Genesis 24:24 - Printer Friendly

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

NIV: She answered him, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.'

NASB: She said to him, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.'

CSB: She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."

NLT: I am the daughter of Bethuel,' she replied. 'My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.

KJV: And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

NKJV: So she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.”

A servant sent by Abraham has spoken with Rebekah at a well in Mesopotamia. This encounter came after the servant was commanded by Abraham to find a wife suitable for Isaac, his son, among Abraham's extended family. The servant's prayer for a sign (Genesis 24:12–14) was answered immediately (Genesis 24:15–19). And so, he offered lavish gifts to Rebekah in order to begin the process of convincing her to come back to Canaan, in order to marry Isaac. First, though, the servant wants to be sure that this woman is actually part of the family Abraham has asked him to contact.

As we will see in the following verses, Rebekah's answer to the question about who her father is provides a great surprise and delight for Abraham's servant. More, it is even further confirmation that God has arranged the whole encounter. The Lord has led the servant directly to the girl he intends for Isaac to marry.

Rebekah replies that her father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah. The servant apparently knew his master's history well since he recognized these names. Nahor was Abraham's brother. Milcah was the daughter of another brother. Abraham had received word of the birth of Bethuel and Nahor's other children, as recorded in Genesis 22:20–24.

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.