the Jews being at an early period (see Ex. 28.34; 9.11,17, &c.) expert in the polishing and cutting of precious stones, and formation of gold and silver ornaments, continued to be the chief artists and dealers in that department of trade; and accordingly gave name to the products of their ingenuity, ver. 31,50,51,60.—C.
a De. 33.13. Ca. 4.13. 2 Ch. 21.3. Ezr. 1.6.
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night: and they rose up in the morning; and he said, bSend me away unto my master.
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us ca few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away, that I may go to my master.
57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.5
5 Consent being necessary to marriage.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her,6 Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
6 While Abraham pays a just attention to providing a proper wife for his son Isaac, Laban the brother of Rebekah, speaking in her father Bethuel's name, pays a just regard to the feelings of his sister. She is openly consulted, and she freely consents.—C.
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, dand Abraham's servant, and his men.
d Deborah, ch. 35.8. 1 Th. 2.7.
60 And they eblessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister; fbe thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate7 of those which hate them.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 And Isaac came from the way of the gwell Lahai-roi: for he dwelt in the south country.
g ch. 16.14; 25.11.
63 And Isaac went out hto meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes; and when she saw Isaac, ishe lighted off the camel.
A.M. 2148. B.C. 1856.
i Ju. 1.14. Jos. 15.18.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore kshe took a veil, and covered herself.
k Denoting modesty, 1 Co. 11.5,6.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her linto his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
l Typical of the calling of the Gentiles into the church of God. Is. 54.1-5. Ro. 11.11,15. (The tents or apartments of the wives in the East are separated from those of the husband. Sarah being dead, her tent was appropriated to the use of Rebekah.—Wall.)
Notes
Ver. 2. This form of swearing might import the subjection of Eliezer the servant, and that the Messiah should proceed from his master's loins, ch. 47. 29.—[The Hebrew zaken, like the Arabic sheikh, though literally signifying 'old,' or 'old man,' had the ordinary conventional meaning 'chief,' which is manifestly its signification here. Probably this 'chief slave' was Eliezer. P.]
Ver. 3, 4. The Canaanites were mere heathens devoted to destruction, and so very improper to be matched with Isaac, ch. 26. 34, 35; 27. 46; Ex. 34. 16; 2 Co. 6. 14, 15; but Abraham's friends in Mesopotamia worshipped the true God, though they also served their idols, ver. 31, 50; ch. 31. 19, 30.
Ver. 5, 6. It was extremely proper that the servant should know the full meaning of the oath before he took it, Je. 4. 2; Pr. 13. 16. God had ordered Abraham's departure from Mesopotamia; it was therefore improper that either he or his son should return thither, where they would be tempted to a partial idolatry.
Ver. 14. This token he asked not from presumption or distrust, but as directed by the Spirit of God, Ju. 6. 17, 37, 39; 7. 9-15; 1 Sa. 6. 7-9; 14. 8-10; 20. 7; 12. 17; Is. 7. 11-14; 38. 7, 8, 22; Ex. 4. 2-9.
Ver. 22. Jewels and other precious ornaments may be worn by us, provided they be suited to our station and ability, and be not abused as occasions of pride; and providing we principally attend to the inward adorning of our heart and life with true holiness, 1 Pe. 3. 4; 1 Ti. 2. 9, 10.
Ver. 27. God manifested his mercy to Abraham in promising him all manner of blessings; and his truth in performing these promises, as on the present occasion, ch. 32. 10; Mi. 7. 20.
Reflections.—What a mercy it is to have at once a good servant, a good son, and a gracious God! A noble foundation these for truly happy success in our designs! In weighty cases it may be proper to interpose an oath, but that carefully explained, solemnly administered, and judiciously taken. The marriages of true believers, on which the temporal and eternal happiness of multitudes may depend, should be formed with remarkable and religious attention; for an unconverted partner in life often proves a dreadful and a dangerous snare. Happy the families which have praying and pious members! In difficult cases it is best to begin with prayer if we wish to succeed. And it manifests no small prudence to look for and follow the direction of God's providence; for the Lord kindly answers the prayers of faith when put up in behalf of his dear favourites. In order to obtain a truly happy marriage, how much more efficacious are a single regard to the glory of God, and a dependence on his direction, than all the wanton dalliances or false and fulsome flattery in the world! In religious courtship plain-dealing is the best wooing; and they who are most humble, kind, and industrious in the house of their father, are likely to prove most amiable and useful in the house of their husband. In children's marriages parents ought to advise, but not to constrain. It is useful to commemorate past mercies to encourage us in a present dependence on God's care and kindness for future ones: and the more mercies we receive, the more we ought to praise and worship God. New relations need new prayers; for new joys on earth are connected with new griefs. But doubly sweet are the blessings of Providence when we receive them with a devout temper of spirit. How useful for the soul is devout retirement! None will ever feel the want of company who have learned, through the medium of sensible objects, to converse with God himself. Alas, that so few deep-sworn servants of Jehovah should so little resemble Abraham's, in their endeavours to woo a bride for his dear Son! How little fervent prayer and accurate observation of his word and providence they mingle with their work! How often their own temporal provisions lie nearer their heart than that sinners should be made willing in the day of his power! May God make them equally faithful and equally successful!
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.