GEBible — Godless Engineer's Bible App
They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”
Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”
Genesis 24:54-56 sits inside this longer paragraph.
When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh. The servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”
Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”
They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”
Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”
And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said: 'Send me away unto my master.'
And her brother and her mother said: 'Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.'
And he said unto them: 'Delay me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.'
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On v54 54. And they rose up in the morning. On…
54. And they rose up in the morning. On this point Moses insists the more particularly; partly, for the purpose of commending the faithful industry of the servant in fulfilling his master’s commands; partly, for that of teaching, that his mind was inflamed by the Spirit of God, for he is so ardent as to allow no truce to others, and no relaxation to himself. Thus, although he conducted himself as became an honest and prudent servant, it is still not to be doubted that the Lord impelled him, for Isaac’s sake, to act as he did. So the Lord watches over his own people while they sleep, expedites and accomplishes their affairs in their absence, and influences the dispositions of all, so far as is expedient, to render them assistance. It is by a forced interpretation, that some would explain the ten days, during which Laban and his mother desire the departure of Rebekah to be deferred, as meaning years or months. For it was merely the tender wish of the mother, who could ill bear that her daughter should thus suddenly be torn away from her bosom.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v55 Hebrew, days, or ten.
Hebrew, days, or ten.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv54–56 Gen 24:54 And they did eat and drink, he…
Gen 24:54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that [were] with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
Ver. 54. And they did eat and drink.] It is lawful to be honestly merry after business despatched.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v55 Others thus, a year, or at the least ten…
Others thus, a year, or at the least ten months, the word days being put for a year, as elsewhere. But it is very improbable that they would demand or expect such a thing from this man, whom they saw bent so much upon expedition.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v54 Rebekah is here taking leave of her father's house;…
Rebekah is here taking leave of her father's house; and 1. Abraham's servant presses for a dismission. Though he and his company were very welcome, and very cheerful there, yet he said, Send me away (Gen 24:54), and again, Gen 24:56. He knew his master would expect him home with some impatience; he had business to do at home which wanted him, and therefore, as one that preferred his work before his pleasure, he was for hastening home. Note, Lingering and loitering no way become a wise and good man; when we have despatched our business abroad we must not delay our return to our business at home, nor be longer from it than needs must; for as a bird that wanders from her nest so is he that wanders from his place, Pro 27:8. 2. Rebekah's relations, from natural affection and according to the usual expression of kindness in that case, solicit for her stay some time among them, Gen 24:55. They could not think of parting with her on a sudden, especially as she was about the remove so far off and it was not likely that they would ever see one another again: Let her stay a few days, at least ten, which makes it as reasonable a request as the reading in the margin seems to make it unreasonable, a year, or at least ten months. They had consented to the marriage, and yet were loth to part with her. Note, It is an instance of the vanity of this world that there is nothing in it so agreeable but it has its alloy. Nulla est sincera voluptas - There is no unmingled pleasure. They were pleased that they had matched a daughter of their family so well, and yet, when it came to the last, it was with great reluctance that they sent her away. 3. Rebekah herself determined the matter. To her they appealed, as it was fit they should (Gen 24:57): Call the damsel (who had retired to her apartment with a modest silence) and enquire at her mouth. Note, As children ought not to marry without their parents' consent, so parents ought not to marry them without their own. Before the matter is resolved on, "Ask at the damsel's mouth;" she is a party principally concerned, and therefore ought to be principally consulted. Rebekah consented, not only to go, but to go immediately: I will go, Gen 24:58. We may hope that the notice she had taken of the servant's piety and devotion gave her such an idea of the prevalence of religion and godliness in the family she was to go to made her desirous to hasten thither, and willing to forget her own people and her father's house, where religion had not so much the ascendant. 4. Hereupon she is sent away with Abraham's servant; not, we may suppose, the very next day after, but very quickly: her friends see that she has a good heart on it, and so they dismiss her, (1.) With suitable attendants - her nurse (Gen 24:59), her damsels, Gen 24:61. It seems, then, that when she went to the well for water it was not because she had not servants at command, but because she took a pleasure in works of humble industry. Now that she was going among strangers, it was fit she should take those with her with whom she was acquainted. Here is nothing said of her portion. Her personal merits were a portion in her, she needed none with her, nor did that ever come into the treaty of marriage. (2.) With hearty good wishes: They blessed Rebekah, Gen 24:60. Note, When our relations are entering into a new condition, we ought by prayer to recommend them to the blessing and grace of God. Now that she was going to be a wife, they prayed that she might be a mother both of a numerous and of a victorious progeny. Perhaps Abraham's servant had told them of the promise God had lately made to his master, which it is likely, Abraham acquainted his household with, that God would multiply his seed as the stars of heaven, and that they should possess the gate of their enemies (Gen 22:17), to which promise they had an eye in this blessing, Be thou the mother of that seed.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv54–56 And they sent away Rebekah their sister,.... Not in…
And they sent away Rebekah their sister,.... Not in a pet or angry humour, but with good will; they agreed she should go, and took their leave in a very honourable and affectionate manner. This is to be understood of her brother Laban, and of other brethren and sisters she might have; though by the connection of the words with the preceding, they seem to design her brother and mother, who spoke last; and probably all her relations are meant, who call her their sister, because so nearly related to them:
and her nurse: who had been her nurse in former times, as Aben Ezra observes, in her infancy, for whom she had a particular affection, as is often the case; her name was Deborah, as appears from Gen 35:8,
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and Abraham's servant, and his men; who were dismissed in an handsome manner by the family.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v55 Let her abide a few days, at least ten…
Let her abide a few days, at least ten - They had consented to the marriage, and yet were loth to part with her. It is an instance of the vanity of this world, that there is nothing in it so agreeable but has its allay. They were pleased that they had matched a daughter of their family so well, and yet it was with reluctancy that they sent her away.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv54–55 Verse 54. And they did eat and drink] When…
Verse 54. And they did eat and drink] When Eliezer had got a favourable answer, then he and his servants sat down to meat; this he had refused to do till he had told his message, Ge 24:33.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v55 Gen 24:55. Let her abide a few days, at…
Gen 24:55. Let her abide a few days, at least ten — The words in the Hebrew here, ימים או עשׂור, are rather equivocal, and may be rendered, as in the margin, a full year, or ten months, the word translated days being sometimes put for a year. And if we may credit Jewish writers, it was customary for a virgin to have twelve months allowed her to furnish herself with ornaments. But it is very improbable that Rebekah’s friends should desire or expect such a thing from this man, considering how anxious he was to return immediately.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v54 Morning. He loses no time to afford comfort to…
Morning. He loses no time to afford comfort to his masters, and to give proof that he was not esteemed by them without reason.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v56 56. Hinder me not — The servant is too…
56. Hinder me not — The servant is too anxious to break the glad news of his success to his master.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv55–56 54–67. Abraham’s Servant brings Rebekah to Isaac
54–67. Abraham’s Servant brings Rebekah to Isaac
55. her brother and her mother] LXX and Lat. read “her brothers and her mother.”
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a few days, at the least ten] Heb. “days or ten,” or, as we should say, “a week or ten days”; the word “or” meaning “or rather.” LXX ἡμέρας ὡσεὶ δέκα, Lat. saltem decem dies. The Syriac Peshitto, “a month in days.” A possible conjecture based on these variations is that of Olshausen, “a month of days, or ten.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v55 (55) A few days, at the least ten.—Heb., days…
(55) A few days, at the least ten.—Heb., days or a decade, which Onkelos, Saadja, Rashi, and others translate as in the margin: “a year or ten months.” But while this rendering has high Jewish authority for it, yet more probably decade was the name for the third part of a month. It would be curious thus to find that the family of Terah, either with or instead of weeks, measured time by periods of ten days, as was certainly the custom of the Egyptians at one period of their history.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv55–56 And her brother and her mother Laban as usual…
And her brother and her mother Laban as usual (ver. 50) having the first place; probably because of the prominence which from this time he assumes in the theocratic historysaid, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at least ten. Literally, days, at least (Vulgate, sagtem); as it were (LXX, &c.); perhaps (Murphy); or (Furst, Ewald, Kalisoh); if she wish, with the idea of choice. (Gesenius); a ten or decade of days; the rwOc; being used as a measure of time analogous to the Wbvor hebdomad. That ten months are meant (Chaldee, Arabic, Ainsworth) is probably incorrect. After that she shall go.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv55–56 Abide with us a few days
Gen_24:55
Abide with us a few days
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Delay is dangerous
We shall not have anything more to do with Laban to-night, than to use his desire to retain his good sister Rebekah as an illustration of the way in which this wicked world endeavours to meet the invitations of the gospel, by trying to retain the awakened sinner a little longer in its grasp.
Satans last counsel to his servants seems to have been, Do not openly oppose the gospel; give way to it, but suggest delay.
I. I want to draw your attention, first of all, to THE WORLDS PRETEXT FOR THIS DELAY. I stand knocking to-night at the worlds door, and I say, There is a young heart here I want for Christ; the world replies, All right, you shall have it one of these days, but there is time enough yet. I say of another, Here is a man whose strength and vigour I want for the Saviour. All right, says the world, do not be in such a fever about it; we are all agreed with you; we all think as you do that religion is important, but wait awhile, put it off, take time, tarry a little; there is no cause for all this hurry and this fuss. Then the world says, O stop a little longer; we should like these young people to know something about life. Well, but, base world, what dost thou mean by that? What hast thou to do with life? We, too, want the young people to know something about life: but what is life? Why true life is to be found only in the followers of Christ, in Whom is life. Ah! then, says the world, putting on its best smiles, it is all very well for you to talk, but we do not want our young people to give up all their pleasure. And what hast thou to do with pleasure, thou painted Jezebel? what hast thou to do with happiness, false deluder of souls?
II. Shall I tell you now WHAT IS THE DRIFT OR ALL THIS WAITING? Ten days did not seem too long; but they might have been ten days too late. To be too late for ever; yea, one minute too late is an eternity too late! Remember that if thou hast missed of Christ by but the ticking of a clock, thou hast missed of Christ for ever; so that minutes and ticks of clocks may be invested with a very solemn power, if we come to look at them in that light. But what the world means is just this, Ah! says Madam Bubble, here is a young person impressed--if we laugh at him it will deepen the impression; but we will say to him, Come, come; let the impression go for a little while; this is not the fit time; when you have a more convenient season, you can bring it on again. Moreover, the world says, Well, if they do go at last, yet we will exact from them as long a time of service as we can.
III. Thirdly, having exposed the pretexts of the world, and tried to show its cruel designs, our REAL OBJECT IS TO HAVE OUR HEARERS SAVED, AND TO HAVE THEM SAVED NOW. There were three reasons why Abrahams servant wished Rebekah to go with him at once, and these move me to desire your conversion to-night.
1. First, he desired it for his masters sake. He knew that Isaac was looking forward to the happy day when he should be married to his chosen bride. And oh! the heart of Jesus is longing after sinners.
2. Abrahams servant, too, desired it for his own sake, because he was a faithful steward, and wanted to do his business well. And how we desire your conversion for our sake! It will make us so happy I There is no bliss that can come to the soul of the Christian minister like the bliss of knowing that he has been made the means of bringing some to Christ.
3. But the principal reason that the man wished it was for Rebekahs sake. He knew that Isaac would make a good husband to her. And we know that Jesus Christ will make a blessed husband to your souls. He will enrich you with all the treasure of His grace.
IV. Now, lastly, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS DESIRE OF OURS IS A VERY REASONABLE ONE, and we think we can prove it without the necessity of entering upon a long argument. It is a snowy day, and some boys have put a few bricks together; they have made a sort of square box of them, and have set one up on edge on a piece of stick, and have scattered under it a few crumbs. Here comes a robin, and he picks up a crumb or two, and while he is picking, down comes the brick! I did not wait long, says the robin, but I am caught! I did not wait long, but I cannot get out! I did not wait long, but I have lost my liberty! I did not wait long, but it may be I shall lose my life! Ah! little robin, thou shalt be a preacher to some here. They have gone a little into sin, and they are inclined to-night to wait a little while. Take care that this is not your song one of these days, I did not wait long, but the devil caught me in his trap! I did not wait long, but I waited too long! I did not wait long, but I lost my soul for ever! God grant that this may not be your lot. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv54, 56 he and the men who were with him
he and the men who were with him
"Abraham's servant and his men"
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stayed there overnight
"slept there that night"
arose in the morning
"got up the next morning"
Send me away
"Let me leave and return"
a few more days, at least ten
"at least ten more days"
After that
"Then"
translationWords
day
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v54 24:54-56 It was hard for Rebekah’s family to let…
24:54-56 It was hard for Rebekah’s family to let her go so suddenly, and Laban may have hoped to gain more wealth. However, the servant had sworn an oath and would not rest until it was completed. There was no reason for him to stay.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.