Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
Parallel Translations
-
Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
-
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 her brother and her mother said: 'Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.'
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to Genesis 24:55 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 4:3 As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.
- Leviticus 25:29 “ ‘If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it has been sold. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption.
- Judges 14:8 After a while he returned to take her, and he went over to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Hebrew, days, or ten.
Hebrew, days, or ten.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 24:55 And her brother and her mother said,…
Gen 24:55 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.
Ver. 55. Let the damsel abide with us.] Men promise in baste; perform by leisure.
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 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.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And they blessed Rebekah,.... That is, her parents and…
And they blessed Rebekah,.... That is, her parents and her friends, they wished the best and choicest of blessings might descend upon her:
and said unto her, thou art our sister; the Targum of Jonathan is,"hitherto thou hast been our sister,''as if the relation now ceased, having entered into another; and especially as she was going away from them into a distant country, and might never see her more, it was as if she was no more to them or to be enjoyed by them:
Read full note →
be thou the mother of thousands of millions; as she was, the Edomites and Israelites both springing from her:
and let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate them; exercise dominion and authority over their enemies: let them not only be numerous, but powerful and victorious, as both the nations were at times, and especially the latter; and particularly this had its accomplishment in Christ, who sprung from her in the line of Jacob, Mat 1:2; some respect seems to be had to the promise made to Abraham, Gen 22:17; of which this family might have knowledge from Abraham's servant, who might report not only how great his master was, but what promises were made to him with respect to his posterity.
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 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 Verse 55. Let the damsel abide with us a…
Verse 55. Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten] The original is very abrupt and obscure, because we are not acquainted with the precise meaning of the form of speech which is here used; ימים או עשור yamim o asor DAYS or TEN, probably meaning a year or ten months, as the margin reads it, or a week or ten days. This latter is the most likely sense, as there would be no propriety after having given their consent that she should go, in detaining her for a year or ten months. In matters of simple phraseology, or in those which concern peculiar customs, the Septuagint translation, especially in the Pentateuch, where it is most accurate and pure, may be considered a legitimate judge; this translation renders the words ἡμερας ὡσει δεκα, about ten days. Houbigant contends strongly that instead of the words ימים או עשור yamim o asor, days or ten, we should read חדש ימים chodesh yamim, a month of days, i.e., a full month; without which emendation he asserts, locus explicari non possit, "the passage cannot be explained." This emendation is supported by the Syriac version, which reads here [Arabic] yerach yomin, a month of days, or a full month. The reader may adopt the Syriac or the Septuagint, as he judges best.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 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.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 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.”
Read full note →
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 (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 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 Abide with us a few days
Gen_24:55
Abide with us a few days
Read full note →
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.