Genesis 24:49
in Genesis 24Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.
KJV
And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.
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This verse in Genesis 24
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThat I may turn to the right hand or to the left - That is, That I may go elsewhere and seek a proper match for the son of my master. Some have imagined that Eliezer intimated by these expressions that if he did not succeed in obtaining Rebekah, he would go and seek for a wife either among the descendants of Ishmael or the descendants of Lot. This interpretation is fanciful.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): " If you will deal kindly and truly with my master, well and good: if you will be sincerely kind, you will accept the proposal, and I have what I came for; if not, do not hold me in suspense." Note, Those who deal fairly have reason to expect fair dealing.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And now, if you deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
THE chapter from which the text is taken bristles with points. There is a remarkable parallel between Eliezer seeking a wife for Isaac and the ministers of Christ seeking souls for Jesus. It is something more than an allegory. It is really a very instructive parable of how we are to deal for our Master with the souls of men and women.
THE chapter from which the text is taken bristles with points. There is a remarkable parallel between Eliezer seeking a wife for Isaac and the ministers of Christ seeking souls for Jesus. It is something more than an allegory. It is really a very instructive parable of how we are to deal for our Master with the souls of men and women. For as truly as Abraham sent his servant to seek a bride for his son, we are commissioned to search for those who shall be brought into the Church, and at last, as the bride of Christ, sit down at the marriage feast in the Glory Land above! You will notice how Eliezer prayed all along the way. He had no doubt in his mind as to whether God interfered in human affairs, but boldly and simply sought to know His will. Then, having presented his petition, we find him in quiet confidence holding his peace, "to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not." And when success crowned his efforts, he was forward to acknowledge that the speedy fulfillment of his objective was in answer to his supplication. It was the guidance of God and not his own acuteness or wisdom, which led to such a favorable issue. Thus it is also with every true minister of the New Testament. Oh, if we do not pray for you, my dear Hearers, our preaching to you will be hypocrisy! We shall never speak to men for God with any power of persuasion unless, first, we speak to God for men with power of supplication! Not without many a prayer and many a heaving of my heart in sighs have I come here to speak to you tonight. I believe that I am sent to find out some appointed for Christ in the Divine purpose and Covenant and I pray my Master that there may be many such! While this trusty servant thus prayed to his master's God, see how loyal he was to his master.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠עַתָּה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יֶשְׁכֶ֨ם | yeshkhem | [are] there you | H3426 → | 140 times |
| עֹשִׂ֜ים | ʾosim | doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| חֶ֧סֶד | chesed | loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| וֶֽאֱמֶ֛ת | veemet | and faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֖י | ʾadoni | master my | H113 → | 333 times |
| הַגִּ֣ידוּ | hagidu | tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לִ֑י | li | to <the> me | ||
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֕א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הַגִּ֣ידוּ | hagidu | tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לִ֔י | li | to <the> me | ||
| וְאֶפְנֶ֥ה | veefneh | so I may turn | H6437 → | 135 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יָמִ֖ין | yamin | right | H3225 → | 140 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׂמֹֽאל׃ | semol | left | H8040 → | 54 times |
וְ֠עַתָּהand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יֶשְׁכֶ֨ם[are] there you
yeshkhemH3426 →140 times
עֹשִׂ֜יםdoing
ʾosimH6213 →2628 times
חֶ֧סֶדloyalty
chesedH2617 →247 times
וֶֽאֱמֶ֛תand faithfulness
veemetH571 →127 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
אֲדֹנִ֖יmaster my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
הַגִּ֣ידוּtell
hagiduH5046 →370 times
לִ֑יto <the> me
li
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֕אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הַגִּ֣ידוּtell
hagiduH5046 →370 times
לִ֔יto <the> me
li
וְאֶפְנֶ֥הso I may turn
veefnehH6437 →135 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יָמִ֖יןright
yaminH3225 →140 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שְׂמֹֽאל׃left
semolH8040 →54 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
Proverbs 3:3Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
it leads to
- Proverbs 7:3
Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
- 2 Corinthians 3:3
It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on…
- Hebrews 10:16
“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”
- Deuteronomy 11:18–21
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
- Proverbs 6:21
Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.
- Proverbs 7:3
Through
Genesis 32:10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:35
You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
- Genesis 24:27
saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to…
- Psalms 18:35
Through
Genesis 47:29When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise…
it leads to
- Genesis 24:2
So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
- Genesis 24:2
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2231: “An Urgent Request for an Immediate Answer” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.