_AND ABRAHAM WAS OLD, AND WELL STRICKEN IN AGE: AND THE LORD HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS._ And Abraham was old and well stricken, ... His anxiety to see his son married was natural to his position as a pastoral chief interested in preserving the honour of his tribe, and still more as a patria... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ABRAHAM SAID UNTO HIS ELDEST SERVANT OF HIS HOUSE, THAT RULED OVER ALL THAT HE HAD, PUT, I PRAY THEE, THY HAND UNDER MY THIGH:_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND I WILL MAKE THEE SWEAR BY THE LORD, THE GOD OF HEAVEN, AND THE GOD OF THE EARTH, THAT THOU SHALT NOT TAKE A WIFE UNTO MY SON OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE CANAANITES, AMONG WHOM I DWELL:_ Thou shalt not take a wife, ... Among the pastoral tribes the matrimonial arrangements are made by the parents,... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT THOU SHALT GO UNTO MY COUNTRY, AND TO MY KINDRED, AND TAKE A WIFE UNTO MY SON ISAAC._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LORD GOD OF HEAVEN, WHICH TOOK ME FROM MY FATHER'S HOUSE, AND FROM THE LAND OF MY KINDRED, AND WHICH SPAKE UNTO ME, AND THAT SWARE UNTO ME, SAYING, UNTO THY SEED WILL I GIVE THIS LAND; HE SHALL SEND HIS ANGEL BEFORE THEE, AND THOU SHALT TAKE A WIFE UNTO MY SON FROM THENCE._ The Lord God of hea... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE SERVANT TOOK TEN CAMELS OF THE CAMELS OF HIS MASTER, AND DEPARTED; FOR ALL THE GOODS OF HIS MASTER WERE IN HIS HAND: AND HE AROSE, AND WENT TO MESOPOTAMIA, UNTO THE CITY OF NAHOR._ The servant took ten camels, ... So great an equipage was to give the embassy an appearance worthy of the ran... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE MADE HIS CAMELS TO KNEEL DOWN WITHOUT THE CITY BY A WELL OF WATER AT THE TIME OF THE EVENING, EVEN THE TIME THAT WOMEN GO OUT TO DRAW WATER._ He made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well ... A stranger in those regions, who wishes to obtain information, stations himself at on... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE SAID, O LORD GOD OF MY MASTER ABRAHAM, I PRAY THEE, SEND ME GOOD SPEED THIS DAY, AND SHEW KINDNESS UNTO MY MASTER ABRAHAM._ And he said, O Lord God of my master ... send me good speed - literally, 'let occur to me,' or 'let come before my face this day,' what I seek (Gesenius). 'I can in im... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, I STAND HERE BY THE WELL OF WATER; AND THE DAUGHTERS OF THE MEN OF THE CITY COME OUT TO DRAW WATER:_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT CAME TO PASS, BEFORE HE HAD DONE SPEAKING, THAT, BEHOLD, REBEKAH CAME OUT, WHO WAS BORN TO BETHUEL, SON OF MILCAH, THE WIFE OF NAHOR, ABRAHAM'S BROTHER, WITH HER PITCHER UPON HER SHOULDER._ Before he had done speaking - as he anticipated, a young woman, unveiled as in pastoral regions, appe... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS THE CAMELS HAD DONE DRINKING, THAT THE MAN TOOK A GOLDEN EARRING OF HALF A SHEKEL_ _ WEIGHT, AND TWO BRACELETS FOR HER HANDS OF TEN SHEKELS WEIGHT OF GOLD;_ The man took a golden earring ... - [Hebrew, _ NEZEM_ (H5141), nose-jewel. The Septuagint erroneously has: enootia ch... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND SAID, WHOSE DAUGHTER ART THOU? TELL ME, I PRAY THEE: IS THERE ROOM IN THY FATHER'S HOUSE FOR US TO LODGE IN?_ And said, Whose daughter art thou? After telling her name and family, the kind-hearted girl hastened home to give notice of a stranger's arrival.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND SHE SAID UNTO HIM, I AM THE DAUGHTER OF BETHUEL THE SON OF MILCAH, WHICH SHE BARE UNTO NAHOR._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE MAN BOWED DOWN HIS HEAD, AND WORSHIPPED THE LORD._ The man bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord The pious character of Abraham's messenger THE MAN BOWED DOWN HIS HEAD, AND WORSHIPPED THE LORD. The pious character of Abraham's messenger is strikingly manifested by the record of these... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE DAMSEL RAN, AND TOLD THEM OF HER MOTHER'S HOUSE THESE THINGS._ And told them of her mother's house - in the female apartments. This family were in an advanced stage of pastoral life, dwelling in a settled place and a fixed habitation.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND REBEKAH HAD A BROTHER, AND HIS NAME WAS LABAN: AND LABAN RAN OUT UNTO THE MAN, UNTO THE WELL._ Rebekah had a brother ... Laban ran out. From what we know of his character, there is reason to believe that the sight of the dazzling presents increased both his haste and his invitation. COME IN,... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE MAN CAME INTO THE HOUSE: AND HE UNGIRDED HIS CAMELS, AND GAVE STRAW AND PROVENDER FOR THE CAMELS, AND WATER TO WASH HIS FEET, AND THE MEN'S FEET THAT WERE WITH HIM._ The man came into the house. What a beautiful picture of piety, fidelity, and disinterestedness in a servant! He declined al... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THERE WAS SET MEAT BEFORE HIM TO EAT: BUT HE SAID, I WILL NOT EAT, UNTIL I HAVE TOLD MINE ERRAND. AND HE SAID, SPEAK ON._ There was set meat before him ... It seems from time immemorial to have been customary among men to feast together on the ratification of a compact or covenant; and it is w... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE SAID, I AM ABRAHAM'S SERVANT._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE LORD HATH BLESSED MY MASTER GREATLY; AND HE IS BECOME GREAT: AND HE HATH GIVEN HIM FLOCKS, AND HERDS, AND SILVER, AND GOLD, AND MENSERVANTS, AND MAIDSERVANTS, AND CAMELS, AND ASSES._ The Lord hath blessed my master greatly. 'How perplexed,' says Kennicott, 'is this sentence from the confus... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND SARAH MY MASTER'S WIFE BARE A SON TO MY MASTER WHEN SHE WAS OLD: AND UNTO HIM HATH HE GIVEN ALL THAT HE HATH._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN LABAN AND BETHUEL ANSWERED AND SAID, THE THING PROCEEDETH FROM THE LORD: WE CANNOT SPEAK UNTO THEE BAD OR GOOD._ Then Laban and Bethuel answered. The brothers conduct all the marriage negotiations, and without consulting their sister. This usage, which prevailed in ancient times, particularly... [ Continue Reading ]
_BEHOLD, REBEKAH IS BEFORE THEE, TAKE HER, AND GO, AND LET HER BE THY MASTER'S SON'S WIFE, AS THE LORD HATH SPOKEN._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE SERVANT BROUGHT FORTH JEWELS OF SILVER, AND JEWELS OF GOLD, AND RAIMENT, AND GAVE THEM TO REBEKAH: HE GAVE ALSO TO HER BROTHER AND TO HER MOTHER PRECIOUS THINGS._ Jewels of silver, and ... gold. These, with money, are the usual articles that form a woman's dowry among the pastoral tribes.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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. Although Bethuel was alive (Genesis 24:15; Genesis 24:50), he acts a most insignificant part, or rather is ignored in this transaction; and 'whe... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY SENT AWAY REBEKAH THEIR SISTER, AND HER NURSE, AND ABRAHAM'S SERVANT, AND HIS MEN._ Her nurse. A lady of rank is, on her marriage, always accompanied by a nurse, who, as a confidential servant, is held in great regard (Genesis 29:24; Genesis 29:29: cf. Genesis 35:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY BLESSED REBEKAH, AND SAID UNTO HER, THOU ART OUR SISTER, BE THOU THE MOTHER OF THOUSANDS OF MILLIONS, AND LET THY SEED POSSESS THE GATE OF THOSE WHICH HATE THEM._ And they blessed Rebekah. Their parting benediction consists of two parts-the first, BE THOU THE MOTHER OF THOUSANDS OF MILL... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND REBEKAH AROSE, AND HER DAMSELS, AND THEY RODE UPON THE CAMELS, AND FOLLOWED THE MAN: AND THE SERVANT TOOK REBEKAH, AND WENT HIS WAY._ Rebekah arose, and her damsels. The bridal party, consisting of Rebekah and her female attendants, under the escort of Abraham's servants, set out for their dis... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ISAAC CAME FROM THE WAY OF THE WELL LAHAI-ROI; FOR HE DWELT IN THE SOUTH COUNTRY._ Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi. It was situated in the Negeb (south country), that extensive pastoral Lahai-roi (Moilahhi) is still a regular station in the wilderness, at the point where several... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ISAAC WENT OUT TO MEDITATE IN THE FIELD AT THE EVENTIDE: AND HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES, AND SAW, AND, BEHOLD, THE CAMELS WERE COMING._ Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide - [Hebrew, _ LAASUWACH_ (H7742), used only here, and supposed = laasoyim; Septuagint, hadolescheesai, to me... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND REBEKAH LIFTED UP HER EYES, AND WHEN SHE SAW ISAAC, SHE LIGHTED OFF THE CAMEL._ She lighted off the camel If Isaac was walking it would have been most unmannerly for her to have SHE LIGHTED OFF THE CAMEL. If Isaac was walking, it would have been most unmannerly for her to have continued seated... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR SHE HAD SAID UNTO THE SERVANT, WHAT MAN IS THIS THAT WALKETH IN THE FIELD TO MEET US? AND THE SERVANT HAD SAID, IT IS MY MASTER: THEREFORE SHE TOOK A VAIL, AND COVERED HERSELF._ She took a veil, and covered herself. The veil is an essential part of a female dress. In country places it is often... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE SERVANT TOLD ISAAC ALL THINGS THAT HE HAD DONE._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ISAAC BROUGHT HER INTO HIS MOTHER SARAH'S TENT, AND TOOK REBEKAH, AND SHE BECAME HIS WIFE; AND HE LOVED HER: AND ISAAC WAS COMFORTED AFTER HIS MOTHER'S DEATH._ Brought her into his mother's ... tent - thus establishing her at once in the rights and honours of a wife before he had seen her feat... [ Continue Reading ]