1. The Mission of Abraham's Chief Steward

KJV · Verses 1–9

1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 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: 3 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: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 5 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? 6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 7 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. 8 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. 9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

Sarah died at the age of 127, when Abraham was 137 years old. It appears that three years after Sarah's death Abraham called his servant, the chief steward of his household and administrator of all his possessions, and asked him to put his hand under his thigh. He was to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that he would not take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom he lived. Rather, he was to go to Abraham's kindred in Mesopotamia and bring back a wife from his family. The man asked whether, if the woman refused to follow him to this land, Canaan, he should take Abraham's son back to his kindred. Abraham answered by declaring his faith in God, who had promised him the land: God would send His angel to prepare a wife for his son. He warned the man against taking his son back to the land from which Abraham had departed.

What does placing the hand under Abraham's thigh mean? Saint Augustine says: [332]

“It signifies swearing by Him who was to become incarnate from his descendants.”

It is as though Abraham spoke in a spirit of prophecy, declaring that the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, would take flesh from his own offspring.

Abraham departed from Ur of the Chaldees, from among his kindred. In obedience to the divine call, he resolved in his heart never to return, neither to bury his wife there nor to send his son back there to marry. He did indeed ask that his son marry from his kindred, so that he would not become attached to a Canaanite woman who would draw his heart away from the love of God and distort and corrupt his thoughts. Yet he firmly refused to let his son go there, believing that the God who had called him would send his son a wife to help him in the Lord's way, just as Sarah had been a helper to him.

In choosing a wife for his son, Abraham was not concerned that she should be rich or beautiful. His first aim was that she should be holy and faithful, helping his son in his spiritual life and placing no obstacle in his path. Therefore the Lord gave Isaac Rebekah, a woman beautiful in appearance and in spirit, who was a source of consolation and joy to him throughout his pilgrimage.

2. In the City of Nahor

KJV · Verses 10–14

10 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. 11 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. 12 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. 13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 14 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.

The city of Nahor was near Haran in northwestern Mesopotamia. It was known in Assyrian records and the Mari documents. Its name may have been taken from Nahor, Abraham's grandfather (Genesis 11:22-25), or from his brother, Rebekah's grandfather (Genesis 11:27-31), or from the name of the tribe as a whole. Nahor appears as the ancestor of several Aramean tribes (Genesis 22:20-24). [333]

Scripture says: “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. 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. 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” (Genesis 24:10-12).

If Abraham's chief steward points to the Holy Spirit, whom the Only Begotten Son sent from the Father, then He has come into our lives as to the city of Nahor, to lead us out of our land upon our Master's camels into His land: to carry us into His heavens, that we may remain with the heavenly Bridegroom forever.

If the number 10 points to the Ten Commandments, then the Holy Spirit works within us to carry us through the spiritual divine commandment. Through “all the goods” He offers us richness of spirit, peace of mind, and satisfaction of soul, so that we may receive the Spirit within us as He leads us from glory to glory.

Perhaps the number 10 also points to our temporal life, just as 1,000 points to our heavenly life. As the Holy Spirit leads us toward the Promised Land, the Jerusalem above, He offers us in this temporal life as much of the eternal blessings as we can receive and enjoy here, as a pledge of enjoying them in their fullness. We receive a portion of the dowry, rather than the whole dowry. As Saint John Chrysostom says: [334]

“When Christ made a marriage covenant with us, He appointed a dowry for me, not of money but of blood. This dowry is a pledge of the good things: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man” (1 Corinthians 2:9). He appointed these things as my dowry: immortality, the praise of the angels, deliverance from death, freedom from sin, the inheritance of the great Kingdom, righteousness, sanctification, deliverance from present evils, and the revelation of the blessings to come. Great is my dowry! He came and took me, and appointed my dowry, saying: I give you My riches. Have you lost Paradise? I restore it to you. Yet He did not give me the whole dowry here. Why? So that I may give it to you when you enter the royal estate. Did you come to Me? No, I am the One who came to you, not so that you might remain in your place, but to take you with Me and bring you back. Therefore do not ask Me for the dowry while you are here in this life, but be filled with hope and faith!”

The Holy Spirit comes to us as though upon ten camels, to offer the Church the riches of God and continually draw her toward heaven, that she may enjoy the fullness of glory. It is remarkable that the man came to the well of water at evening to seek a bride for Isaac. What is this well but the waters of baptism, in which the Lord Christ meets His Church as His bride? Father Caesarius of Arles says: [335]

“If the Church had not come to the waters of baptism, she would not have been united with Christ.”

He also says: [336]

“Look, brethren, at Isaac's servant: he found Rebekah at the well, and in turn Rebekah found Isaac at the well (Genesis 24:62–64). Christ does not find the Church, nor does the Church find Christ, except through the sacrament of baptism.”

Origen sees in the well a symbol of Holy Scripture, in which the soul meets her Bridegroom. He says: [337]

“Rebekah used to go to the well to draw water, and she met Abraham's servant and married Isaac. Learn to come to the well of Scripture every day, to draw the waters of the Holy Spirit without ceasing.”

He also says: [338]

“Do you wish to be betrothed to Christ? He sends you the servant, that is, the inspired word, without which you cannot receive Him or be married to Him.”

Returning to Abraham's chief steward, we see that, like his master, he trusts God as the One who directs all things. Therefore, when he reached the well he began to pray, placing the matter in God's hands. After the choice had been made, we find him offering thanks to God, who had prospered his way (Genesis 24:48). As I have said, this man points to the Holy Spirit, who descended upon the Church in the fullness of time to sanctify her as a holy bride for the Lord Christ. Some, however, see in this man a symbol of the apostles, who came preaching among the Gentiles to present them as a bride to the Lord through the Holy Spirit working within them.

3. Meeting Rebekah

KJV · Verses 15–27

15 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. 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. 20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 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; 23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? 24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. 25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. 26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. 27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.

No sooner had Abraham's chief steward finished his faithful conversation with God than the immediate answer appeared. Rebekah, the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came to the water to draw. Besides her physical beauty, she was distinguished by gentleness of speech and generosity of character. When the man asked her for water from her pitcher, she hurried to lower it onto her hand and give him a drink. Without his asking, she offered to water his camels as well. She saw the signs of weariness upon him and longed to serve him, practicing her love of hospitality to strangers. Through this spirit filled with love, Rebekah went from being a girl living in a pagan country to becoming Isaac's wife and the mother of Jacob, the father of all the tribes. Through love and meekness Rebekah was raised up and received what had never entered her mind or formed any part of her dreams.

As the man contemplated God's work, he was “wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not” (Genesis 24:21). When he recognized the divine work, he took “a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold” (Genesis 24:22).

Some consider the name “Rebekah” to be derived from a Hebrew verb meaning to bind, perhaps suggesting being captivated by beauty. [339] Saint Clement of Alexandria considers it to mean “the glory of God.” [340] She is the daughter of “Bethuel,” meaning “man of God,” and her grandmother is “Milcah,” meaning “queen” or “counsel.” In other words, Rebekah, representing the Church of the Lord Christ and His bride, bears within her “the glory of God” and possesses a surpassing beauty that captivates those who behold her. The secret of her beauty is that her father is the man of God and her grandmother represents holy counsel. Her beauty truly appeared when she received her bridegroom's gifts: the golden ornament for her ears and the two golden bracelets for her hands.

If gold points to a spiritual character or heavenly nature, then, when the Church receives God's work through His servants, her ears become heavenly, as do her hands. She listens only to what is divine and works only for the Kingdom of heaven.

Father Caesarius of Arles says: [341]

“The golden earring signifies the divine words, and the two golden bracelets signify good works, for works are represented by the hands. Let us see, brethren, how Christ has offered these gifts to the Church!”

Origen says: [342]

“Rebekah does not find her beauty until Abraham's servant comes to adorn her. Her hands are adorned only with what Isaac sends her. She desires to enjoy golden words in her ears and golden deeds in her hands. Yet she could neither have enjoyed these things nor become worthy of them unless she had come to draw water from the well. You who do not wish to come to the water or place the golden words of the prophets in your ears, how can you bear the adornment of teaching and the beauty of life?”

When the man asked whether there was room in her father's house for them to lodge, she answered: “We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in” (Genesis 24:25). “And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD” (Genesis 24:26). Nothing glorifies God in our lives like a heart opened wide to people, where they find food for themselves and their camels and a place to rest. Let us say to the whole world: “We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.” We seek nothing from the world, but desire to offer satisfaction and rest to everyone. What Rebekah practiced as a representative of the New Testament Church, the Apostle Paul practiced as one of her members, saying: “O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged” (2 Corinthians 6:11).

4. In Rebekah's House

KJV · Verses 28–49

28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. 30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32 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. 33 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. 34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35 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. 36 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. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: 38 But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. 39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house: 41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. 42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: 43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; 44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master’s son. 45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. 46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. 47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son. 49 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.

When Laban saw his sister Rebekah adorned with the golden ornament and the two bracelets, and she told him everything that had happened, he hurried to the man and said: “Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels” (Genesis 24:31). The man entered, and the camels were unloaded. Food was provided for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him. When food was set before him, he said: “I will not eat, until I have told mine errand” (Genesis 24:33). He began to tell Rebekah's family about the greatness of his master Abraham, about the son born to him by Sarah in his old age, and about Abraham's command concerning the marriage of his son Isaac. He described God's work with him when he came to the well and met Rebekah, concluding: “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” (Genesis 24:49).

Here we stand in wonder before God's marvelous work. Rebekah alone was not marked by kindness and generosity in giving; her brother Laban bore the same two qualities. He was exceedingly kind and exceedingly generous! He calls Abraham's servant “blessed of the LORD” and insists on not leaving him outside, offering him a place in his heart and his house. It is as though God were preparing this wonderful spiritual atmosphere in the midst of a pagan country filled with abominations and unbelief. God was preparing it for Abraham, the patriarch, to give his heart rest concerning his son Isaac. Or God was preparing Rebekah as a spiritual wife for Isaac, worthy of becoming a mother to all God's people. Amid the deep darkness of the city, indeed of the whole region, God was preparing a girl to fulfill a role on an extraordinary level!

If we marvel at Rebekah and her family's conduct, we must not overlook the role of Abraham's chief steward. He had seen with his own eyes how God prospered his way at the well. Now, entering the house, he fears that courtesies, whatever their motive, might distract him from his mission. Therefore he insists on not eating until he has set God's works before them and obtained an answer concerning Rebekah; otherwise, they should send him away to the right or to the left. As a symbol of the Holy Spirit, who works in the world to bring the Church of the Lord Christ, His bride, he always works toward a clear divine purpose. Or, as a symbol of the apostles and disciples who preach through the Holy Spirit to bring every soul into membership of Christ's body, His holy bride, they do not occupy themselves with human courtesies, but seek the fulfillment of the Lord's purpose within them. For this reason the Lord Christ commanded them: “Go not from house to house” (Luke 10:7), and “salute no man by the way” (Luke 10:4).

5. The Success of the Chief Steward's Mission

KJV · Verses 50–60

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken. 52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 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. 54 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. 55 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. 56 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. 57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. 58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. 59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 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.

At every step in which the man senses success, he worships the Lord, bowing to the earth (Genesis 24:52), offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, who orders the matter with His own hands.

Everyone recognized that the matter had proceeded from the Lord (Genesis 24:50). The servant brought out articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah (Genesis 24:53). He also gave precious things to her brother and mother. Nevertheless, when the company was about to depart, they said: “We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go” (Genesis 24:57-58). They believed in freedom of choice. No one should compel a young man or woman to marry a particular person, whatever the circumstances! If God honors the human person and sanctifies freedom of will, we ought to believe in the freedom of our children and brothers and sisters. We must not force anything upon them, but counsel and support them without compulsion.

In complete freedom she said: “I will go.” She accepted the divine work and departed from her kindred and her father's house, hearing them bless 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” (Genesis 24:60). They asked God for growth and fruitfulness, so that her descendants might become thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads. They also asked for strength for her descendants, so that no enemy should destroy them: “Let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.”

Rebekah departed with her nurse, whom she loved dearly, named Deborah (Genesis 35:8). She had been brought up by her hands to live like an active bee, “Deborah,” gathering the nectar of holy teachings from every book. God transforms this within her depths into honey from the comb, satisfying her life and giving her sweetness.

6. Rebekah Becomes Isaac's Wife

KJV · Verses 61–67

61 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. 62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. 63 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. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 65 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. 66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 67 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.

Rebekah set out toward her bridegroom Isaac after leaving her kindred and her father's house. She is like the New Testament Church, which left behind what it had formerly inherited from the pagan world to receive the Lord Christ as her Bridegroom. Just as the servant met her at the well, Isaac went out to meet her near the well Lahairoi, as in the waters of baptism.

Isaac went out at evening to meditate in the field (Genesis 24:63). According to some Jewish scholars, certain Jews used to go out at sunset to pray to God in an open place, meditating on His works with them throughout the day. This custom is still practiced by many monks in Egypt.

Isaac represented the Lord Christ, who left His glories and went out into the field through the Incarnation to receive the humble Rebekah. Seeing him, she in turn alights from the camel so that they may meet, after covering herself with the veil of meekness and modesty. Thus Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; she became his wife, and he loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death (Genesis 24:67).

Father Caesarius of Arles comments on this action, saying: [343]

“Isaac took Rebekah and brought her into his mother's tent, and Christ took the Church and established her in place of the synagogue. Through unbelief the synagogue was separated from God and died, while through faith the Church was united with Christ and received life. As the apostle says, through pride the branches of the olive tree were broken off (Romans 11:17–20), so that the humble wild olive might be grafted in. Therefore it was said: He took Rebekah, and loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. Christ took the Church and loved her exceedingly, so that through His love for her He was comforted in His sorrow over His mother's death, that is, the synagogue. The synagogue's unbelief grieved Christ, and the Church's faith made Him rejoice!”

Notes and References

[332] In Ioan. tr. 43:16.

[333] J. McKenzie: Dictionary of the Bible, p. 602.

[334] The Church Loves You, 1986, pp. 61-66.

[335] Sermon 85:3.

[336] Ibid., 85:4.

[337] In Genesis, Homily 10:2.

[338] Ibid.

[339] Strong's Dictionary of the Hebrew.

[340] Stromata 4:26.

[341] Sermon 85:3.

[342] In Genesis, Homily 10:4.

[343] Sermon 85:5.