14 Jul 2025 – jeffersonvann

Genesis 24

Genesis 24:1 Abraham had become old, well gone in days. And Yahveh had blessed Abraham in everything.

Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said to his slave, the oldest in his household, who ruled over all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh,

Genesis 24:3 so that I may make you swear by Yahveh, the God of the sky and God of the land, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,

Genesis 24:4 but will go to my country and to my kin and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Genesis 24:5 The slave said to him, “What if the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land? Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

Genesis 24:6 Abraham replied to him, “Watch out, or else you will take my son back there.

Genesis 24:7 Yahveh, the God of the sky, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kin, and who spoke to me and swore to me, and this is what he said, ‘To your seed I will give this land,’ he will send his agent before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.

Genesis 24:8 But if the woman does not want to follow you, then you will be free from this oath from me; only you must not take my son back there.”

Genesis 24:9 So the slave put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord and swore to him on this subject.

Genesis 24:10 Then the slave took ten of his lord’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he set out for Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor.

Genesis 24:11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the water well at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.

Genesis 24:12 And he prayed, “O Yahveh, God of my lord Abraham, please grant me success today and show covenant faithfulness to my master Abraham.

Genesis 24:13 Notice, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

Genesis 24:14 Let the young woman to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who will say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’- let her be the one whom you have chosen for your slave Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown covenant faithfulness to my lord.”

Genesis 24:15 Before he had finished speaking, he noticed Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder.

Genesis 24:16 The young woman looked very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came back.

Genesis 24:17 Then the slave ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.”

Genesis 24:18 She replied, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.

Genesis 24:19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have finished drinking.”

Genesis 24:20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to get more water, and she supplied all his camels.

Genesis 24:21 The man stared at her in silence, trying to discern whether Yahveh had prospered his journey or not.

Genesis 24:22 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,

Genesis 24:23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

Genesis 24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she gave birth to for Nahor.”

Genesis 24:25 And she said, “We also have plenty of both straw and fodder, as well as room to spend the night.”

Genesis 24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped Yahveh

Genesis 24:27 and said, “Blessed be Yahveh, the God of my lord Abraham, who has not forsaken his covenant faithfulness and his trustworthiness toward my master. As for me, Yahveh has led me in the way to the house of my lord’s kinsmen.”

Genesis 24:28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

Genesis 24:29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban rushed out to meet the man, to the spring.

Genesis 24:30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “This is how the man spoke to me,” he went to the man and noticed he was standing by the camels at the spring.

Genesis 24:31 He said, “Come in, O blessed by Yahveh. Why do you stand outside? Because I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

Genesis 24:32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

Genesis 24:33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”

Genesis 24:34 So he said, “I am a slave of Abraham.

Genesis 24:35 Yahveh has richly blessed my lord, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys.

Genesis 24:36 And Sarah my master’s wife had given birth to a son to my lord when she was old, and to him he has invested all that he has.

Genesis 24:37 My lord made me swear, and this is what he said, ‘You will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am living,

Genesis 24:38 but you will go to my father’s family and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’

Genesis 24:39 I said to my lord, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’

Genesis 24:40 But he said to me, ‘Yahveh, before whom I have walked, will send his agent with you and make what you do succeed. You will take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s family.

Genesis 24:41 When you come to my clan, then you will be free from my oath. So, if they will not give her to you, you will still be free from my oath.’

Genesis 24:42 “I came today to the spring and prayed, ‘O Yahveh, the God of my lord Abraham, if now you are making what I do succeed,

Genesis 24:43 notice, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I will say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,”

Genesis 24:44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom Yahveh has selected for my lord’s son.’

Genesis 24:45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart, I noticed Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’

Genesis 24:46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give water for your camels to drink also.’ So, I drank, and she gave the camels water to drink also.

Genesis 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah gave birth to for him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms.

Genesis 24:48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped Yahveh and blessed Yahveh, the God of my lord Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter from my lord’s kin for his son.

Genesis 24:49 Now then, if you are going to show covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness to my lord, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”

Genesis 24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel gave their answer by saying, “The thing has come from Yahveh; we cannot say anything to add to it or take away from it.

Genesis 24:51 Notice, Rebekah is in front of you; take her and go and let her be the wife of your lord’s son, just as Yahveh has commanded.”

Genesis 24:52 When Abraham’s slave heard their words, he bowed himself to the land before Yahveh.

Genesis 24:53 And the slave brought out silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and to her mother.

Genesis 24:54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they got up in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my lord.”

Genesis 24:55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a while, at least ten days; then she can go.”

Genesis 24:56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since Yahveh has made my way prosper. Send me away so that I can go to my lord.”

Genesis 24:57 They said, “We will call the young woman and ask her.”

Genesis 24:58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Do you want to go with this man?” She said, “I want to go.”

Genesis 24:59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s slave and his men.

Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate them!”

Genesis 24:61 Then Rebekah and her girls mounted the camels and rode on them, following the man. So, the slave took Rebekah and went his way.

Genesis 24:62 Now Isaac had moved from Beer-lahai-roi and was living in the Negev.

Genesis 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and noticed there were camels coming.

Genesis 24:64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel

Genesis 24:65 and said to the slave, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The slave said, “It is my lord.” So, she took her veil and covered herself.

Genesis 24:66 And the slave recounted to Isaac all the things that he had done.

Genesis 24:67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah, his mother. So, he chose to marry Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. This is how Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Genesis 24 quotes:

“In Genesis 24, after praying for a divine appointment, the servant runs to meet the first woman he sees approaching the well. He prayed for a divine appointment, and he expected God to answer that prayer. Then, he put his feet to his faith. Someone once said, “If you pray for rain, bring an umbrella.” Many pray for God to open up doors but sit back and wait for nothing to happen. God answers prayers that are accompanied with faith.”

Bernard, Daniel. Bringing Home the Bride. Whitaker House, 1995. p. 149.

“Abraham started with the spiritual requirement, and we all need to start here. The Canaanites were pagans. In New Testament terminology, they were the unsaved. The principle expressed in New Testament language is “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (II Corinthians 6:14). Mixed marriages are a nightmare for both partners. Neither is going to be happy. How can they be happy when they disagree on the most important issues of life?”

Bulter, John G. Isaac: The Promised Son. LBC Publications, 2008. p. 83.

“It is worth noting that Rebekah was willing to go the extra mile in her kindness to the servant. She was willing to give the camels all they wanted to drink.”

Brewer, Thomas. God Moments in Time. ProActive Faith Publishing. 2005. p. 49.