Genesis 24:20

24:10-28 Abraham's servant devoutly acknowledged God. We have leave to be particular in recommending our affairs to the care of Divine providence. He proposes a sign, not that he intended to proceed no further, if not gratified in it; but it is a prayer that God would provide a good wife for his young master; and that was a good prayer. She should be simple, industrious, humble, cheerful, serviceable, and hospitable. Whatever may be the fashion, common sense, as well as piety, tells us, these are the proper qualifications for a wife and mother; for one who is to be a companion to her husband, the manager of domestic concerns, and trusted to form the minds of children. When the steward came to seek a wife for his master, he did not go to places of amusement and sinful pleasure, and pray that he might meet one there, but to the well of water, expecting to find one there employed aright. He prayed that God would please to make his way in this matter plain and clear before him. Our times are in God's hand; not only events themselves, but the times of them. We must take heed of being over-bold in urging what God should do, lest the event should weaken our faith, rather than strengthen it. But God owned him by making his way clear. Rebekah, in all respects, answered the characters he sought for in the woman that was to be his master's wife. When she came to the well, she went down and filled her pitcher, and came up to go home with it.

She did not stand to gaze upon the strange man his camels, but minded her business, and would not have been diverted from it but by an opportunity of doing good. She did not curiously or confidently enter into discourse with him, but answered him modestly. Being satisfied that the Lord had heard his prayer, he gave the damsel some ornaments worn in eastern countries; asking at the same time respecting her kindred. On learning that she was of his master's relations, he bowed down his head and worshipped, blessing God. His words were addressed to the Lord, but being spoken in the hearing of Rebekah, she could perceive who he was, and whence he came.

And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough,.... The place out of which cattle drank water, being put there for that purpose, which was of wood or of stones made hollow; into this Rebekah poured out what was left in her pitcher after the servant had drank: and ran again to the well to draw water; and which must be repeated several times to have enough for all the camels, for it follows: and drew for all his camels; and there were ten of them; and these, being thirsty after so long a journey, required a great deal of water to satisfy them; therefore Rebekah must take a vast deal of pains and labour to draw water for them all until they had enough.

20 . trough ] There was a separate receptacle, probably of stone, for watering the animals; Rebekah empties the rest of her pitcher into this trough, and probably has to fill it several times in order to give water enough for the 10 camels1[21]. [21] Times , p. 4, Aug. 18, 1913, “Studies in the Zoological Gardens, 4.” “However ‘patient of thirst,’ in Thomson’s phrase, the camel may be … it is also true that it drinks inordinate quantities when it gets the chance.… It is recorded that an individual [camel] has drunk as much as 20 gallons at a sitting, a fact which throws new light on the incident of Rebekah at the well. Abraham’s servant … had ten camels, and after he had refreshed himself from Rebekah’s pitcher, ‘she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.… And the man, wondering at her, held his peace.…’ As well he might. ‘Until they have done drinking’—the words were written by one who knew camels; and Rebekah’s acts of kindness to the stranger and his beasts were of larger proportions than the casual reader of these days might infer.”

13 . the fountain of water ] Two words are used in this passage which require to be distinguished: (1) “the fountain,” or “spring” ( ‘ayin ), the water of which rises from the ground, or out of the rock; and (2) “the well” ( be’êr ), as in Genesis 24:11; Genesis 24:20 , the tank or cistern, protected with stones, and provided with steps leading down to the actual “fountain” or “spring”; cf. 16. The “well” is the LXX φρέαρ , Lat. puteus : the “fountain” is the LXX πηγή , Lat. fons , cf. Genesis 16:7 . Genesis 24:13

15-21. before he had done speaking … behold, Rebekah came out—As he anticipated, a young woman unveiled, as in pastoral regions, appeared with her pitcher on her shoulder. Her comely appearance, her affable manners, her obliging courtesy in going down the steps to fetch water not only to him but to pour it into the trough for his camels, afforded him the most agreeable surprise. She was the very person his imagination had pictured, and he proceeded to reward her civility.

Verse 20. - And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough (or gutter made of stone, with which wells were usually provided, and which were filled with water when animals required to drink), and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. "At one point we came upon a large village of nomad Bedouins dwelling in their black tents. For the first time we encountered a shepherd playing on his reeden pipe, and followed by his flock. He was leading them to a fountain, from which a maiden was meanwhile drawing water with a rope, and pouring it into a large stone trough. She was not so beautiful as Rebekah" ('In the Holy Land,' by Rev. A. Thomson, D.D. p. 198). Genesis 24:20

The answer is immediate and direct. "He had not yet done speaking," when the answer came. A damsel "very fair to look upon," satisfying the taste of the old man, appears. He thereupon prefers his request, with which she promptly complies. The old man waits in wonder and silence to see if the Lord's approval will follow.

The servant then went, with ten camels and things of every description belonging to his master, into Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor, i.e., Haran, where Nahor dwelt ( Genesis 11:31 , and Genesis 12:4 ). On his arrival there, he made the camels kneel down, or rest, without the city by the well, "at the time of evening, the time at which the women come out to draw water," and at which, now as then, women and girls are in the habit of fetching the water required for the house (vid., Robinson's Palestine ii. 368ff.). He then prayed to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, "Let there come to meet me to-day," sc., the person desired, the object of my mission. He then fixed upon a sign connected with the custom of the country, by the occurrence of which he might decide upon the maiden (הנּער puella, used in the Pentateuch for both sexes, except in Deuteronomy 22:19 , where נערה occurs) whom Jehovah had indicated as the wife appointed for His servant Isaac. הוכיח ( Genesis 24:14 ) to set right, then to point out as right; not merely to appoint. He had scarcely ended his prayer when his request was granted. Rebekah did just what he had fixed upon as a token, not only giving him to drink, but offering to water his camels, and with youthful vivacity carrying out her promise. Niebuhr met with similar kindness in those regions (see also Robinson, Pal. ii. 351, etc.). The servant did not give himself blindly up to first impressions, however, but tested the circumstances.