X¹ n¹ 1-54-. Eleazar's mission and his progress. n² -54-67. Eleazar's mission and his return.
n¹ o 1. Abraham's blessing and prosperity.
p 2-9. Eleazar's oath and commission.
q 10,11. Journey of Eleazar.
r 12-21. Prayer of Eleazar. Ans. 15-21.
s 22-25. His conference with Rebekah.
t 26. His worship of Yahaveh.
u 27-32. Reception of Eleazar.
v 33. Entertainment. Declined.
o 34-36. Abraham's blessings and prosperity.
p 37-41. Eleazar's oath and commission.
q 42-. Journey of Eleazar.
r -42-45-. Prayer of Eleazar. Ans. 45-.
s -45-47. His conference with Rebekah.
t 48. His worship of Yahaveh.
u 49-53. Reception of Eleazar's message.
v 54-. Entertainment accepted.
Genesis 24)1 And Abraham was old (about 140 years old), and well stricken in age: and the Lord (Yahaveh) had blessed Abraham in all things.
1858 B.C.
2 And Abraham said to his eldest servant of his house, (Eleazar of Damascus), that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh: (According to the Midrah and ancient Jewish expositors, a Euphemism for the organs of generation, as most sacred. According to Ibn Ezra and present Indian custom, on the thigh is a token of subjection)
3 And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God (Elohim) of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: (Mixed with the Nephilim. Emphatic in contrast with the Canaanites. Hence Abraham's horror of mixing the holy seed with that of the Nephilim = mighty men, abominations)
4 But you shall go to my country, and to my kindred (Gentiles thus expressly excluded from this chapter, if regarded as a type), and take a wife to my son Isaac."
5 And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land: is it necessary that I bring your son again to the land from which place you came?"
6 And Abraham said to him, "You beware that you bring not my son there again.
7 The the Lord God of heaven, and God of earth, Which took me from my house, and from the my country, and Which spoke to me, and That swear to me, saying, 'To your seed will I give this land;' He shall send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife to my son from that place.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son to that place again."
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.
10 And the servant took 10 camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in is hand: and he mounted, and went to Mesopotamia (= high between the two rivers-Tigris, Euphrates. The country of Haran), to the city of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, "The Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray You, send me good speed this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the spring of water; and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water:
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, 'Let down your pitcher, I pray you that I may drink:' and she say, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also:' (a sign requested contrary to the custom) let the same be she that You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that You have showed kindness to my master."
15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking (cp. Isa. 65:24), that, behold, Rebekah (= captivating) came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin (every virgin is a maiden, but every maiden is not a virgin, hence she was pure) neither had any man known her: and she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Let me, I pray you, drink a little water of your 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 your camels also, until they have done drinking."
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the spring to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man eagerly watching her held his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that he man took a nose (or "face") ring of gold of a half sheckel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten sheckels of gold (approx. 3 oz.);
23 And said, "Whose daughter are you? tell me I pray you: is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"
24 And she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, which she bare to Nahor."
25 She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshiped the Lord.
27 And he said, "Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, Who has not left destitute my master of His mercy and His truth: I being in the way, the Lord God led me to the house of my master's brethren."
28 And the damsel ran and told them of her mother's house these things.
29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban (= white): and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "Thus spoke the man to me;" that he came to the man; and, behold he stood by the camels at the spring. (Character of Laban. Rebekah showed kindness before she saw)
31 And Laban said, "Come in, you blessed of the Lord; why do you stand outside? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.
33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, "I will not eat, until I have told my errand." and he (Laban) said, "Speak on."
34 And he said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35 And (note the number of items which went to make up Abraham's wealth. 12 "and's", 3x4=12=abundance of earthly wealth) the Lord has blessed 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 asses.
36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old, and to him has He given all that he has.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
38 But you shall go to my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife to my son.'
39 And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.'
40 And he said to me, 'The Lord, before Whom I walk habitually, will send His angel with you, and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
41 Then shall you be clear from this your oath, when you come to my kindred, an if they give you not one, you shall be clear from my oath.'
42 And I came this day to the spring, and said, (Eleazar repeats his prayer from memory, but inexactly. Who could have written the actual words, vv.12-21, but the Holy Inspiring Spirit? He records both the prayer itself and Eleaazar's remembrance of it),
Oh the Lord God of my master Abraham, if now You do prosper my way which I go:
43 Behold, I stand by the spring 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 you, a little water of our pitcher to drink;'
44 And she say to me, 'Both drink you, and I will also draw for the camels:' let the same be the woman whom the Lord has appointed out for my master's son.'
45 And before I had done speaking in my heart (= mind), behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew water.
And I said to her, 'Let me drink, I pray you.'
46 And she made haste, and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also:' so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' and she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare to him:' and I put the earring upon her nose, and the bracelet upon her hands.
48 And I bowed down my head, and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord of my master Abraham, Which had led me in the right way (cp. Ps. 107:7) to take my master's brother's daughter (daughter put for grand-daughter) to his son.
49 And now if you all 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."
50 Then Laban and Bethel answered and said, "The thing proceeds from the Lord: we cannot speak to you good or bad.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, according as the Lord has spoken." (Laban regarded Yahaveh as arranging all)
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and a change of garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
n² w -54-. The return desired.
x y -54. Request for departure made.
z 55. Departure hindered.
x y 56. Request for departure renewed.
z 57-60. Departure expedited.
w 61-67. The return consummated.
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night;and rose up in the morning, and he said,
"send me away to my master."
55 And her brother and her mother said, "Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at least 10 days (seven days = a week, but ten or a decade = 1/3 of a month, sometimes reckoned as a longer but strictly defined period), after that she shall go."
56 And he said to them, "Hinder me not, seeing the Lord has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master."
57 And they said, "we will call the damsel, and esquire at her mouth."
58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."
59 And they sent Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "You are our sister, be you therefore mother of thousands of millions, and let your seed posses the cities 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 spring Lahai-roi (= the spring of life and vision); for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at dusk (Refers back to historical context, 23:19. The death and burial of Sarah, his mother. What follows this digression, of which Isaac as yet knew nothing, in 24:1-67 shows that Isaac went out, not to "meditate", or to "pray", or "take a walk", or "muster the flocks", but to mourn. This is the meaning of the Heb. sach in Ps. 44:25. Lam. 3:20): 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, she fell off the camel. (or alighted hastily)
65 For she said to the servant, "What man is this that walks in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "It is my master:" therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
1856 B.C.
67 And Isaac brought her to his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac consoled himself for his mother's death.