Genesis 24:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

NIV: The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

NASB: The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.

CSB: Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin—no man had been intimate with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up.

NLT: Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again.

KJV: And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

NKJV: Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.

Abraham's servant has been praying that God will give him a sign. This sign is meant to confirm that he has found the right woman to marry Isaac, Abraham's son. The servant has asked God to show him the woman he should approach, based on her generosity and kindness (Genesis 24:12–14).

The previous verses revealed that Rebekah walked into view even before Abraham's servant finished asking God to give success to his mission. The servant does not yet know that this girl is the granddaughter of Abraham's own brother (Genesis 22:20–23), but he does see that she is very attractive. While this is a wonderful thing, it's important to note that the servant's prayer made no mention of appearances. He is seeking a woman of character, first and foremost, and her beauty will turn out to be an additional blessing.

He watches as she goes down to the spring, meaning the well, fills her water jar, and starts to head back into the town. He decides he must talk to her.

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.

Accessed 11/23/2024 8:35:43 AM