Genesis 24:5
in Genesis 24The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
KJV
And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
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This verse in Genesis 24
Commentary
5 notes on this versePeradventure the woman will not be willing - We may see, says Calmet, by this and other passages of Scripture, Jos 9:18, what the sentiments of the ancients were relative to an oath. They believed they were bound precisely by what was spoken, and had no liberty to interpret the intentions of those to whom the oath was made.
This site's exposition
What if the woman is unwilling to follow me
on Genesis 24:5-6
The servant raises the practical problem and Abraham answers with an absolute. The woman may refuse, and the oath lapses with her refusal. Isaac is never to be taken back to that land. The promise is tied to the land, and the son stays in it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the servant said unto him,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Genesis is both the book of beginnings and the book of dispensations. You know what use Paul makes of Sarah and Hagar, of Esau and Jacob, and the like. Genesis is, all through, a book instructing the reader in the dispensations of God towards man. Paul saith, in a certain place, "which things are an allegory," by which he did not mean that they were not literal facts, but that, being literal facts, they might also be used instructively as an allegory. So may I say of this chapter. It records what actually was said and done; but at the same time, it bears within it allegorical instruction with regard to heavenly things. The true minister of Christ is like this Eleazar of Damascus; he is sent to find a wife for his Master's son. His great desire is, that many shall be presented unto Christ in the day of his appearing, as the bride, the Lamb's wife. The faithful servant of Abraham, before he started, communed with his master; and this is a lesson to us, who go on our Lord's errands. Let us, before we engage in actual service, see the Master's face, talk with him, and tell to him any difficulties which occur to our minds. Before we get to work, let us know what we are at, and on what footing we stand. Let us hear from our Lord's own mouth what he expects us to do, and how far he will help us in the doing of it. I charge you, my fellow-servants, never to go forth to plead with men for God until you have first pleaded with God for men. Do not attempt to deliver a message which you have not first of all yourself received by his Holy Spirit. Come out of the chamber of fellowship with God into the pulpit of ministry among men, and there will be a freshness and a power about you which none shall be able to resist.
Genesis is both the book of beginnings and the book of dispensations. You know what use Paul makes of Sarah and Hagar, of Esau and Jacob, and the like. Genesis is, all through, a book instructing the reader in the dispensations of God towards man. Paul saith, in a certain place, "which things are an allegory," by which he did not mean that they were not literal facts, but that, being literal facts, they might also be used instructively as an allegory. So may I say of this chapter.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָעֶ֔בֶד | haeved | the servant | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אוּלַי֙ | ʾulai | perhaps | H194 → | 45 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֹאבֶ֣ה | toveh | she will be willing | H14 → | |
| הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה | haishah | the woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| לָלֶ֥כֶת | lalekhet | to go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַחֲרַ֖י | ʾacharai | after me | H310 → | 715 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאָ֣רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַזֹּ֑את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| הֶֽהָשֵׁ֤ב | hehashev | ¿ really <to take back> | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אָשִׁיב֙ | ʾashiv | will I take back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בִּנְךָ֔ | binkha | son your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָצָ֥אתָ | yatzata | you came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִשָּֽׁם׃ | misham | from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הָעֶ֔בֶדthe servant
haevedH5650 →799 times
אוּלַי֙perhaps
ʾulaiH194 →45 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תֹאבֶ֣הshe will be willing
tovehH14 →
הָֽאִשָּׁ֔הthe woman
haishahH802 →781 times
לָלֶ֥כֶתto go
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
אַחֲרַ֖יafter me
ʾacharaiH310 →715 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאָ֣רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הַזֹּ֑את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
הֶֽהָשֵׁ֤ב¿ really <to take back>
hehashevH7725 →1056 times
אָשִׁיב֙will I take back
ʾashivH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בִּנְךָ֔son your
binkhaH1121 →4930 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יָצָ֥אתָyou came out
yatzataH3318 →1067 times
מִשָּֽׁם׃from there
mishamH8033 →834 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
Exodus 20:7You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 5:11
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
- Leviticus 19:12
You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- James 5:12
Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under…
- Matthew 5:33–37
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
- Psalms 50:14–16
Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
- Deuteronomy 5:11
Through
Jeremiah 4:2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:16
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles…
- Genesis 22:18
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
- Isaiah 65:16
Through
Proverbs 13:16Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly.
- Proverbs 15:2
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. 2047: “No Compromise” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.