Genesis 24:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master 's kinsmen."

NIV: saying, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives."

NASB: And he said, 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.'

CSB: and said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld his kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives."

NLT: Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,' he said. 'The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.'

KJV: And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

NKJV: And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

When Rebekah reveals that her grandfather is Abraham's brother Nahor, the servant recognizes that God has indeed answered his prayers and brought him right to the doorstep of Isaac's future wife. He stops in the middle of his conversation with Rebekah and worships the Lord.

His prayer reveals his heart. First, the servant blesses the Lord, addressing him once more as the God of his master. Next, he expresses his gratitude and relief that God still has steadfast love and faithfulness for his master. The servant was clearly concerned that if this mission failed, it would suggest that God was no longer concerned with Abraham.

Finally, the servant includes himself in the prayer, giving God the credit for leading him not only to some distant relation of Abraham's, but to Abraham's own immediate family relations.

One note: It was apparently common in this era and in Abraham's family for close relatives to marry each other. This early in human history, there was apparently little risk of genetic issues resulting from the offspring of family members, and God had not yet forbid Israel from marriages between close relatives. In fact, it will become clear that God very much intended for Isaac to marry his cousin Rebekah for the purpose of creating a people that were uniquely His own.

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.