Kejadian 20:1-18
Konteks20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 1 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 2 in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
20:3 But God appeared 3 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 4 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 5
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 6 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 7 20:5 Did Abraham 8 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 9 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 10 and with innocent hands!”
20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. 11 That is why I have kept you 12 from sinning against me and why 13 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 14 he is a prophet 15 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 16 But if you don’t give her back, 17 know that you will surely die 18 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 19 Abimelech summoned 20 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 21 they 22 were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? 23 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 24 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 25 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 26
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 27 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 28 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 29 she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander 30 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 31 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 32 sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” 33
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 34 to your ‘brother.’ 35 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 36
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord 37 had caused infertility to strike every woman 38 in the household of Abimelech because he took 39 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Kejadian 24:1-67
Konteks24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 40 and the Lord had blessed him 41 in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one 42 in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 43 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise 44 by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire 45 a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives 46 to find 47 a wife for my son Isaac.”
24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me 48 to this land? Must I then 49 take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6 “Be careful 50 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 51 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 52 promised me with a solemn oath, 53 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 54 before you so that you may find 55 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 56 you will be free 57 from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. 58
24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. 59 He journeyed 60 to the region of Aram Naharaim 61 and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well 62 outside the city. It was evening, 63 the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. 64 Be faithful 65 to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 66 and the daughters of the people 67 who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ 68 In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 69
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 70 with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 71 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 72 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 73 ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering 74 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 75 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 76 her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine 77 if the Lord had made his journey successful 78 or not.
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 79 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 80 and gave them to her. 81 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 82 “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 83 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 84 “and room for you 85 to spend the night.”
24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love 86 for my master! The Lord has led me 87 to the house 88 of my master’s relatives!” 89
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 90 these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) 91 Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring 92 and heard his sister Rebekah say, 93 “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing 94 by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, 95 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 96 Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 97 the house and a place for the camels?”
24:32 So Abraham’s servant 98 went to the house and unloaded 99 the camels. Straw and feed were given 100 to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 101 24:33 When food was served, 102 he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” 103 “Tell us,” Laban said. 104
24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. 105 The Lord 106 has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him 107 when she was old, 108 and my master 109 has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find 110 a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go 111 with me?’ 112 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, 113 will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath 114 if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, 115 may events unfold as follows: 116 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 117 When 118 the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, 119 along came Rebekah 120 with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ 121 I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter 122 of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” 123
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. 124 Our wishes are of no concern. 125 24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become 126 the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” 127
24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he 128 brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. 129
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” 130 24:55 But Rebekah’s 131 brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord 132 has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return 133 to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” 134 24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want 135 to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: 136
“Our sister, may you become the mother 137 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 138 of their enemies.”
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 139 the man. So Abraham’s servant 140 took Rebekah and left.
24:62 Now 141 Isaac came from 142 Beer Lahai Roi, 143 for 144 he was living in the Negev. 145 24:63 He 146 went out to relax 147 in the field in the early evening. 148 Then he looked up 149 and saw that 150 there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up 151 and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked 152 Abraham’s servant, 153 “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. 154 So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 155 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 156 as his wife and loved her. 157 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 158
[20:1] 1 tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”
[20:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[20:1] 2 tn Heb “and he sojourned.”
[20:3] 4 tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.
[20:3] 5 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
[20:4] 6 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[20:4] 7 tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.
[20:5] 8 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:5] 9 tn Heb “and she, even she.”
[20:5] 10 tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”
[20:6] 11 tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”
[20:6] 12 tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”
[20:7] 14 tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.
[20:7] 15 sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.
[20:7] 16 tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.
[20:7] sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.
[20:7] 17 tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.
[20:7] 18 tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.
[20:8] 19 tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”
[20:8] 20 tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”
[20:8] 21 tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”
[20:8] 22 tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[20:9] 23 tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.
[20:9] 24 tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.
[20:10] 25 tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”
[20:10] 26 tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.
[20:11] 27 tn Heb “Because I said.”
[20:11] 28 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
[20:13] 30 tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”
[20:13] 31 tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”
[20:14] 32 tn Heb “took and gave.”
[20:15] 33 tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”
[20:16] 34 sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).
[20:16] 35 sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).
[20:16] 36 tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).
[20:18] 37 tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”
[20:18] 38 tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:18] sn The
[20:18] 39 tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:1] 41 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[24:2] 42 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
[24:2] 43 sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.
[24:3] 44 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.
[24:3] 45 tn Heb “because you must not take.”
[24:4] 46 tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”
[24:5] 48 tn Heb “to go after me.”
[24:5] 49 tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.
[24:6] 50 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
[24:6] 51 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:7] 52 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
[24:7] 53 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
[24:7] 54 tn Or “his messenger.”
[24:7] 55 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
[24:8] 56 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
[24:8] 57 sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.
[24:9] 58 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
[24:10] 59 tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.
[24:10] 60 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
[24:10] 61 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:10] sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.
[24:11] 62 tn Heb “well of water.”
[24:11] 63 tn Heb “at the time of evening.”
[24:12] 64 tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).
[24:12] 65 tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”
[24:13] 66 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:14] 68 sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.
[24:14] 69 tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”
[24:15] 70 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.
[24:15] 71 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:16] 72 tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.
[24:17] 73 tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:18] 74 tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”
[24:19] 75 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:20] 76 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
[24:21] 78 tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).
[24:22] 79 sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).
[24:22] 80 sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).
[24:22] 81 tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:23] 82 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:24] 83 tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 84 tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:25] 85 tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:27] 86 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
[24:27] 87 tn Heb “As for me – in the way the
[24:27] 88 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
[24:28] 90 tn Heb “according to.”
[24:29] 91 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.
[24:30] 92 tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[24:30] 93 tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”
[24:30] 94 tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.
[24:31] 95 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:31] 96 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the
[24:31] 97 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.
[24:32] 98 tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:32] 99 tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).
[24:32] 100 tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.
[24:32] 101 tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
[24:33] 102 tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”
[24:33] 103 tn Heb “my words.”
[24:33] 104 tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”
[24:33] tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:35] 105 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.
[24:35] 106 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the
[24:36] 107 tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:36] 108 tn Heb “after her old age.”
[24:36] 109 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:38] 110 tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”
[24:39] 111 tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.
[24:39] 112 tn Heb “after me.”
[24:40] 113 tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the
[24:41] 114 tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).
[24:42] 115 tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”
[24:42] 116 tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[24:43] 117 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:43] 118 tn Heb “and it will be.”
[24:45] 119 tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.
[24:45] 120 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.
[24:47] 121 tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:48] 122 tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).
[24:49] 123 tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.
[24:50] 124 tn Heb “From the
[24:50] 125 tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.
[24:51] 126 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:51] 127 tn Heb “as the
[24:53] 128 tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:54] 129 tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”
[24:54] 130 tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”
[24:55] 131 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:56] 132 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.
[24:56] 133 tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:57] 134 tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”
[24:58] 135 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
[24:60] 136 tn Heb “and said to her.”
[24:60] 137 tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”
[24:60] sn May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands. The blessing expresses their prayer that she produce children and start a family line that will greatly increase (cf. Gen 17:16).
[24:60] 138 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.
[24:61] 139 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
[24:61] 140 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:62] 141 tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.
[24:62] 142 tn Heb “from the way of.”
[24:62] 143 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.
[24:62] 144 tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.
[24:62] 145 tn Or “the South [country].”
[24:62] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[24:63] 146 tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:63] 147 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).
[24:63] 148 tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”
[24:63] 149 tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.
[24:63] 150 tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.
[24:64] 151 tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”
[24:65] 152 tn Heb “and she said to.”
[24:65] 153 tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:65] 154 tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 155 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
[24:67] 156 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 157 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
[24:67] 158 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
