1 And Abraham was old, [and] advanced in age; and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put thy hand, I pray thee, under my thigh, 3 and I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou take not a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am dwelling; 4 but thou shalt go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac. 5 And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land: must I, then, bring thy son again in any case to the land from which thou hast removed? 6 And Abraham said to him, Beware that thou bring not my son thither again. 7 Jehovah the God of the heavens, who took me out of my father's house, and out of the land of my nativity, and who has spoken to me, and who has sworn to me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land — he will send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife for my son thence. 8 And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be quit of this my oath: only, bring not my son thither again. 9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore unto him concerning that matter. 10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; now all the treasure of his master was under his hand; and he arose and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water, at the time of the evening, when the women came out to draw [water]. 12 And he said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, meet me, I pray thee, [with thy blessing] this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand [here] by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. 14 And let it come to pass, [that] the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, be she whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and hereby I shall know that thou hast dealt kindly with my master. 15 And it came to pass before he had ended speaking, that behold, Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and [she had] her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16 And the maiden was very fair in countenance; a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, sip a little water out of thy pitcher. 18 And she said, Drink, my lord! And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him to drink. 19 And when she had given him enough to drink, she said, I will draw [water] for thy camels also, until they have drunk enough. 20 And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw [water]; and she drew for all his camels. 21 And the man was astonished at her, remaining silent, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 And it came to pass when the camels had drunk enough, that the man took a gold ring, of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, ten [shekels] weight of gold, 23 and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room [in] thy father's house for us to lodge? 24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. 25 And she said to him, There is straw, and also much provender with us; also room to lodge. 26 And the man stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah, 27 and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren. 28 And the maiden ran and told these things to her mother's house. 29 And Rebecca had a brother, named Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, to the well. 30 And it came to pass when he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's hand, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man to me — that he came to the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels, by the well. 31 And he said, Come in, blessed of Jehovah! why standest thou outside? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32 And the man came into the house; and he ungirded the camels, and gave the camels straw and provender, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 And there was set [meat] before him to eat; but he said, I will not eat until I have made known my business. And he said, Speak on. 34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant. 35 And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and he has given him sheep and cattle, and silver and gold, and bondmen and bondwomen, and camels and asses. 36 And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master after she had grown old; and unto him has he given all that he has. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling; 38 but thou shalt by all means go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son. 39 And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me? 40 And he said to me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way, that thou mayest take a wife for my son of my family, and out of my father's house. 41 Then shalt thou be quit of my oath, when thou shalt have come to my family. And if they give thee not [one], thou shalt be quit of my oath. 42 And I came this day to the well, and said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, if now thou wilt prosper my way on which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water, and let it come to pass that the damsel who cometh forth to draw [water], and to whom I shall say, Give me, I pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher to drink, 44 and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels — that she should be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my master's son. 45 Before I ended speaking in my heart, behold, Rebecca came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder, and went down to the well, and drew [water]; and I said to her, Give me, I pray thee, to drink. 46 And she hasted and let down her pitcher from her [shoulder], and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. And I drank; and she gave the camels drink also. 47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. And I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48 And I stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah; and I blessed Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has led me the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. 49 And now, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; and I will turn to the right hand or to the left. 50 And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceeds from Jehovah: we cannot speak to thee bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebecca is before thee: take [her], and go away; and let her be wife of thy master's son, as Jehovah has said. 52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth before Jehovah. 53 And the servant brought forth silver articles, and gold articles, and clothing, and he gave [them] to Rebecca; and he gave to her brother, and to her mother, precious things. 54 And they ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and lodged. And they rose up in the morning; and he said, Send me away to my master. 55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the maiden abide with us [some] days, or [say] ten; after that she shall go. 56 And he said to them, Do not hinder me, seeing Jehovah has prospered my way: send me away, and I will go to my master. 57 And they said, Let us call the maiden and inquire at her mouth. 58 And they called Rebecca and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. 59 And they sent away Rebecca their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebecca, and said to her, Thou art our sister; mayest thou become thousands of tens of thousands; and may thy seed possess the gate of their enemies! 61 And Rebecca arose, and her maids, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebecca, and went away. 62 And Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi; for he was dwelling in the south country. 63 And Isaac had gone out to meditate in the fields toward the beginning of evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming. 64 And Rebecca lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and she sprang off the camel. 65 And she had said to the servant, Who is the man that is walking in the fields to meet us? And the servant said, That is my master! Then she took the veil, and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 67 And Isaac led her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.
Genesis 24 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abraham
Called by God, he left home in faith to become the father of a chosen people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 12–25
Bethuel
The last-named of Milcah's eight sons by Nahor and the father of Rebekah and Laban, who with Laban agreed to Rebekah's marriage to Isaac.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 22:22–23; Genesis 24:15; Genesis 24:50
Isaac
The long-promised son, nearly offered on Moriah, through whom the covenant continued.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 21–27
Laban
Bethuel's son and Rebekah's brother, who welcomed Abraham's servant, later became Jacob's uncle and father-in-law, deceived him by giving him Leah, and pursued him to Gilead when…
Cited in the guide: Genesis 24:29; Genesis 25:20; Genesis 29:13
Rebekah
Wife of Isaac and mother of the twins Jacob and Esau.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 24-27
Cross references (62)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 112:1–3; Genesis 13:2; Proverbs 10:22; Galatians 3:9; Matthew 6:33
- 2 Genesis 47:29; Genesis 39:4–6; Genesis 15:2; Genesis 24:9–10; Genesis 44:1
- 3 Genesis 26:34–35; 2 Corinthians 6:14–17; Nehemiah 13:25; Deuteronomy 7:3–4; Genesis 28:8
- 4 Genesis 28:2; Genesis 22:20–23; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 11:25–12:1
- 5 Jeremiah 4:2; Genesis 24:58; Proverbs 13:16; Exodus 20:7; Exodus 9:2
- 6 2 Peter 2:20–22; Galatians 5:1; Hebrews 10:39; Hebrews 11:9; Hebrews 11:13–16
- 7 Psalm 34:7; Exodus 33:2; Genesis 13:15; Hebrews 1:14; Exodus 23:20–23
- 8 Joshua 2:17–20; Numbers 30:5; Numbers 30:8; Acts 7:2; Joshua 9:20
- 9 Genesis 24:2
- 10 Genesis 11:31; Deuteronomy 23:4; Genesis 24:2; Genesis 39:4–6; Acts 2:9
- 11 1 Samuel 9:11; Exodus 2:16; John 4:7; Genesis 33:13–14; Genesis 24:13–20
- 12 Genesis 24:27; Exodus 3:6; Genesis 26:24; Psalm 122:6; Genesis 24:42
- 13 Genesis 24:43; Psalm 37:5; Judges 5:11; Genesis 24:11; John 4:7
- 14 Judges 6:37; Judges 6:17; Genesis 15:8; 2 Samuel 5:24; Proverbs 19:14
- 15 Genesis 11:29; Genesis 24:45; Isaiah 65:24; Psalm 65:2; Daniel 9:20–23
- 16 Genesis 26:7; Genesis 39:6; Numbers 31:17–18; Genesis 4:1
- 17 John 4:7; 1 Kings 17:10; Isaiah 21:14; Genesis 26:1–35; Isaiah 35:6–7
- 18 1 Peter 3:8; Proverbs 31:26; 1 Peter 4:8–9; Genesis 24:14
- 19 Genesis 24:14; Genesis 24:45–46; 1 Peter 4:9
- 21 Psalm 107:43; Genesis 24:12; Luke 2:51; 2 Samuel 7:18–20; Luke 2:19
- 22 Ezekiel 16:11–12; Exodus 32:2–3; Genesis 23:15–16; Genesis 24:30; Genesis 24:47
- 24 Genesis 24:15; Genesis 22:23; Genesis 11:29; Genesis 22:20
- 25 1 Peter 4:9; Isaiah 32:8; Judges 19:19–21; Genesis 18:4–8
- 26 Genesis 24:48; Genesis 24:52; Exodus 4:31; Exodus 12:27; 2 Chronicles 20:18
- 27 Genesis 24:48; Genesis 32:10; Psalm 98:3; Ruth 4:14; Genesis 24:12
- 28 Genesis 31:33; Genesis 24:48; Genesis 24:55; Genesis 24:67
- 29 Genesis 29:5; Genesis 24:55; Genesis 29:13; Genesis 24:60
- 31 Ruth 3:10; Genesis 26:29; Psalm 115:15; Judges 17:2; Proverbs 18:16
- 32 Judges 19:21; Genesis 43:24; Genesis 18:4; Luke 7:44; Genesis 19:2
- 33 Psalm 132:3–5; Ephesians 6:5–8; 1 Timothy 6:2; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Job 23:12
- 35 Genesis 13:2; Genesis 24:1; Psalm 107:38; Proverbs 10:22; Genesis 12:16
- 36 Genesis 25:5; Genesis 21:10; Genesis 21:1–7; Genesis 17:15–19; Romans 4:19
- 37 Ezra 9:1–3; Genesis 24:2–9; Genesis 27:46; Genesis 6:2
- 38 Genesis 24:4; Genesis 31:19; Genesis 12:1
- 39 Genesis 24:5
- 40 Exodus 23:20; Psalm 16:8; Genesis 5:24; Exodus 33:2; Genesis 17:1
- 41 Genesis 24:8; Deuteronomy 29:12
- 42 Nehemiah 1:11; Genesis 24:12–14; Psalm 90:17; Romans 1:10; Psalm 37:5
- 43 Genesis 24:13–14
- 44 Genesis 24:14; Proverbs 18:22; Proverbs 16:33; Hebrews 13:2; Genesis 2:22
- 45 Genesis 24:15–20; Acts 10:30; Matthew 7:7; Isaiah 65:24; Daniel 9:23
- 46 Genesis 24:18–19
- 47 Ezekiel 16:10–13; Isaiah 62:3–5; Genesis 24:22–24; Psalm 45:13–14; Genesis 24:53
- 48 Genesis 24:26–27; Proverbs 3:5–6; Psalm 32:8; Psalm 48:14; Isaiah 48:17
- 49 Genesis 47:29; Joshua 2:14; Proverbs 3:3; Genesis 32:10; Numbers 20:17
- 50 Psalm 118:23; Genesis 31:24; Genesis 31:29; 2 Samuel 13:22; Mark 12:11
- 51 Genesis 20:15; Genesis 24:15; 2 Samuel 16:10
- 52 Genesis 24:26; Genesis 24:48; Psalm 116:1–2; Psalm 95:6; 1 Chronicles 29:20
- 53 Genesis 24:22; Genesis 24:10; Exodus 12:35; Exodus 11:2; Exodus 3:22
- 54 Genesis 24:56; Genesis 24:59; Genesis 45:24; 2 Samuel 18:19; Genesis 28:5–6
- 55 Leviticus 25:29; Genesis 4:3; Judges 14:8
- 56 Isaiah 48:15; Proverbs 25:25; Joshua 1:8; Genesis 45:9–13
- 58 Luke 1:38; Psalm 45:10–11
- 59 Genesis 35:8; Genesis 24:60; Genesis 24:53; 1 Thessalonians 2:5; Numbers 11:12
- 60 Genesis 22:17; Genesis 17:16; Ruth 4:11–12; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 48:15–16
- 61 Psalm 45:10; Genesis 2:24; Esther 8:10; Genesis 31:34; Esther 8:14
- 62 Genesis 16:14; Genesis 25:11; Genesis 20:1; Genesis 12:9
- 63 Psalm 119:15; Psalm 143:5–6; Psalm 104:34; Psalm 1:2; Joshua 1:8
- 64 Joshua 15:18; Judges 1:14
- 65 1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Corinthians 11:5–6; 1 Corinthians 11:10; Genesis 20:16
- 66 Mark 6:30
- 67 Song of Songs 8:2; Ephesians 5:22–33; Genesis 23:1–2; Genesis 29:18; Genesis 18:9–10
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… take a wife for his son Isaac, we find it thus written: "And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his lord, and of all the goods of his lord, with him; and arose, and went into Mesopotamia, into the city of Nahor." This and other testimonies of this sacred history show that Nahor, Abraham's brother, had also …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… to that servant, "Put thy hand under my thigh, and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the Lord of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son Isaac of the daughters of the Canaanites," what else was pointed out by this, but that the Lord, the God of heaven, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… knew, that it was not offspring after the flesh he desired, nor anything of a carnal kind concerning his race that was referred to, he said to the servant whom he sent, "Put thy hand under my thigh, and swear by the God of heaven." What connection has the God of heaven with Abraham's thigh?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)