Genesis 24
Amplified Bible
A Bride for Isaac
24 Now Abraham was old, [well] advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 Abraham said to his servant [Eliezer of Damascus], the oldest of his household, who had charge over all that Abraham owned, “Please, put your hand under my thigh [as is customary for affirming a solemn oath],(A) 3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, 4 but you will [instead] go to my [former] country (Mesopotamia) and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac [the heir of the covenant promise].” 5 The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman will not be willing to follow me back to this country; should I take your son back to the country from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there! 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, from the land of my family and my birth, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you [to guide you], and you will take a wife from there for my son [and bring her here]. 8 If the woman is not willing to follow you [to this land], then you will be free from this my oath and blameless; only you must never take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels, and set out, taking some of his master’s good things with him; so he got up and journeyed to [a]Mesopotamia [between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers], to the city of Nahor [the home of Abraham’s brother]. 11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of the evening when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness (faithfulness) to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand here at the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; 14 now let it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please, let down your jar so that I may [have a] drink,’ and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels water to drink’—may she be the one whom You have selected [as a wife] for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness (faithfulness) to my master.”
Rebekah Is Chosen
15 Before Eliezer had finished speaking (praying), Rebekah came out with her [water] jar on her shoulder. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel the [b]son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin and unmarried; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” 18 And she said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 When she had given Eliezer a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran again to the well and drew water for all his camels. 21 Meanwhile, the man stood gazing at Rebekah in [reverent] silence, [waiting] to know if the Lord had made his trip successful or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, Eliezer took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels in gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” 24 And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to [her husband] Nahor.” 25 Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and also room to lodge.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord. 27 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not denied His lovingkindness and His truth to my master. As for me, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brothers.”
28 Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household what had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran out to the man at the well. 30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and when he heard Rebekah his sister, saying, “The man said this to me,” he went to Eliezer and found him standing by the camels at the spring. 31 And Laban said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have made the house ready and have prepared a place for the camels?” 32 So the man came into the house, and Laban unloaded his camels and gave them straw and feed, and [he gave] water to [Eliezer to] wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 But when food was set before him, he said, “I will not eat until I have stated my business.” And Laban said, “Speak on.” 34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great (wealthy, powerful); He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. 36 Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was in her old age, and he has given everything that he has to him. 37 My master made me swear [an oath], saying, ‘You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall [instead] go to my father’s house and to my family and take a wife for my son [Isaac].’ 39 Then I said to my master, ‘But suppose the woman will not follow me [back to this land].’ 40 He said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk [habitually and obediently], will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; 41 then you will be free of my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will [also] be free of my oath.’
42 “I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; 43 please look, I am standing by the spring of water; now let it be that when the maiden [whom You have chosen for Isaac] comes out to draw [water], and to whom I say, “Please, give me a little water to drink from your jar”; 44 and if she says to me, “You drink, and I will also draw [water] for your camels”; let that woman be the one whom the Lord has selected and chosen [as a wife] for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her [water] jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please, let me have a drink.’ 46 And she quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’; so I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I [c]put the ring in her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. 48 And I bowed down my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother to his son [as a wife]. 49 So now if you are going to show kindness and truth to my master [being faithful to him], tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right or to the left [and go on my way].”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The matter has come from the Lord; so we dare not speak bad or good [to you about it—we cannot interfere]. 51 Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground [in worship] before the Lord. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and articles of clothing, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night [there]. In the morning when they got up, he said, “Now send me back to my master.” 55 But Rebekah’s brother and mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days—at least ten; then she may go.” 56 But Eliezer said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away, so that I may go back to my master.” 57 And they said, “We will call the girl and ask her [d]what she prefers.” 58 So they called Rebekah and said, “Will you go with this man?” And she answered, “I will go.” 59 So they sent off their sister Rebekah and her nurse [Deborah, as her attendant] and Abraham’s servant [Eliezer] and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“May you, our sister,
Become [the mother of] thousands of ten thousands,
And may your descendants possess (conquer)
The [city] gate of those who hate them.”
61 Then Rebekah and her attendants [e]stood, and they mounted camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
Isaac Marries Rebekah
62 Now Isaac had returned from going to Beer-lahai-roi (Well of the Living One Who Sees Me), for he was living in the [f]Negev.(B) 63 Isaac went out to bow down [in prayer] in the field in the [early] evening; he raised his eyes and looked, and camels were coming. 64 Rebekah also raised her eyes and looked, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from her camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man there walking across the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master [Isaac].” So she took a veil and covered herself [as was customary]. 66 The servant told Isaac everything that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah [in marriage], and she became his wife, and he loved her; therefore Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Footnotes
- Genesis 24:10 Heb Aram Naharaim, “Aram of the two rivers.”
- Genesis 24:15 See 22:20-24.
- Genesis 24:47 This was a customary act of admiration and respect; otherwise, Rebekah would not have accepted it.
- Genesis 24:57 Lit mouth.
- Genesis 24:61 The Hebrew verb “to stand” or “arise” is often used as an instruction to prepare to fulfill a command, somewhat similar to the military command “attention.”
- Genesis 24:62 The South country, south and west of the Dead Sea.
Genesis 24
1599 Geneva Bible
24 2 Abraham causeth his servant to swear to take a wife for Isaac in his own kindred. 12 The servant prayeth to God. 33 His fidelity toward his master. 50 The friends of Rebekah commit the matter to God. 58 They ask her consent, and she agreeth.
1 Now Abraham was old, and [a]stricken in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 Therefore Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, which had the rule over all that he had, (A)[b]Put now thine hand under my thigh,
3 And I will make thee [c]swear by the Lord God of the heaven, and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell:
4 But thou shalt go unto my [d]country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said to him, What if the woman will not come with me to this land? shall I bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
6 To whom Abraham answered, Beware that thou bring not my son [e]thither again.
7 ¶ The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land where I was born, and that spake unto me, and that swear unto me, saying, (B)Unto thy seed will I give this land, he shall send his Angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
8 Nevertheless if the woman will not follow thee, then shalt thou be [f]discharged of this mine oath: only bring not my son thither again.
9 Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him for this matter.
10 ¶ So the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed: (for he had all his master’s goods in his hand:) and so he arose, and went to [g]Aram Naharaim, unto the [h]city of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to [i]lie down without the city by a well of water, at eventide about the time that the women come out to draw water.
12 And he said, O [j]Lord God of my master Abraham, I beseech thee, [k]send me good speed this day, and show mercy unto my master Abraham.
13 Lo, I stand by the well of water while the men’s daughters of this city come out to draw water.
14 [l]Grant therefore that the maid, to whom I say: Bow down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink: if she say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: may be she that thou hast ordained for thy servant Isaac: and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed mercy on my master.
15 ¶ And now yet he had left speaking, behold, [m]Rebekah came out, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor Abraham’s brother, and her Pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 (And the maid was very fair to look upon, a virgin and unknown of man) and she [n]went down to the well, and filled her pitcher and came up.
17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me drink, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink [o]sir: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand and gave him drink.
19 And when she had given him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also until they [p]have drunken enough.
20 And she poured out her pitcher into the trough speedily, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.
21 So the man wondered at her, and held his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And when the camels had left drinking, the man took a golden [q][r]abillement of [s]half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, of ten shekels weight of gold:
23 And he said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee, Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?
24 Then she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah whom she bare unto Nahor.
25 Moreover she said unto him, We have litter also and provender enough, and room to lodge in.
26 And the man bowed himself and worshipped the Lord,
27 And said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, which hath not withdrawn his mercy [t]and his truth from my master: for when I was in the way, the Lord brought me to my master’s brethren’s house.
28 And the maid ran and told them of her mother’s house according to these words.
29 ¶ Now Rebekah had a brother called Laban, and Laban ran unto the man to the well.
30 For when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus said the man unto me, then he went to the man, and lo, [u]he stood by the camels at the well.
31 And he said, Come in thou blessed of the Lord: wherefore standest thou without, seeing I have prepared the house, and room for the camels?
32 ¶ Then the man came into the house, and [v]he unsaddled the [w]camels, and brought litter and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.
33 Afterward the meat was set before him: but he said, I [x]will not eat, until I have said my message. And he said: Speak on.
34 Then he said, I am Abraham’s servant,
35 And the Lord hath [y]blessed my master wonderfully, that he is become great: for he hath given him sheep, and beeves, and silver, and gold, and men servants, and maid servants, and camels, and asses.
36 And Sarah my master’s wife hath borne a son to my master, when she was old, and unto him hath he given all that he hath.
37 Now my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the [z]Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
38 But thou shalt go unto my [aa]father’s house and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.
39 Then I said unto my master, What if the woman will not follow me?
40 Who answered me, The Lord, before who I walk, will send his Angel with thee, and prosper thy journey, and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred and my father’s house.
41 Then shalt thou be discharged of [ab]mine oath, when thou comest to my kindred: and if they give thee not one, thou shalt be free from mine oath.
42 So I came this day to the well, and said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if thou now prosper my [ac]journey which I go,
43 Behold, (C)I stand by the well of water when a virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink,
44 And she said to me, Drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels, let her be the wife, which the Lord hath [ad]prepared for thy master’s son.
45 And before I had made an end of speaking in mine [ae]heart, behold, Rebekah came forth and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the well, and drew water. Then I said unto her, Give me drink, I pray thee.
46 And she made haste, and took down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also.
47 Then I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she answered, The daughter of Bethuel Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him. Then I put the abillement upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands:
48 [af]And I bowed down and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had brought me the [ag]right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.
49 Now therefore, if ye will deal [ah]mercifully and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me, that I may turn me to the [ai]right hand or to the left.
50 Then answered Laban and Bethuel, and said, [aj]This thing is proceeded of the Lord: we cannot therefore say unto thee, neither evil nor good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is [ak]before thee, take her and go, that she may be thy master’s son’s wife, even as the Lord hath [al]said.
52 And when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself toward the earth unto the Lord.
53 Then the servant took forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave to Rebekah: also unto her brother and to her mother he gave gifts.
54 Afterward they did eat and drink, both he, and the men that were with him, and tarried all night, and when they rose up in the morning, he said, (D)Let me depart unto my master.
55 Then her brother and her mother answered, Let the maid abide with us, at the least [am]ten days: then shall she go.
56 But he said unto them, Hinder you me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my journey: send me away, that I may go to my master.
57 Then they said, We will call the maid, and ask [an]her consent.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her: Wilt thou go with this man? And [ao]she answered, I will go.
59 So they let Rebekah their sister go, and her nurse, with Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, grow into thousand thousand’s, and thy seed possess the [ap]gate of his enemies.
61 ¶ Then Rebekah arose, and her maids, and rode upon the camels, and followed the man, and the servant took Rebekah and departed.
62 Now Isaac came from the way of (E)Beer Lahai Roi, (for he dwelt in the South country.)
63 And Isaac went out to [aq]pray in the field toward the evening: who lift up his eyes and looked, and behold, the camels came.
64 Also Rebekah lift up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted down from the camel.
65 (For she had said to the servant, Who is yonder man, that cometh in the field to meet us? and the servant had said, It is my master) So she took [ar]a veil, and covered her.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things, that he had done.
67 Afterward Isaac brought her into the tent, of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she was his wife, and he loved her: So Isaac was [as]comforted after his mother’s death.
Footnotes
- Genesis 24:1 Hebrew, come into days.
- Genesis 24:2 Which ceremony declared, the servant’s obedience towards his master, and the master’s power over the servant.
- Genesis 24:3 This showeth that an oath may be required in a lawful cause.
- Genesis 24:4 He would not that his son should marry out of the godly family: for the inconveniences that come by marrying with the ungodly are set forth in sundry places of the Scriptures.
- Genesis 24:6 Lest he should lose the inheritance promised.
- Genesis 24:8 Hebrew, innocent.
- Genesis 24:10 Or, Mesopotamia, or, Syria of the two floods: to wit, of Tigris and Euphrates.
- Genesis 24:10 That is, to Haran.
- Genesis 24:11 Hebrew, to bow their knees.
- Genesis 24:12 He groundeth his prayer upon God’s promise made to his master.
- Genesis 24:12 Or, cause me to meet.
- Genesis 24:14 The servant moved by God’s spirit desired to be assured by a sign, whether God prospered his journey or no.
- Genesis 24:15 God giveth good success to all things that are undertaken for the glory of his name and according to his word.
- Genesis 24:16 Here is declared that God ever heareth the prayers of his, and granteth their requests.
- Genesis 24:18 Hebrew, my Lord.
- Genesis 24:19 Hebrew, have made an end of drinking.
- Genesis 24:22 Or, earring.
- Genesis 24:22 God permitted many things both in apparel and other things which are now forbid: specially when they appertain not to our mortification.
- Genesis 24:22 The golden shekel is here meant and not that of silver.
- Genesis 24:27 He boasteth not his good fortune (as do the wicked) but acknowledgeth that God hath dealt mercifully with his master in keeping promise.
- Genesis 24:30 For he waited on God’s hand, who had now heard his prayer.
- Genesis 24:32 To wit, Laban.
- Genesis 24:32 The gentle entertainment of strangers used among the godly fathers.
- Genesis 24:33 The fidelity that servants owe to their masters, causeth them to prefer their master’s business to their own necessity.
- Genesis 24:35 To bless, signifieth here to enrich, or increase with substance, as the text in the same verse declareth.
- Genesis 24:37 The Canaanites were accursed, and therefore the godly could not join with them in marriage.
- Genesis 24:38 Meaning among his kinsfolk, as verse 40.
- Genesis 24:41 Which by mine authority I caused thee to make.
- Genesis 24:42 Or, way.
- Genesis 24:44 Or, showed.
- Genesis 24:45 Signifying that this prayer was not spoken by the mouth, but only meditated in his heart.
- Genesis 24:48 He showeth what is our duty, when we have received any benefit of the Lord.
- Genesis 24:48 Hebrew, in the way of truth.
- Genesis 24:49 If you will freely and faithfully give your daughter to my master’s son.
- Genesis 24:49 That is, that I may provide elsewhere.
- Genesis 24:50 So soon as they perceive that it is God’s ordinance they yield.
- Genesis 24:51 Or, at thy commandment.
- Genesis 24:51 Or, ordained.
- Genesis 24:55 Hebrew, days, or ten.
- Genesis 24:57 This showeth that parents have not authority to marry their children without consent of the parties.
- Genesis 24:58 Hebrew, her mouth.
- Genesis 24:60 That is, let it be victorious over his enemies: which blessing is fully accomplished in Jesus Christ.
- Genesis 24:63 This was the exercise of the godly fathers to meditate God’s promises, and to pray for the accomplishment thereof.
- Genesis 24:65 The custom was that the spouse was brought to her husband, her head being covered, in token of shamefastness and chastity.
- Genesis 24:67 Or, had left mourning for his mother.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
