Genesis 24:1-67 • Rebekah, the wife chosen for Isaac
- Steve Schott
- 4 days ago
- 13 min read
► Isaac, the long awaited, promised son of Abraham and Sarah, the first-born in priority, but not chronologically, almost seems like a transitional step between Abraham, who we've seen from chapter 11, and will continue to see until the beginning of chapter 25, and Jacob/Israel who will be introduced to us in the end of chapter 25, and will take a prominent role until the end of the book in chapter 50.
► But we'll only deal with Isaac as the main character in chapter 24.
► And the entire chapter will deal with the finding of, and marrying of his wife, Rebekah.
A Bride for Isaac
→ Abraham would have been about 140 years old at this point. Genesis 25:20 tells us that "Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah... to be his wife", and we know from Genesis 21:5 that "Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him."
→ Several commentators suggested that this servant might be Eliezer, as is mentioned in Genesis 15:2 "...the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"
“Please place your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, 4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
→ "Place your hand under my thigh", based on what commentators say, was some kind of custom of the time that apparently made the vows being made more significant. I'm assuming something like spitting into your hand before shaking hands with another person, or two people cutting their thumbs to mix the blood while making some kind of agreement.
→ The vow being that the servant would "not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites", but rather from "my country" and "my relatives".
→ I'm not sure why Abraham was so fixed on this issue. His own wife, who was actually his half-sister, meant that Isaac was still of the same people, but his first son (chronologically) Ishmael, was born of Hagar, an Egyptian woman.
5 The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” 6 Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there! 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
→ The servant, to clarify Abraham's instructions, asks what to do if "the woman is not willing to follow me to this land", suggesting that he "take your son back to the land from where you came."
→ Abraham responded with an emphatic NO. The servant was NOT to take Isaac away from his home for any reason, and added that if "the woman is not willing to follow you", then the deal was off.
→ But Abraham did emphasize that he believed that the Lord "will send His angel before you", suggesting that there would be divine intervention in the matter.
10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
→ So the servant leaves and go to the city of Nahor, which is in Haran.
→ The linear distance covered in this journey was about 450 miles, which we know was probably much longer, based on having to navigate around geographical barriers (mountains, canyons, rivers, etc.), and if they averaged 10-20 miles a day, would have taken at anywhere from 23 days to 45 days to get there.
→ I also want to make mention, that this is not actually Abraham's original family home. They relocated to Haran from Ur of the Chaldeans, which is along the Euphrates River, about 150 miles upstream from the Persian Gulf, in what is modern day Iraq. And also about 400 miles south of Nahor.
11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 He said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; 14 now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master.”
→ The servant, after a long journey, arrives in Nahor, and stops at the well.
→ There he prays a very specific prayer, that the Lord would show him specifically the woman for Isaac, who not only offers him a drink, but will also offer to provide water for the camels.
Rebekah Is Chosen
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. 16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.
→ Before he had even finished his prayer, Rebekah comes to the well.
→ Rebekah would be Isaac's 1st cousin once removed, meaning she is Isaac's cousin Bethuel's daughter.
→ The text also tells us that Rebekah was a looker!
→ It also stresses that she was a "virgin", both by calling her that, and then repeating it by stating that "no man had had relations with her." I'm not sure why this had to be stated both ways, but it must be important to have this be very clear.
17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. 21 Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.
→ If what had happened didn't convince the servant that God answers prayer, I don't know what would.
→ First girl who comes up, he's not even done praying when she gets there, before two beats she's doing exactly what he had prayed for.
→ He must have been astounded!
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, 23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in.” 26 Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”
→ So the servant decks her out with gold jewelry, and asks her about her family, and if he can lodge at their home.
→ She lays out her lineage, which would let the servant know clearly that this is Abraham's relative, and graciously invites him to come and lodge at their home.
→ The servant, overwhelmed, stops and prays before anything else, thanking God for directing him "to the house of my master's brothers."
28 Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. 30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” 32 So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Speak on.”
→ So Rebekah returns home and we are introduced to Laban, Rebekah's brother, who will have a pivotal role in the life of Jacob, Rebekah's son, later in Genesis.
→ So Laban runs back to the to the well, and brings the servant into their home.
→ Then Laban unloads the camel's burden and feeds them.
→ He also gave the servant and his associates water with which to wash their feet.
→ Then Laban served the servant food, but the servant would not eat until he had told them the reason why he was there.
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. 36 Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. 37 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 live; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ 40 He said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; 41 then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
→ The servant tells them all about Abraham, which none of them have seen in about 65 years, and all about how God has prospered him.
→ He tells them about Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac.
→ And he tells them about the servant's mission to find a wife for Isaac.
42 “So I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; 43 behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; 44 and she will say to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”; let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
→ The servant goes on to tell them about his prayer when he got to the well.
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ 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 wrists. 48 And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.
→ And then he tells them about how he believes that Rebekah was the answer to that prayer.
49 So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.”
→ So the servant basically says "just let me know what you are going to do, so I know what I need to do".
→ In other words, "the ball is in your court!"
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
→ Rebekah's brother Laban, and her father Bethuel, tell the servant to take Rebekah to be Isaac's wife "as the Lord has spoken."
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. 53 The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.
→ The servant, realizing everything has fallen into place, bows "himself to the ground before the Lord", and then showers Rebekah and her family with expensive gifts, acknowledging the completion of their business.
→ Then, and only then, did they eat with, and lodge with, the family.
When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” 56 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 And they said, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men.
→ The next day, the servant was eager to begin the return journey, but Laban and his mother asked that Rebekah could stay 10 days before leaving. They all ended up leaving the decision to Rebekah, who chose to leave immediately.
61 Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
→ Before they left, her family "blessed Rebekah", and asked that she might "become thousands of ten thousands", which actually came true in that she became the mother of Israel.
→ Then they left on the possibly month-long return trip to Isaac.
Isaac Marries Rebekah
62 Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. 63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming.
→ Isaac is in the southern area of what is now Israel when the servant returns with Rebekah.
64 Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her veil and covered herself.
→ Rebekah sees Isaac, confirms with the servant who he is, then covers her face.
→ Apparently the covering of the face had something to do with the marriage ceremony, as her face apparently hadn't been covered up to this point.
→ The servant gave Isaac the play-by-play for the entire trip, so that he would fully understand all that had transpired.
67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
→ The taking of Rebekah into Sarah's tent was probably more symbolic than anything. She was now going to be the matriarch of the family, and as such should be in a place of honor.
→ Even though Abraham is still alive, and will eventually take another wife, the line of succession is through Isaac, and his line will proceed through Rebekah.
→ By accepting Rebekah, Isaac is acknowledging her as his wife, and has chosen to love her, and is comforted in the thought, that even though he has lost his mother, his connection to the past, he now has with Rebekah a new connection to the future.
So What?
► There's not really a lot here that can be a direct application to our modern lives.
→ I don't think this is setting a precedence for letting our servants pick out our wives, or for only selecting spouses from within your own family, or for selecting a spouse when you find a woman who will water your camels.
► But there are some principles that we can derive from this passage.
→ Praying for God's direction in our lives.
→ Being thankful when we see God work in our lives.
→ Stepping out in faith when God leads us down a new path.
→ Embracing the "new normal" when God redirects where we thought we were going.
► All of this is predicated on our having a relationship with God, which is only available through Jesus Christ, His Son.
Photo • 2025/03/14 - Lunar eclipse as viewed from Claremore, OK
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