Genesis 24:22

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka[a] and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.[b]

Genesis 24:22 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
English Standard Version (ESV)
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels,
New Living Translation (NLT)
22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.
The Message Bible (MSG)
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her.
American Standard Version (ASV)
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a fifth of an ounce and two gold bracelets weighing four ounces.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing half a shekel, and for her wrists two bracelets weighing 10 shekels of gold.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
22 The camels finished drinking. Then the man took out a gold nose ring. It weighed a fifth of an ounce. He also took out two gold bracelets. They weighed four ounces.

Genesis 24:22 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 24:22

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking
Having had enough to abate their thirst and satisfy them, by means of Rebekah's drawing water for them: that the man took a golden earring;
out of his pocket, or out of a box or parcel that was upon the camels; it is in the margin of our Bibles, "a jewel for the forehead"; or, as some render it, a "nose jewel" F25; and so in ( Genesis 24:47 ) , "an earring upon her face", or "nose"; and this was a jewel that hung from the forehead upon a lace or ribbon between the eyes down upon the nose; and such the daughters of Sion wore in later times, ( Isaiah 3:21 ) ; see ( Ezekiel 16:12 ) ; and nose jewels are still in use with the Levant Arabs, as Dr. Shaw F26 relates. Rauwolff F1, who travelled through Mesopotamia and the parts adjacent in 1574, says of the women in those parts that are of greater substance, and have a mind to be richer and finer in their dress, that they wear silver and gold rings in one of their nostrils, wherein are set garnets, turquoise, rubies, and pearls: and in Egypt they wear nose jewels F2 and small gold rings in their right nostrils, with a piece of coral set in them


FOOTNOTES:

F3 and this earring or jewel was of half a shekel weight;
which was eighty barley corns, for a whole shekel weighed one hundred and sixty. The Targum of Jonathan is,
``the weight of a drachma, which was the half of a didrachma or common shekel:''
and two bracelets for her hands, of ten [shekels] weight of gold;
a shekel of gold, according to Calmet F4, was worth eighteen shillings and three pence of English money, so that ten of them amount to nine pounds two shillings and six pence; according to Waserus F5, these made twenty Hungarian pieces of gold, which were worth upwards of ninety pounds of Swiss money. A handsome present this was, and suitable to a virgin. Jarchi and Jonathan allegorize the two bracelets of the two tables of the law, and the ten shekels of the ten commands on them.
F25 (Mzn) "imponeret naso ejus monile aureum", Junius & Tremellius.
F26 Travels, p. 241. Ed. 2.
F1 Travels, par. 2. ch. 5. p. 128, 129.
F2 Pitts's Account of Mahometanism, p. 68.
F3 Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 2. p. 85.
F4 Dictionary, in the word "Shekel".
F5 De Antiqu. numis, Heb. l. 2. c. 10.

Genesis 24:22 In-Context

20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.
21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.
23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.”

Cross References 2

  • 1. ver 47; Genesis 41:42; Isaiah 3:21; Ezekiel 16:11-12
  • 2. S ver 10

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
  • [b]. That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
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