Genesis 24:14
in Genesis 24Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master.
KJV
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
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This verse in Genesis 24
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(2.) He pleads God's covenant with his master Abraham: O God of my master Abraham, show kindness to him. Note, As the children of good parents, so the servants of good masters, have peculiar encouragement in the prayers they offer to God for prosperity and success.
This site's exposition
please grant me success today
on Genesis 24:12-14
This is the first prayer in Genesis that asks God for a sign of guidance, and the man asks nothing for himself. The sign tests work: watering ten camels after a long stage is hours at a stone trough. He asks God to show kindness to his master. The word behind kindness is hesed, the covenant word for steady loyal love.
This site's exposition
let her be the one You have appointed
The servant sets the test in the girl's own mouth: she must offer to water his camels too, and that offer will mark the one the LORD has appointed for Isaac. John Wesley granted that God sometimes answers such a prayer even in small things. He also warned against being over bold in prescribing to God.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Now, dearly beloved, let us briefly see, as far as we can, what these facts mean. When blessed Abraham directed his servant to take a wife for his son, he portrayed an image of God the Father.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
But when he has the desired success, he worships God, not the angel. Whatever benefit we have by the ministration of angels, all the glory must be given to the Lord of the angels, Rev. xxii.
), not by it to limit God, nor with a design to proceed no further if he were not gratified in it; but it is a prayer, [1.] That God would provide a good wife for his young master, and this was a good prayer. He knew that a prudent wife is from the Lord ( Prov. xix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,....
And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Rashi comments: “She is fit for him since she is charitable and worthy of admission into the house of Abraham.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
WHO WAS BORN TO BETHUEL THE SON OF MILCAH THE WIFE OF NAHOR, ABRAHAM’s BROTHER. Because Nahor also had children from his concubine Reumah, 113 Above,:24. they always described the lineage of Bethuel by saying that he was the son of Milcah who was the mistress of the household.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֣ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ | hanaara | the young woman | H5291 → | 63 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֹמַ֤ר | ʾomar | I will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ | ʾeleiha | to her | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַטִּי־ | hati- | bend down | H5186 → | 214 times |
| נָ֤א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| כַדֵּךְ֙ | khadekh | jar your | H3537 → | 18 times |
| וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה | veeshteh | so I may drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וְאָמְרָ֣ה | veamerah | and she will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שְׁתֵ֔ה | sheteh | drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וְגַם־ | vegam- | and also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ | gemaleikha | camels your | H1581 → | 54 times |
| אַשְׁקֶ֑ה | ʾashkeh | I will give a drink to | H8248 → | 61 times |
| אֹתָ֤הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> her | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הֹכַ֙חְתָּ֙ | hokhachta | you have appointed | H3198 → | 59 times |
| לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ | leavdekha | for servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לְיִצְחָ֔ק | leyitzchak | for Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| וּבָ֣הּ | uvah | and by <the> it | ||
| אֵדַ֔ע | ʾeda' | I will know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עָשִׂ֥יתָ | ʾasita | you have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| חֶ֖סֶד | chesed | covenant loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֲדֹנִֽי׃ | ʾadoni | master my | H113 → | 333 times |
וְהָיָ֣הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗the young woman
hanaaraH5291 →63 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֹמַ֤רI will say
ʾomarH559 →5305 times
אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙to her
ʾeleihaH413 →5510 times
הַטִּי־bend down
hati-H5186 →214 times
נָ֤אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
כַדֵּךְ֙jar your
khadekhH3537 →18 times
וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔הso I may drink
veeshtehH8354 →217 times
וְאָמְרָ֣הand she will say
veamerahH559 →5305 times
שְׁתֵ֔הdrink
shetehH8354 →217 times
וְגַם־and also
vegam-H1571 →769 times
גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָcamels your
gemaleikhaH1581 →54 times
אַשְׁקֶ֑הI will give a drink to
ʾashkehH8248 →61 times
אֹתָ֤הּ<obj.> her
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
הֹכַ֙חְתָּ֙you have appointed
hokhachtaH3198 →59 times
לְעַבְדְּךָ֣for servant your
leavdekhaH5650 →799 times
לְיִצְחָ֔קfor Isaac
leyitzchakH3327 →108 times
וּבָ֣הּand by <the> it
uvah
אֵדַ֔עI will know
ʾeda'H3045 →945 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עָשִׂ֥יתָyou have done
ʾasitaH6213 →2628 times
חֶ֖סֶדcovenant loyalty
chesedH2617 →247 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
אֲדֹנִֽי׃master my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 6:17Gideon answered, “If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that it is You speaking with me.
it leads to
- Psalms 86:17
Show me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see and be ashamed; for You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 7:11
“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 33:13
Now if indeed I have found favor in Your sight, please let me know Your ways, that I may know You and find favor in Your sight. Remember that this nation is Your people.”
- Psalms 86:17
Through
Isaiah 7:11“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.”
it leads to
- Judges 6:36–40
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 37:30
And this will be a sign to you, O Hezekiah: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from the same. But in the third…
- Isaiah 38:7–8
This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised:
- 2 Kings 19:29
And this will be a sign to you, O Hezekiah: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from the same. But in the third…
- Judges 6:36–40
Through
Genesis 15:8But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”
it leads to
- Luke 1:18
“How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”
- Luke 1:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 85.3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.