Genesis 24:1-14

Isaac and Rebekah

1 Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
2 He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh.
3 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,
4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?”
6 “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said.
7 “The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[a] I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.
8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”
9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim[b] and made his way to the town of Nahor.
11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.
12 Then he prayed, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

Genesis 24:1-14 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.

Cross References 40

  • 1. S Genesis 17:17; Joshua 23:1
  • 2. Genesis 12:2; Galatians 3:9
  • 3. ver 35
  • 4. S Genesis 15:3
  • 5. Genesis 39:4-6
  • 6. ver 9; Genesis 47:29
  • 7. Genesis 47:31; Genesis 50:25
  • 8. ver 7
  • 9. S Genesis 14:19; S Numbers 20:14
  • 10. Genesis 28:1; Deuteronomy 7:3; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
  • 11. S Genesis 10:15-19
  • 12. ver 37
  • 13. S Genesis 12:1; Genesis 28:2; Judges 14:3
  • 14. S ver 29; S Genesis 21:21
  • 15. ver 39
  • 16. Hebrews 11:15
  • 17. ver 8
  • 18. ver 3
  • 19. Genesis 12:1
  • 20. Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:16*
  • 21. S Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15
  • 22. S Genesis 16:7; Exodus 23:20,23
  • 23. ver 41; Jos 2:12,17,20; Joshua 9:20
  • 24. S ver 6
  • 25. S ver 2
  • 26. Genesis 32:4; Genesis 33:8
  • 27. ver 19; 1 Kings 10:2; 1 Chronicles 12:40; Isaiah 30:6
  • 28. ver 22,30,47,53; Genesis 43:11; Genesis 45:23
  • 29. Numbers 23:7; Deuteronomy 23:4; Judges 3:8
  • 30. S Genesis 11:29
  • 31. Exodus 2:15
  • 32. ver 13; Ge 29:2,9-10; Exodus 2:16; 1 Samuel 9:11; John 4:7
  • 33. ver 27,42,48; Genesis 26:24; Genesis 28:13; Genesis 31:42,53; Genesis 32:9; Genesis 43:23; Genesis 46:3; Ex 3:6,15,16; Exodus 4:5; 1 Kings 18:36; Psalms 75:9; Psalms 94:7
  • 34. ver 21,40,51,56; Genesis 27:20; Nehemiah 1:11
  • 35. S Genesis 19:19; Joshua 2:12; Job 10:12
  • 36. S ver 11,43; Genesis 29:8
  • 37. ver 18,46
  • 38. ver 19
  • 39. ver 44
  • 40. Joshua 2:12; Judges 6:17,37; 1 Samuel 14:10; 1 Kings 13:3; Psalms 86:17; Isaiah 38:7; Jeremiah 44:29

Footnotes 2

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