The Lantern

Genesis24

A Wife for Isaac

Now Abraham was old, well along in days, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in everything.

And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Put your hand, please, under my thigh,

and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose midst I am living,

but you will go to my land and to my birthplace, and take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”

And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Shall I indeed take your son back to the land you came out of?”

And Abraham said to him, “Watch yourself, that you do not take my son back there.

The LORD, the God of the heavens, 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, ‘To your seed I will give this land’ — he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you are clear of this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”

And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

And the servant took ten camels from his master’s camels and went, with every good thing of his master’s in his hand; and he rose and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.

And he made the camels kneel outside the city, by the well of water, at evening time — the time when the water-drawers come out.

And he said, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, make it happen before me today, and do loyal love with my master Abraham.

Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

Let it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Tilt your jar, please, that I may drink,’ and who says, ‘Drink — and I will water your camels too’ — she is the one you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac. And by this I will know that you have done loyal love with my master.”

Rebekah Is Chosen

And it happened, before he had finished speaking — look, Rebekah coming out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother — with her jar on her shoulder.

And the girl was very good-looking, a virgin — no man had known her. And she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Let me sip, please, a little water from your jar.”

And she said, “Drink, my lord.” And she hurried and lowered her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink.

And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “For your camels too I will draw, until they have finished drinking.”

And she hurried and emptied her jar into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

And the man was gazing at her, keeping silent, to know whether the LORD had made his way succeed or not.

And it happened, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten gold shekels,

and said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please — is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”

And she said to him, “We have both straw and feed in plenty — and room to spend the night.”

And the man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD,

and said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his loyal love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me — on the way, the LORD has led me to the house of my master’s brothers.”

And the girl ran and told her mother’s house about these things.

Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.

And it happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister — “This is what the man said to me” — that he came to the man; and look, he was standing by the camels at the spring.

And he said, “Come in, blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? I have cleared the house, and there is room for the camels.”

And the man came into the house, and he 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.

And food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have spoken my words.” And he said, “Speak.”

And he said: “I am Abraham’s servant.

And the LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and he has given him sheep and cattle, and silver and gold, and male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

And Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master after she had grown old — and he has given him all that he has.

And my master made me swear: ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am living.

No — you shall go to my father’s house, and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’

And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’

And he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your way succeed; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family, from my father’s house.

Then you shall be clear of my oath: when you come to my family, if they do not give her to you, you shall be clear of my oath.’

And I came today to the spring, and I said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham — if you are indeed making my way succeed, the way I am going —

look, I am standing by the spring of water. Let it be that the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I say, “Give me a little water, please, to drink from your jar,”

and who says to me, “Drink — and I will draw for your camels too” — she is the woman the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’

Before I had finished speaking in my heart — look, Rebekah coming out, with her jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew. And I said to her, ‘Give me a drink, please.’

And she hurried and lowered her jar from herself and said, ‘Drink — and I will water your camels too.’ And I drank, and she watered the camels too.

And I asked her: ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.

And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the true way, to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.

And now, if you will do loyal love and faithfulness with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me — so that I may turn to the right or to the left.”

And Laban and Bethuel answered: “From the LORD this thing has come; we cannot speak to you bad or good.

Look, Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.”

And it happened, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he bowed to the ground before the LORD.

And the servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and precious things he gave to her brother and to her mother.

And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and they spent the night. And they rose in the morning, and he said, “Send me to my master.”

And her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us some days — say, ten; after that she may go.”

And he said to them, “Do not delay me, now that the LORD has made my way succeed. Send me off, and let me go to my master.”

And they said, “Let us call the girl and ask at her own mouth.”

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

And they sent off Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister — may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.”

And Rebekah rose with her young women, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah and went.

Isaac Marries Rebekah

Now Isaac had come from the direction of Beer-lahai-roi, and he was living in the land of the Negev.

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening, and he lifted up his eyes and looked — and look, camels coming.

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and she got down from the camel,

and said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” And she took the veil and covered herself.

And the servant recounted to Isaac all the things he had done.

And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother.