Genesis 24:36
in Genesis 24My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 24
Commentary
7 notes on this verseUnto him hath he given all that he hath - He has made Isaac his sole heir. These things appear to be spoken to show the relatives of Rebekah that his master’s son was a proper match for her; for even in those primitive times there was regard had to the suitableness of station and rank in life, as well as of education, in order to render a match comfortable. Persons of dissimilar habits, as well as of dissimilar religious principles, are never likely to be very happy in a married life.
This site's exposition
I am Abraham's servant
on Genesis 24:34-36
He opens with his master's name and never gives his own. The chapter calls him the servant or the man from first to last, and the name Eliezer belongs to chapter 15. Origen read the errand as a picture of the church brought to Christ: a servant sent by a father to fetch a bride for the son, carrying the father's goods and speaking only of the son.
This site's exposition
borne him a son in her old age
He adds two facts the family needed: the son was born to Sarah in her old age, and his father has already given him everything he owns. Adam Clarke took the second as naming Isaac sole heir. Chapter 25 carries out the same settlement at verse 5.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
See how the servant narrates everything to them with precision: "I am servant of that man Abraham," he says, "whom you know; so, learn that he enjoyed such blessing from the Lord of all as to arrive at great wealth." Then, to teach them the abundance of his wealth, he said, "Sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels and asses" came his way. Take heed, you people of wealth, you who acquire such and such acres of land day in and day out, building baths and walkways and splendid buildings—see in what lay the good man's riches: no property, no buildings, no empty display of luxury, but rather sheep and cattle, camels and asses, servants male and female. The text added in another place that they were all born in the household, so that you could learn how Abraham gained so many servants. "So this master of mine came into such great wealth and enjoyed great favor from on high; when he had reached old age Sarah bore him a son, and, having this only child, he has already made him heir of everything. He has given him everything he owned."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He was welcome before, but we may suppose him doubly welcome when he said, I am Abraham's servant. Abraham's name, no doubt, was well known among them and respected, and we might suppose them not altogether ignorant of his state, for Abraham knew theirs, ch. xxii.
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.
And Sarah, my master's wife,....
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּ֡לֶד | vateled | and she has borne | H3205 → | 496 times |
| שָׂרָה֩ | sarah | Sarah | H8283 → | 38 times |
| אֵ֨שֶׁת | ʾeshet | [the] wife of | H802 → | 781 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֥י | ʾadoni | master my | H113 → | 333 times |
| בֵן֙ | ven | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לַֽאדֹנִ֔י | ladoni | to master my | H113 → | 333 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֖י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| זִקְנָתָ֑הּ | ziknatah | old age her | H2209 → | |
| וַיִּתֶּן־ | vaiyiten- | and he has given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לּ֖וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֽוֹ׃ | lo | [belongs] to <the> him |
וַתֵּ֡לֶדand she has borne
vateledH3205 →496 times
שָׂרָה֩Sarah
sarahH8283 →38 times
אֵ֨שֶׁת[the] wife of
ʾeshetH802 →781 times
אֲדֹנִ֥יmaster my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
בֵן֙a son
venH1121 →4930 times
לַֽאדֹנִ֔יto master my
ladoniH113 →333 times
אַחֲרֵ֖יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
זִקְנָתָ֑הּold age her
ziknatahH2209 →
וַיִּתֶּן־and he has given
vaiyiten-H5414 →2011 times
לּ֖וֹto <the> him
lo
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לֽוֹ׃[belongs] to <the> him
lo
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
Romans 4:19Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:11–19
By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.
- Romans 4:20–21
Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
- Genesis 17:17
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”
- Hebrews 11:11–19
Through
Genesis 21:10and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”
it leads to
- John 8:35
A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
- Galatians 4:22–31
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.
- 1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of…
- Genesis 36:6–7
Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan, and…
- John 8:35
Through
Genesis 25:5Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
- Galatians 3:29
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 48.21; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, Homilies on Genesis.