Isaac and Rebekah

Genesis 24

1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord m had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, n the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, o "Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that p you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 q but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." 5 The servant said to him, "Perhaps 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?" 6 Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, r who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, s 'To your offspring I will give this land,' t he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then u you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there." 9 So the servant v put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to w Mesopotamia 1 to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when x women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, "O Lord, y God of my master Abraham, z please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, a I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels' - let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. b By this 2 I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master."

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of c Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman d was very attractive in appearance, a maiden 3 whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jar." 18 She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, 4 and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" 24 She said to him, e "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." 25 She added, "We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night." 26 f The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, "Blessed be the Lord, g the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken h his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord i has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen." 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.

29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was j Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, "Come in, k O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave l straw and fodder to the camels, and there was m water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 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."

34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The Lord n has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife o bore a son to my master when she was old, and p to him he has given all that he has. 37 q My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.' 39 I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' 40 But he said to me, 'The Lord, r before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and s prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.'

42 "I came today to the spring and said, t 'O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you s are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing u by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," 44 v and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also," let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.'

45 "Before I had finished w speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came 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.' 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' x So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 y Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, t the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way 5 to take z the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to a show steadfast love and faithfulness to 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 Bethuel answered and said, "The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot b speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, c as the Lord has spoken."

52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, y he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, d "Send me away to my master." 55 Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go." 56 But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." 57 They said, "Let us call the young woman and ask her." 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and e her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
"Our sister, may you f become
thousands of ten thousands,
and g may your offspring possess
the gate of those who hate him!" 6

61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

62 Now Isaac had returned from h Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out i to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was j comforted after his mother's k death.

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 24:35
    The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys.
    Genesis 13:2
    Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 15:2
    But Abram said, "O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 24:9
    So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
    Genesis 47:29
    And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 26:34 - 35
    When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
    Genesis 27:46
    Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?
    Deuteronomy 7:3
    You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.
    2 Corinthians 6:14
    Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 28:2
    Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 12:1
    Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 12:7
    Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
  8. Cross References
    Exodus 23:20
    Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.
    Exodus 23:23
    When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out.
    Exodus 33:2
    I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
    Hebrews 1:14
    Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
  9. Cross References
    Joshua 2:17 - 20
    The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear.
  10. Cross References
    Genesis 24:2
    And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh.
  11. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 23:4
    Because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
    Judges 3:8
    Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
  12. Cross References
    1 Samuel 9:11
    As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, "Is the seer here?
    John 4:7
    A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink.
  13. Cross References
    Genesis 24:27
    And said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.
    Genesis 24:42
    I came today to the spring and said, 'O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go.
    Genesis 24:48
    Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 27:20
    But Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "Because the Lord your God granted me success.
  15. Cross References
    Genesis 24:43
    Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 15:8
    But he said, "O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 11:29
    And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah.
    Genesis 22:23
    ( Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
  18. Cross References
    Genesis 26:7
    When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because she was attractive in appearance.
  19. Cross References
    Genesis 24:15
    Before he had finished speaking, behold, 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 22:23
    ( Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
  20. Cross References
    Genesis 24:48
    Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
    Genesis 24:52
    When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord.
    Exodus 4:31
    And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 24:12
    And he said, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.
    Genesis 24:42
    I came today to the spring and said, 'O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go.
    Genesis 24:48
    Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
  22. Cross References
    Genesis 32:10
    I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
    Psalms 98:3
    He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 24:48
    Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
  24. Cross References
    Genesis 25:20
    And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.
    Genesis 28:2
    Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
    Genesis 29:5
    He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him.
  25. Cross References
    Genesis 26:29
    That you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.
    Judges 17:2
    And he said to his mother, "The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be my son by the Lord.
    Ruth 3:10
    And he said, "May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.
  26. Cross References
    Genesis 43:24
    And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder.
    Judges 19:21
    So he brought him into his house and gave the donkeys feed. And they washed their feet, and ate and drank.
  27. Cross References
    Genesis 18:4
    Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
  28. Cross References
    Genesis 24:1
    Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
  29. Cross References
    Genesis 21:2
    And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.
  30. Cross References
    Genesis 25:5
    Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.
  31. Cross References
    Genesis 24:3 - 8
    That I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.
  32. Cross References
    Genesis 17:1
    When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.
  33. Cross References
    Genesis 24:21
    The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
  34. Cross References
    Genesis 24:12
    And he said, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.
    Genesis 24:27
    And said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.
  35. Cross References
    Genesis 24:40
    But he said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house.
  36. Cross References
    Genesis 24:13
    Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
  37. Cross References
    Genesis 24:14
    Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels' - let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.
    Genesis 24:18
    She said, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.
  38. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:13
    Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
  39. Cross References
    Ezekiel 16:11 - 12
    And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.
  40. Cross References
    Genesis 24:26
    The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord
    Genesis 24:52
    When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord.
  41. Cross References
    Genesis 24:42
    I came today to the spring and said, 'O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go.
  42. Cross References
    Genesis 22:23
    ( Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
  43. Cross References
    Genesis 47:29
    And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt.
    Joshua 2:14
    And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.
  44. Cross References
    Genesis 31:24
    But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.
    2 Samuel 13:22
    But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.
  45. Cross References
    Genesis 24:13 - 15
    Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
    Genesis 24:42 - 46
    I came today to the spring and said, 'O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go.
  46. Cross References
    Genesis 24:48
    Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
  47. Cross References
    Genesis 24:56
    But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.
    Genesis 24:59
    So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.
  48. Cross References
    Genesis 35:8
    And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.
  49. Cross References
    Genesis 17:16
    I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.
  50. Cross References
    Genesis 22:17
    I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
  51. Cross References
    Genesis 16:14
    Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.
    Genesis 25:11
    After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.
  52. Cross References
    Psalms 77:12
    I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
    Psalms 143:5
    I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.
  53. Cross References
    Genesis 37:35
    All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him.
    Genesis 38:12
    In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
  54. Cross References
    Genesis 23:2
    And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Next Book Next Book