Genesis 24:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.

NIV: Drink, my lord,' she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

NASB: And she said, 'Drink, my lord'; then she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink.

CSB: She replied, "Drink, my lord." She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink.

NLT: Yes, my lord,' she answered, 'have a drink.' And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink.

KJV: And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

NKJV: So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.

In the previous verse, Abraham's servant approached Rebekah, asking for a drink of water. His plan, according to his prayer to God, is that one of the women at this well will respond to this request by offering to also bring water for the servant's ten camels (Genesis 24:12–14). This is no small task, so such a favor would suggest a woman of high character. The servant intends to pursue the woman this test signifies; she is, presumably, the one God intends to be brought bring back as a wife for Isaac, son Abraham.

Before the servant had even completed his prayer, an attractive woman appears, and he decides to put into effect his plan to find the girl God has appointed for Isaac. So the servant asked her for some water to drink.

Here, she responds by "quickly" giving him a drink from her jar. The emphasis on her immediate reaction is meant to show Rebekah's generosity.

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 5/4/2024 3:34:00 PM