If the woman isn’t willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again.”
Parallel Translations
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If the woman isn’t willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again.”
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And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
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And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only thou shalt not bring my son back thither.'
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Genesis 24:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Joshua 2:17-20 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless of this your oath which you’ve made us to swear. Behold, when we come into the land, tie this line of scarlet thread in the window which you used to let us down. Gather to yourself into the house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. It shall be that whoever goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be on his head, and we will be guiltless. Whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand is on him. But if you talk about this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless of your oath which you’ve made us to swear.”
- Numbers 30:5 But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows or of her pledges with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. Yahweh will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her.
- Numbers 30:8 But if her husband forbids her in the day that he hears it, then he makes void her vow which is on her and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. Yahweh will forgive her.
- Genesis 24:4-6 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant said to him, “What if the woman isn’t willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?” Abraham said to him, “Beware that you don’t bring my son there again.
- Joshua 9:20 We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.”
- John 8:32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
- Acts 7:2 He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Hebrew, innocent.
Hebrew, innocent.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Gen 24:8 And if the woman will not be…
Gen 24:8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
Ver. 8. Only bring not my son thither again.] This second time he lays charge on his servant not to do it. Better no wife, than displease God, than violate conscience. He purchaseth his pleasure at too dear a rate, that pays his honesty to get it. He hath less of the ballast, and more of the sail, makes more haste than good speed, that thus speeds himself.
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 Thou shalt be clear from the obligation of this…
Thou shalt be clear from the obligation of this oath, and from the penalties of the violation of it.
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 if the woman will not be willing to…
And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee,.... Or "but" if (m), which is said by Abraham, not as doubting she would be willing, of which he was satisfied, being persuaded that that God that had made him willing to leave his own country, and his father's house, would make her willing to do the like, and come and settle with his son in the land that God had given him; but this, and what follows, he said to make the mind of his servant easy, who had some doubt about it, or however was desirous of knowing how he must act should that be the case; and what it was he was to take an oath to do, and how far, and how far not, that would oblige him:
then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; which he enjoined his servant to take; the sense is, when he had done all he could to get the consent of the damsel, and her friends, to go with him and marry his master's son; and after all she could not be prevailed upon to come with him, then he was free from his oath, having done all that that obliged him to, and he not attempting to take one from any other quarter:
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only bring not my son thither again; neither agree with the damsel and her parents, that he shall come to them, nor persuade him to comply with such terms.
(m) "sin autem", V. L.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 8. thou shalt be clear from this my oath]…
8. thou shalt be clear from this my oath] Cf. Gen_24:41. The word “clear” is used in the sense of “innocent,” or “guiltless,” as in Jos_2:17, “we will be guiltless of this thine oath.” “Clear” in this sense is old English. Cf. Shakespeare, Macb. i. 7, “… this Duncan … hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels.”
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.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
Verse 8 is a continuation of the instructions Abraham gave his servant.
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But if the woman is not willing to follow you
"But if the woman refuses to come with you." Abraham was answering the servant's question from Genesis 24:5. (See: Hypothetical Situations)
you will be free from this oath of mine
"you will be released from the oath you made to me." Not having to fulfill an oath is spoken of as if the person is free from an object to which he was bound. AT: "you will not have to do what you swore to me that you would do" (See: Metaphor)
put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master
This was to show that he would certainly do what he was swearing to do. (See: Symbolic Action)
swore to him
"made an oath to him"
concerning this matter
"concerning Abraham's request" or "that he would do what Abraham said"
translationWords
oath
servant
Abraham
lord
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.