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A Bride for Isaac

Genesis 24:32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

Genesis 24:33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.” And he said, “Speak on.” 

The first order of business was to identify his master and to explain his assignment, but not without stressing the blessings of God upon his master and upon his trip (vv. 34–48) and also not without immediately seeking to conclude his task and return home (vv. 49, 54–56).

This is the portrait of a committed, faithful, and selfless servant!

Genesis 24:34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.

Genesis 24:35 The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. :36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has.

Genesis 24:37 Now 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 family, and take a wife for my son.’ 

Genesis 24:39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ :40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house.

Genesis 24:41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

Genesis 24:42 “And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, :43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” :44 and she says 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.’

Genesis 24:45 “But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ :46 And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also.

Genesis 24:47 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.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. :48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.

Genesis 24:49 Now if you 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.” Genesis 24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either bad or good.

Genesis 24:51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.” :52 And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

Genesis 24:53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

By this dowry, Rebekah was betrothed to Isaac.

Genesis 24:54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.” 

Protocol and courtesy demanded a messenger be dismissed by the addressee.

Genesis 24:55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.”

Genesis 24:56 And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”

Genesis 24:57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.”

Genesis 24:58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 

Commendably, Rebekah concurred with an immediate departure, and showed her confident acceptance of what was providentially coming about in her life.

Genesis 24:59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. :60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them.” 

Little did they realize that their conventional prayer wishing numerous offspring to Rebekah fitted in nicely with God’s promises of many descendants to Abraham through Sarah and Isaac.

They also wished for her offspring to be victorious over their enemies (“possess their gates”), perhaps echoing God’s promises of possession of the land of the Canaanites (13:17; 15:7, 16; 17:8).

Genesis 24:61 Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. :62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. 

Located on the Palestine-Egypt border, about 25 mi. NW of Kadesh-barnea. Isaac lived there after Abraham’s death (25:11).

Genesis 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. 

How God drew Isaac from home to where Hagar encountered the Angel of the Lord (cf. 16:14) remains unknown, but he was in the right place to meet the caravan returning with his fiancée. 

Perhaps he was prayerfully contemplating the circumstances of his life and the void left by his mother’s death (v. 67), as well as thinking about and hoping the steward would not return from a failed mission.

Genesis 24:64 Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel;

Genesis 24:65 for she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took a veil and covered herself. 

Convention demanded the designated bride veil her face in the presence of her betrothed until the wedding day.

Genesis 24:66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

Genesis 24:67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Macdonald, Farstad  Grady Scott, Hindson, E. MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006).