Genesis 24:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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."

NIV: May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

NASB: now may it be that the young woman 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 kindness to my master.'

CSB: Let the girl to whom I say, ‘Please lower your water jug so that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels also’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

NLT: This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ — let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.'

KJV: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

NKJV: Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’— let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Abraham's servant continues to pray to the "God of my master Abraham," asking for success in his mission to find his master's son a wife. He has been sent to find a woman from Abraham's extended family in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:3–4). The city of Nahor, named after one of Abraham's relatives, is a good place to start (Genesis 11:27). His prayer reflects a desire to see Abraham's wish fulfilled. Now, the servant becomes specific in this request. He wants God, in essence, to allow one of these young women to be the one God has chosen for Isaac. He also wants a sign from God about which one it is.

The servant's plan is this: He will ask the young women to draw some water for him to drink. The one God has chosen will be the one who says, "Drink, and I will water your camels also." What this young woman would be offering in watering the camels would not be a small task. Abraham's servant had ten thirsty camels with him. That will require drawing a lot of heavy water.

In addition to seeking a divine confirmation from God about which girl is the right one, it's likely the servant also intends this as a test of the girl's generosity and servanthood. Anyone willing to serve in this way without being asked would be demonstrating good and generous character. The servant is not merely looking for the prettiest or the most eager young woman; he is sincerely seeking a woman of depth and virtue.

The servant concludes his prayer by saying that when the Lord does this for him, he will know that God has shown steadfast love to his master. God's answer to the prayer will be a sign of God's love.

Genesis 24:10–27 follows Abraham's servant from Canaan to Mesopotamia on his mission to find a wife for Isaac from among Abraham's people. Arriving at the town of Nahor, the servant prays that God will reveal the right woman by allowing her to be the one to offer to water his ten camels without being asked. A young woman named Rebekah immediate does exactly that. When the servant learns this young woman is also the granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, he quickly worships God for bringing him to the right woman in so little time.

Abraham asks his most trusted servant to travel to his former homeland to find a wife for his son Isaac. Swearing to do so, the servant arrives at the city of Nahor and asks the Lord to show him which young women is appointed for Isaac. Finding Rebekah, the very granddaughter of Abraham's brother Nahor, the servant reveals the reason for his journey to her family. Her father Bethuel and brother Laban agree to allow Rebekah to travel to Canaan and marry Isaac, which she does.

Genesis 24 takes place a few years after Sarah has died. Abraham becomes urgent to find Isaac a wife, not among the women of Canaan, but from his own people back in Mesopotamia. His trusted servant, sent to accomplish this mission with the help of the Lord, eventually returns with Rebekah, the granddaughter of Abraham's own brother. Isaac is married to her at the age of 40. Abraham's death is recorded in the following chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.