Eliezer finds a wife for Isaac
1 Abraham was now old and well on in years, and Yahweh had blessed him in every way.
2 Abraham said to his senior servant, who was his steward, “Put your hand under my thigh
3 and you will swear to me by Yahweh, God of heaven and earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom we live;
4 rather it is to my country and my kinsfolk that you will go to choose a wife for my son, Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “Per haps the woman will not want to follow me to this country. In that case should I take your son to the country you came from?”
6 Abraham said to him, “In no way will you take my son back.
7 For Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, spoke to me and swore to me that he would give this country to my race. He will send his angel before you, that you may find a wife for my son.
8 But if the woman is unwilling to follow you, you will be free of this oath. In any case you are not to take my son down there.”
9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abra ham, his master, and swore to him that he would do it.
10 The servant took ten of his mas ter’s camels and set out, taking with him something of the best from all that his master owned. He rose and went off in the direction of Aram Na ha rai m, towards the town of Na hor.
11 And he made the camels kneel outside the town, near the well, in the evening when the wo men go to draw water.
12 The steward then prayed, “Yah weh, God of my master Abraham, be with me and show your loving kindness to Abraham, my master.
13 See, I am standing at the spring while the girls of the city are coming to draw water.
14 Now I will ask them like this: ‘Please tilt your pitcher that I may drink.’ Now, the first girl who will say: ‘Drink and I will water your camels as well’; let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. In this way I shall know you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 He had not finished praying when Rebekah came out. She was the daugh ter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, wife of Abraham’s brother, Na hor. She had a pitcher on her shoulder.
16 The girl was very beautiful and a virgin, for no man had lain with her. She went down to the well, filled her pitcher and came up again.
17 The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”
18 She said, “Drink, my lord!” and at once lowering her pitcher to her hand she let him drink.
19 When she had finished letting him drink, she said, “I am going to water your camels as well, until they have had enough.”
20 She hurried to empty her pitcher into the trough, and then ran again to draw water for all his camels,
21 while the man watched in silence to find out whether Yahweh was making his journey successful or not.
22 So when the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing half a shekel and for her arms two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.
23 He then said, “Whose daugh ter are you? Please tell me! Is there room in your father’s house where we can spend the night?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son Milcah bore to Nahor.”
25 She continued, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room for you to spend the night.”
26 Then the man knelt and wor-shiped Yahweh
27 saying, “Blessed be Yahweh, God of my master Abra ham, who has not stopped showing kindness and faithfulness to my master. Yahweh has guided me to the house of my master’s brother.”
28 The girl ran to her mother’s house and related all these things.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named La ban and Laban ran out to the man, near the spring.
30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, as soon as he heard his sister Rebekah saying, “This is what the man said to me…,” he came to wards Abraham’s steward who was standing near the camels by the spring.
31 He said to him, “Come in, you who are blessed by Yahweh. Why do you stay outside? I have prepared the house and there is room for your camels.”
32 So the man entered the house and unloaded the camels. Straw and fodder were given to the camels and water to wash the feet of the man and of those who were with him.
33 Then they gave him food to eat, but he said, “I won’t eat until I have said what I have to say!” Laban said, “Speak!”
34 Then he spoke like this, “I am the servant of Abraham. Yahweh has greatly blessed my master and he has become very rich.
35 Yah weh has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.
36 Now Sarah, my master’s wife, bore him a son in her old age;
37 so my master has given him all he owns and he made me swear an oath saying: ‘You will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of these Canaanites in whose country I live;
38 rather you will go to my father’s house, to my kinsfolk and there you will choose a wife for my son.’
39 I then said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not agree to come with me!’
40 And his reply was: ‘Yahweh, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey successful. You will choose a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s house.
41 This is what you have to do to be released from your oath. Whether they refuse you or not you will be free of the oath.’
42 So on arriving at the spring, I prayed, ‘Yahweh, God of my master, Abraham, if you wish my journey to be successful, let it happen like this:
43 as I stand by the spring a girl will come to draw water and I will say to her: Let me drink a little from your pitcher.
44 If she answers me: Yes, drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well, let it be that she is the wife Yahweh has chosen for my master’s son.’ I was still thinking this over,
45 when Rebekah came out with a pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please, let me drink!’
46 She immediately lowered the pitcher and said, ‘Drink! I will water your camels as well!’ I drank and she watered the camels.
47 I questioned her saying, ‘Who is your father?’ And she said, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah.’ I then put this ring through her nostril and bracelets on her arms.
48 Then I knelt in worship and blessed Yahweh, God of my master, Abraham, who had led me to choose the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.
49 Now let me know whether you intend to show kindness and faithfulness to my master; if not, tell me and I shall know which way to turn.”
50 Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is God’s doing. It is not for us to decide either way.
51 Here is Rebekah, take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master’s son as Yahweh has directed.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard this answer, he bowed to the ground before Yahweh.
53 He then took the gold and silver jewelry as well as the clothes and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave costly gifts to her brother and mother.
54 They ate and drank, he and his companions, and spent the night there.
When they were up next morning, the servant said, “Let me return to my master.”
55 Rebekah’s mother and bro ther replied, “Let the girl remain with us for a few days, about ten. After that she may go.”
56 He said, “Do not delay me; since Yahweh has made my journey successful, let me leave and return to my master.”
57 They then said, “Call the girl and ask her about it.”
58 They called and questioned Rebekah, “Do you want to leave with this man?” She said, “I will go.”
59 So they let Rebekah, their sister, go with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 They blessed Rebekah with these words,
“Sister of ours, may you increase to thousands upon thousands, may your descendants take possession of the cities of their enemies.”
61 Then Rebekah and her maids got ready, mounted the camels and followed Abraham’s servant. So it was that he departed bringing Re bekah.
62 Now Isaac had come from the well of Lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negeb.
63 As Isaac went out in the early evening to meditate in the field, he looked up and saw camels coming.
64 Rebekah also looked up and when she saw Isaac she alighted from her camel
65 and said to the servant, “Who is this man in the field coming to meet us?” He replied, “It is my master!” She then covered her face with her veil.
66 The servant related to Isaac all that he had done
67 and Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of Sarah, his mother. He made her his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
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Comments Genesis, Chapter 24
• 24.1 You will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom we live. Isaac is the “son of the promise,” and faithfulness to this promise is Abra ham’s great concern. The marriage of his son to a Canaanite woman, whose people are accustomed to pagan worship, would endanger this faithfulness.
To belong to Abraham’s family and to be come the mother of the chosen people, Re bekah must also give up her home and her land.
Let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. God guides those who seek to do his will, above all when they choose to marry; he will enable them to meet the person best suited to help them real ize this desire. Such will also be the subject of the Book of Tobit.