Genesis-Chap-24b
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Remember the following truth
from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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Part Two..
With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
In the second half of this account, the focus shifts to the power of the spoken word and the importance of personal consent. The servant retells the events to Rebecca’s family, emphasizing the “Divine hand” in the encounter. The narrative concludes with the meeting of Isaac and Rebecca, a moment that brings comfort to the grieving son and secures the future of the Hebrew people.
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Genesis Chapter 24, verses 36 to 67: Whilst below the verses are the Explanation’s. (The Chapter is from JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
Verses 36-41: “And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and unto him hath he given all that he hath. And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell. But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son. And I said unto my master: Peradventure the woman will not follow me. And he said unto me: ‘יְהוָה - the LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house; then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath’.
Explanation Verses 36-41: The servant explains that Abraham’s wealth has all been given to Isaac. He recounts Abraham’s strict charge regarding the marriage and his confidence that an angel would guide the way. By repeating the oath, the servant validates the legitimacy and the gravity of his proposal to Laban and Bethuel.
Verses 42-49: And I came this day unto the fountain, and said: ‘O יְהוָה - LORD, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) of my master Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which I go: behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden that cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say: Give me, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink; and she shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels; let the same be the woman whom יְהוָה - the LORD hath appointed for my master’s son’. And before I had done speaking to my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain, and drew. And I said unto her: ‘Let me drink, I pray thee’. And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said: ‘Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also’. So I drank, and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she said: The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore unto him. And I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed my head, and prostrated myself before יְהוָה - the LORD, and blessed יְהוָה - the LORD, the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son. ‘And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left’.
Explanation Verses 42-49: The servant describes his prayer at the well and the immediate appearance of Rebecca. By detailing how she fulfilled the sign of watering the camels, he presents the match not as a human arrangement, but as a Divine decree. He then asks the family for a direct answer: will they deal “kindly and truly” with his master?
Verses 50-53: Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: ‘The thing proceedeth from יְהוָה - the LORD; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as יְהוָה - the LORD hath spoken’. And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto יְהוָה - the LORD. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
Explanation Verses 50-53: Laban and Bethuel acknowledge that “the matter proceeds from יְהוָה - the LORD”. They agree to the marriage. The servant again bows to the earth in worship. He then brings out vessels of silver, gold, and raiment for Rebecca, as well as “precious things” for her brother and mother, sealing the agreement with traditional gifts.
Verses 54-58: And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said: ‘Send me away unto my master’. And her brother and her mother said: ‘Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go’. And he said unto them: ‘Delay me not, seeing יְהוָה - the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master’. And they said: ‘We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth’. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her: ‘Wilt thou go with this man?’ And she said: ‘I will go’.
Explanation Verses 54-58: The following morning, the servant insists on leaving immediately. The family wishes for Rebecca to stay for a year or ten months, but the servant asks not to be delayed. Crucially, the family decides to “ask the maiden”. Rebecca’s short, decisive answer “I will go” shows her independence, courage, and readiness to embrace her destiny in a distant land.
Verses 59-61: And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her: ‘Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate them’. And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
Explanation Verses 59-61: Rebecca departs with her nurse (Deborah) and her handmaids. Her family blesses her with the famous words: “Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands”. This blessing acknowledges her role as a foundational matriarch whose descendants will overcome their enemies and flourish.
Verses 62-65: And Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the land of the South. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel. And she said unto the servant: ‘What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us?’ And the servant said: ‘It is my master’. And she took her veil, and covered herself.
Explanation Verses 62-65: Isaac is found in the field at eventide “to meditate” (or pray). He is coming from Beer-lahai-roi, a place associated with Divine vision. As Rebecca approaches and sees Isaac, she alights from her camel and veils herself, a gesture of modesty and reverence as she enters her new role.
Verses 66-67: And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted for his mother”.
Explanation Verses 66-67: The servant reports all he has done to Isaac. Isaac brings Rebecca into the tent of his mother Sarah. The text notes that he loved her and “was comforted after his mother’s death”. This concludes the transition; the light that left the tent when Sarah died returns with the arrival of Rebecca.
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My Closing Message:
The conclusion of this chapter emphasizes
that a “match made in heaven” still requires human courage. Rebecca’s
willingness to leave everything familiar based on a sense of purpose is what
makes her a Matriarch. For Isaac, the arrival of his wife is the balm for his
grief, showing that the continuation of the family line is the ultimate comfort
for those who have lost the generation before them.
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