GENESIS CHAPTER 24 ------------------ Verse 1, About 140 years old, since he was 100 years when Isaac was born and Isaac took Rebekah to be his wife at age 40. God had blessed Abraham in temporal things as well as spiritual things. He had a long life, riches, honour, a beautiful wife, and children, etc. (Compare vs 35-36). Verse 2, His eldest servant who probably was Eliezer (Gen 15:2), who had been with Abraham for over 50 years. This man ruled over all that Abraham had. Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: Which showed that he was subject to Abraham and was taking an oath. Compare: Ge 47:29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt: 1Ch 29:24 And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king. {submitted...: Heb. gave the hand under Solomon} Verses 3-4, Here we have an account of the oath that Abraham wants his servant to swear by. He wants his servant to find a wife for his son from among his kindred in his own country and not from among the Canaanites. The Canaanites: Idolaters and wicked; Were the seed of the accursed Canaan, a son of Ham. Would be eventually dispossessed of the land and destroyed. His kindred: The family of Nahor his brother, which dwelt in Mesopotamia in the city of Nahor (vs 10). Gill says that while not free from idolatry, yet they attempted to worship the true God with their idols (vs. 50), being descendants of Shem. Verse 5, The concern of his servant about the oath; how much was he obligated to do under this oath. Verses 6-8, If the woman was not willing to follow him back then he was free from the oath, and under no circumstances should he bring Isaac back to the land from which the Lord had called him out of. Abraham tells his servant that the Lord will send his angel before him so that this will all be possible. Verse 9, The servant swears according to the custom. Verse 10, The servant took what he needed for the trip, since he was in charge of all his master's goods. The necessary camels for the trip (see vs. 61), presents for the damsel (vs. 22 & 53), who would be Isaac's wife, and her family (vs. 53). He departed to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. Verses 11-14, Upon reaching the well outside the city of Nahor, the servant requests a sign from the Lord so that he would be able to determine whom the Lord had chosen to be the wife of Isaac. Verses 15-21, Before the servant had finished his prayer (speaking in his heart, see vs. 45), the Lord had already answered it. Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel who was the son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, and his wife, Milcah who was the daughter of Haran who also was a brother to Abraham. Rebekah was a very beautiful virgin. In verse 21 the servant gazed upon her wondering if the Lord had answered his prayer, which He had. Verses 22-23, The servant thinking that this is the one whom the Lord has chosen, gives a present to the damsel and inquires as to whose daughter she is (since Abraham had requested a wife for his son from his kindred) and if he could find lodging at their home. Verse 24, Her answer confirms that she is of Abraham's kindred. Verse 25, She confirms that there is room in her father's house for him, his men that were with him (vs. 32) and the camels, and straw and feed. Verses 26-27, The servant worships the LORD (Jehovah) God (Elohiym) who had answered his prayer. Notice that the servant acknowledges that the mercy that the Lord had showed was toward his master, Abraham. Also notice that the servant recognized the kindness that the Lord had showed as mercy, no man deserving of any of his favors. The truth (Messiah) would come through the union of Isaac and Rebekah. The Lord had promised Abraham "for in Isaac shall thy seed be called," and also "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" and this was the fulfilling of that truth. Verse 28, Rebekah ran ahead to her mother's house (Gill says that her mother may have had a separate house or tent, which was the custom in those days, and a daughter more apt to tell these things to her mother rather than her father. Verse 29-30, Leban, Rebekah's brother, upon seeing the gifts and hearing his sister's story, went out to met the servant at the well, who had been left behind when Rebekah had ran ahead to her mother's house. Verse 31, Leban had already prepared the house or ordered it to be prepared and a place for the camels. He encourages the servant of Abraham to come with him. He acknowledges that the servant is blessed of the LORD (Jehovah). Verse 32, The servant and his men are given water to wash and a place to sleep. provender: fodder, feed Verse 33, The servant does not want to eat until he has informed them of the whole story as to why he has come to their house. Verses 34-49, The servant relates some history of Abraham and the oath that he gave to his master and the events that followed which led him to Rebekah, whom he believed that the LORD had chosen to be Isaac's wife. Verses 50-51, Leban, her brother, and Bethuel, her father, both agreed that if it was of the LORD then they could not speak against it or stop it. Let it be as the LORD wants. Verses 52-53, The servant worships the LORD for the fulfilling of His promises and gives presents to Rebekah, and her brother and her mother. Verse 54, Then afterward (see vs. 33) did the servant and his men eat and drink and spend the night. The next morning the servant is ready to leave and depart to his master's house with Rebekah. Verse 55, Leban and Rebekah's mother want the servant to let Rebekah stay for a while before she departs to another country. The margin reads 10 months, which it was the custom of a whole year to prepare for such an event, and here 10 months are asked for. Verse 56, The servant wants to return promptly to his master, Abraham, since the LORD had so promptly been prospering him in the way. Verse 57, Her brother and mother decided to see if Rebekah was willing to depart so soon. Verse 58, Without hesitation Rebekah is willing to depart and be the wife of Isaac. When the LORD is in such a thing he makes his people willing. Ps 110:3 Thy people [shall be] willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. So too, the sinner that is chosen of the LORD, is made willing in the day of regeneration (the power of the LORD to give life to a dead sinner). Verse 59, Rebekah is sent away with her nurse, and her maids as is seen in verse 61. Verse 60, Rebekah's family blessed her, and perhaps they had knowledge of the promise made to Abraham, and so realized that this was part of that fulfillment, in that she would be the mother of a great multitude and from her offspring would come the Messiah. Verse 61, The servant departs with Rebekah and her maids and her nurse and the men that had come with him. Verses 62-63, Isaac was coming from the well Lahairoi, which was the same well that the angel met Hagar. He went out in the field to meditate (commune, speak) with God in the evening. Margin: to meditate: or, to pray He lifted up his eyes and saw the camels coming which his servant had took with him to fetch him a wife, realizing that he was returning from his journey. Verse 64, When Rebekah saw Isaac, she got down from the camel which she was riding, which was customary for one to do, being respectful to Isaac. Verse 65, She inquires of the servant who this man is, thinking him to be her future husband. The servant informs he that it is indeed his master, not Abraham, but Isaac who was indeed his master. Immediately she vails her face from her future husband, as was the custom. Verse 66, The servant relates to Isaac all that had happened. Verse 67, "And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent," Where his mother had lived when she was living, the women having separate tents from their husbands, according to Gill. This is also a picture in type of the Lord Jesus Christ and His church. "and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her:" As a man ought to love his wife as even his own body. (Eph 5:25) "and Isaac was comforted after his mother's [death]." Having a wife to love comforted him in the grieving he had for his mother, who had passed away some 3 years prior.