Genesis 24
24
1And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] was old, [and] well stricken in age: and the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) had Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] in all things.
2And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray youi, youri hand under my thigh:
3And I will make youi swear by the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), the God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of heaven, and the God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of the earth, that youi shall not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Kena’ani (low/humbled ones; merchants), among whom I dwell:
4But youi shall go unto my country, and to my family, and take a wife unto my son Yitz’chak [Laughter].
5And the servant said unto him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring youri son again unto the land from which youi came?
6And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] said unto him, Beware youi that youi bring not my son there again.
7The Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my family, and which spoke unto me, and that swore unto me, saying, Unto youri seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before youi, and youi shall take a wife unto my son from there.
8And if the woman will not be willing to follow youi, then youi shall be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son there again.
9And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.
10And the servant took ten camels 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 Aram-Naharayim [Aram (Mesopotamia/Aram (Syria) [exalted]) [Elevated Between the Two Rivers]] (between two rivers), unto the city of Nokhor (a snort, a snorting; charred, scorched).
11And he made his camels to kneel 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.
12And he said, O Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of my master Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], I pray youi, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will].
13Behold, I stand [here] by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14And let it come to pass, that the girl to whom I shall say, Let down youri pitcher, I pray youi, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give youri camels drink also: [let the same be] she [that] youi have appointed for youri servant Yitz’chak [Laughter]; and thereby shall I know that youi have showed kindness unto my master.
15And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) came out, who was born to B’tu’el (meaning disputed), son of Milkah (Counsel; Queen), the wife of Nokhor (a snort, a snorting; charred, scorched), Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16And the girl [was] very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
17And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray youi, drink a little water of youri pitcher.
18And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw [water] for youri camels also, until they have done drinking.
20And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw [water], and drew for all his camels.
21And the man wondering at her held his peace, that is to say whether the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) had made his journey prosperous or not.
22And 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;
23And said, Whose daughter [are] youi? tell me, I pray youi: is there room [in] youri father’s house for us to lodge in?
24And she said unto him, I [am] the daughter of B’tu’el (meaning disputed) the son of Milkah (Counsel; Queen), which she bore unto Nokhor (a snort, a snorting; charred, scorched).
25She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender (food for livestock or cattle) enough, and room to lodge in.
26And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate).
27And he said, Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) [be] the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) God-Elohe [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of my master Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I [being] in the way, the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) led me to the house of my master’s brethren.
28And the girl ran, and told [them of] her mother’s house these things.
29And Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) had a brother, and his name [was] Lavan (to be white; white guy): and Lavan ran out unto the man, unto the well.
30And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) his sister, saying, In the following manner spoke the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.
31And he said, Come in, youi Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) of the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate); for what reason [do] youi stand outside? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
32And the man came into the house: and he unloaded his camels, and gave straw and provender (food for livestock or cattle) for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that [were] with him.
33And there was set [meat] before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told my errand. And he said, Speak on.
34And he said, I [am] Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] servant.
35And the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) has Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) my master greatly; and he is become great: and he has given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and donkeys.
36And Sarah [Princess] my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old: and unto him has he given all that he has.
37And my master made me swear, saying, Youi shall not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Kena’ani (low/humbled ones; merchants), in whose land I dwell:
38But youi shall go unto my father’s house, and to my family, and take a wife unto my son.
39And I said unto my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me.
40And he said unto me, The Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), before whom I walk, will send his angel with youi, and prosper youri way; and youi shall take a wife for my son of my family, and of my father’s house:
41Then shall youi be clear from [this] my oath, when youi come to my family; and if they give not youi [one], youi shall be clear from my oath.
42And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of my master Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], if now youi do prosper my way which I go:
43Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin comes forth to draw [water], and I say to her, Give me, I pray youi, a little water of youri pitcher to drink;
44And she say to me, Both drink youi, and I will also draw for youri camels: [let] the same [be] the woman whom the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) has appointed out for my master’s son.
45And before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) 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 youi.
46And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her [shoulder], and said, Drink, and I will give youri camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
47And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter [are] youi? And she said, The daughter of B’tu’el, Nokhor’s (a snort, a snorting; charred, scorched) son, whom Milkah (Counsel; Queen) bore unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.
48And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), and Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of my master Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.
49And now if youf will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.
50Then Lavan (to be white; white guy) and B’tu’el answered and said, The thing proceeds from the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate): we cannot speak unto youi bad or good.
51Behold, Rivkah [is] before youi, take [her], and go, and let her be youri master’s son’s wife, as the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) has spoken.
52And it came to pass, that, when Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), [bowing himself] to the earth.
53And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave [them] to Rivkah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
54And 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, Send me away unto my master.
55And her brother and her mother said, Let the girl abide with us [a few] days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
57And they said, We will call the girl, and enquire at her mouth.
58And they called Rivkah, and said unto her, Will youi go with this man? And she said, I will go.
59And they sent away Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) their sister, and her nurse, and Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] servant, and his men.
60And they Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) Rivkah, and said unto her, Youi [are] our sister, be youi [the mother] of thousands of millions, and let youri seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
61And Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) arose, and her female servants, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rivkah, and went his way.
62And Yitz’chak [Laughter] came from the way of the well Be’er-Lachai-Ro’i [The Well Of The Living One Who Sees Me]; for he dwelt in the south country.
63And Yitz’chak [Laughter] went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels [were] coming.
64And Rivkah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Yitz’chak [Laughter], she lighted off the camel.
65For she [had] said unto the servant, What man [is] this that walks in the field to meet us? And the servant [had] said, It [is] my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66And the servant told Yitz’chak [Laughter] all things that he had done.
67And Yitz’chak [Laughter] brought her into his mother Sarah’s [Princess] tent, and took Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured), and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Yitz’chak [Laughter] was comforted after his mother’s [death].
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Genesis 24: NMV
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Genesis 24
24
Isaac and Rebekah.#The story of Abraham and Sarah is drawing to a close. The promises of progeny (21:1–7) and land (chap. 23) have been fulfilled and Sarah has died (23:1–2). Abraham’s last duty is to ensure that his son Isaac shares in the promises. Isaac must take a wife from his own people (vv. 3–7), so the promises may be fulfilled. The extraordinary length of this story and its development of a single theme contrast strikingly with the spare style of the preceding Abraham and Sarah stories. It points ahead to the Jacob and Joseph stories.The length of the story is partly caused by its meticulous attention to the sign (vv. 12–14), its fulfillment (vv. 15–20), and the servant’s retelling of sign and fulfillment to Rebekah’s family to win their consent (vv. 34–49). 1Abraham was old, having seen many days, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2#Gn 47:29. Abraham said to the senior servant of his household, who had charge of all his possessions: “Put your hand under my thigh,#Put your hand under my thigh: the symbolism of this act was apparently connected with the Hebrew concept of children issuing from their father’s “thigh” (the literal meaning of “direct descendants” in 46:26; Ex 1:5). Perhaps the man who took such an oath was thought to bring the curse of sterility on himself if he did not fulfill his sworn promise. Jacob made Joseph swear in the same way (Gn 47:29). In both these instances, the oath was taken to carry out the last request of a man upon his death. 3and 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,#Gn 24:37; 28:1–2; Jgs 14:3; Tb 4:12. 4but that you will go to my own land and to my relatives to get a wife for my son Isaac.” 5The servant asked him: “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6Abraham told him, “Never take my son back there for any reason! 7The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, and who confirmed by oath the promise he made to me, ‘I will give this land to your descendants’—he will send his angel before you, and you will get a wife for my son there.#Gn 12:7; Ex 6:8; Tb 5:17; Gal 3:16. 8If the woman is unwilling to follow you, you will be released from this oath to me. But never take my son back there!” 9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore to him concerning this matter.
10The servant then took ten of his master’s camels, and bearing all kinds of gifts from his master, he made his way to the city of Nahor#Nahor: it is uncertain whether this is the place where Abraham’s brother Nahor (11:27) had lived or whether it is the city Nahur, named in the Mari documents (nineteenth and eighteenth centuries B.C.), near the confluence of the Balikh and Middle Euphrates rivers. Aram Naharaim: lit., “Aram between the two rivers,” is the Yahwist designation for Terah’s homeland. The two rivers are the Habur and the Euphrates. The Priestly designation for the area is Paddan-aram, which is from the Assyrian padana, “road or garden,” and Aram, which refers to the people or land of the Arameans. in Aram Naharaim. 11Near evening, at the time when women go out to draw water, he made the camels kneel by the well outside the city. 12Then he said: “Lord, God of my master Abraham, let it turn out favorably for me#Let it turn out favorably for me: let me have a favorable sign; cf. end of v. 14. today and thus deal graciously with my master Abraham. 13While I stand here at the spring and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water, 14if I say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jug, that I may drink,’ and she answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels, too,’ then she is the one whom you have decided upon for your servant Isaac. In this way I will know that you have dealt graciously with my master.”
15#Gn 22:23. He had scarcely finished speaking when Rebekah—who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor—came out with a jug on her shoulder. 16The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin, untouched by man. She went down to the spring and filled her jug. As she came up, 17the servant ran toward her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 18“Drink, sir,” she replied, and quickly lowering the jug into her hand, she gave him a drink. 19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels, too, until they have finished drinking.” 20With that, she quickly emptied her jug into the drinking trough and ran back to the well to draw more water, until she had drawn enough for all the camels. 21The man watched her the whole time, silently waiting to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful. 22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose-ring weighing half a shekel, and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels for her wrists. 23Then he asked her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. And is there a place in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24She answered: “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. 25We have plenty of straw and fodder,” she added, “and also a place to spend the night.” 26The man then knelt and bowed down to the Lord, 27saying: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not let his kindness and fidelity toward my master fail. As for me, the Lord has led me straight to the house of my master’s brother.”
28Then the young woman ran off and told her mother’s household what had happened. 29#Gn 27:43. Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban rushed outside to the man at the spring. 30#Laban becomes hospitable only when he sees the servant’s rich gifts, which is in humorous contrast to his sister’s spontaneous generosity toward the servant. Laban’s opportunism points forward to his behavior in the Jacob stories (31:14–16). When he saw the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms and when he heard Rebekah repeating what the man had said to her, he went to him while he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31He said: “Come, blessed of the Lord! Why are you standing outside when I have made the house ready, as well as a place for the camels?” 32The man then went inside; and while the camels were being unloaded and provided with straw and fodder, water was brought to bathe his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33But when food was set before him, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my story.” “Go ahead,” they replied.
34“I am Abraham’s servant,” he began. 35“The Lord has blessed my master so abundantly that he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37My master put me under oath, saying: ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live; 38instead, you must go to my father’s house, to my own family, to get a wife for my son.’ 39When I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’ 40he replied: ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have always walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey successful, and so you will get a wife for my son from my own family and my father’s house.#Tb 5:17; 10:13. 41Then you will be freed from my curse. If you go to my family and they refuse you, then, too, you will be free from my curse.’#Curse: this would be the consequence of failing to carry out the oath referred to in v. 3.
42“When I came to the spring today, I said: ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, please make successful the journey I am on. 43While I stand here at the spring, if I say to a young woman who comes out to draw water, ‘Please give me a little water from your jug,’ 44and she answers, ‘Drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too—then she is the woman whom the Lord has decided upon for my master’s son.’
45“I had scarcely finished saying this to myself when Rebekah came out with a jug on her shoulder. After she went down to the spring and drew water, I said to her, ‘Please let me have a drink.’ 46She quickly lowered the jug she was carrying and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels, too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47When I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ she answered, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, borne to Nahor by Milcah.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48Then I knelt and bowed down to the Lord, blessing the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49Now, if you will act with kindness and fidelity toward my master, let me know; but if not, let me know that too. I can then proceed accordingly.”
50#Tb 7:11–12. Laban and Bethuel said in reply: “This thing comes from the Lord; we can say nothing to you either for or against it. 51Here is Rebekah, right in front of you; take her and go, that she may become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has said.” 52When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed to the ground before the Lord. 53Then he brought out objects of silver and gold and clothing and presented them to Rebekah; he also gave costly presents to her brother and mother. 54After he and the men with him had eaten and drunk, they spent the night there.
When they got up the next morning, he said, “Allow me to return to my master.”#Tb 7:14; 8:20. 55Her brother and mother replied, “Let the young woman stay with us a short while, say ten days; after that she may go.” 56But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has made my journey successful; let me go back to my master.” 57They answered, “Let us call the young woman and see what she herself has to say about it.” 58So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” She answered, “I will.”#Marriages arranged by the woman’s father did not require the woman’s consent, but marriages arranged by the woman’s brother did. Laban is the brother and Rebekah is therefore free to give her consent or not. 59At this they sent off their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60They blessed Rebekah and said:
“Sister, may you grow
into thousands of myriads;
And may your descendants gain possession
of the gates of their enemies!”#Gn 22:17.
61Then Rebekah and her attendants started out; they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
62Meanwhile Isaac had gone from Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the region of the Negeb.#Gn 16:13–14; 25:11. 63One day toward evening he went out to walk in the field, and caught sight of camels approaching. 64Rebekah, too, caught sight of Isaac, and got down from her camel. 65She asked the servant, “Who is the man over there, walking through the fields toward us?” “That is my master,” replied the servant. Then she took her veil and covered herself.
66The servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done. 67Then Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He took Rebekah as his wife. Isaac loved her and found solace after the death of his mother.
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