1 AND Abraham was old,[ Abraham is nearing the end of his life. What did the Lord promise him posterity as the sands of the sea, and at this point Abraham does not even have a good beach. He only has a couple of kernels if you could Ismael as well. So no wonder he would think to talk the matter into his own hands. ] and well stricken in age: [ Suggesting why Abraham is asking someone else to do the job of arranging the marriage. He knew the situtation that exosted - the trouble in the valley so to speak see Gen 6:1. He knew he was too old to ttravel the distance required - yet he also knew that he needed to do something to help Issac along in the marriage game - especially if he was going to have posterity from which the blessing of the covenant would flow. From what I can gather it appears as if Isaac is rather quiet person, maybe a little introverted. There is a comment about him by Elder Theodore Tuttle see Gen 26:18. ] and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant [ Eleazar (Hebrew: אלעזר or Elazar, meaning "God has helped", el'azár) is a common Jewish masculine given name. The first known bearer of the name is Eleazar, son of Aaron and High Priest of Israel. We might ass ume that it is Eleazar because that's the servant of Abraham's that he's so close to, but it never says his name specifically there. But I do always wonder if that's who it is. He trusts him and he sends him up with all these camels and a lot more men. Eleazar which means "God is his help," "God is help," or "God of help." This is an appropriate name for the role God played in answering Eleazar's prayer of faith. Cf. Genesis 24:12-14, 21, 48. Based on Ancient Near Eastern adoption patterns, it is likely that Eleazar was Abraham and Sarah's adopted son. There are at least two reasons to make this suggestion. First, the Greek Septuagint (a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek completed around 275 BC) uses the word paida which means "servant" or "boy/son." This suggests that Eleazar was more than just a doulous (Greek for "servant" or "slave"). He held a position of honor and prominence in the household of Abraham and indeed probably at one point (before the birth of either Ishmael or Isaac) held the position of son for childless Abraham and Sarah. The second reason that Eleazar may have been Abraham and Sarah's adopted son comes from Ancient Near Eastern laws. Ancient tablets dating to about 1500 BC discovered in the 1930's from a site called Nuzi (what is today in Northern Iraq/Mesopotamia) make provision for a childless couple to adopt a servant as a son and thus become the heir to the family blessings, birthright and inheritance. If this was the case, his status as heir was displaced successively by the births of Ishmael and then Isaac even though his status as a paida "servant/son" most likely remained. See Anchor Bible Dictionary, edited by David Noel Freedman, vol. 4 (New York: Doubleday, 1992), pp. 1156-1162.] of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: [ (JST = "hand") the oath that Abraham has the chief steward or foreman make has an unusual token associated with it (also cp. 47:29). The token certainly has reference to matters of procreation. The question is, what? Verse 41 indicates there was a curse associated with this covenant, so it might be associated with a curse: if the servant violates the oath, then Abraham's posterity (presumably Isaac) would vindicate it in the servant's destruction. Or, it could mean that if the servant violates the oath, he will have no posterity. Or, perhaps the token is simply a generalized one where Abraham is indicating what he is asking the servant to do affects his posterity. The Joseph Smith Translation account records that the servant put his hand under the hand, rather than the thigh, of Abraham. The gesture seems to have been a token of the covenant being made between the two men, perhaps similar to our shaking hands.]

3 And I will make thee swear [ Covenant with me. ] by the LORD, [ JST "before the Lord" ] the God of heaven, [ In other words, Abraham is saying the Lord is God of all things. ] 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:[ Why doesn't Abraham want Isaac to take a wife from among the Canaanites? For one thing, the Canaanites probably didn't possess the right to the priesthood she could not be a covential wife. From Abraham 1, we learn that the right to the priesthood was partly a matter of lineage. It appears that Canaan, one of the sons of Ham, was cursed pertaining to the priesthood, and it was this same Canaan who settled the land of Canaan. (Genesis 9:18-27; 10:6, 15-19; Abraham 1:21-22, 26-27.) One of Canaan's sons was Heth (Genesis 10:15), and when Esau later married two of the daughters of Heth, those marriages "were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah." (Genesis 26:34-35.) Rebekah tells Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?" (Genesis 27:46.) Abraham would have been particularly aware of priesthood rights; he says, "The records of the fathers, even the patriarchs, concerning the right of Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands." (Abraham 1:31.) At any rate, it is unlikely that a woman of Canaan, unless converted, would have raised Isaac's children to believe in Abraham's God. They might even have persuaded Isaac to believe in their gods. Abraham probably knew the fate of Lot and his children, some of whom had intermarried with the unbelieving inhabitants of sodom and were consequently destroyed with them. (Genesis 19:14.) He may also have felt that a woman separated from her kindred and culture was more likely to come under his and Isaac's influence than one living among her relatives. Feasting upon the Word, Dennis Packard, Sandra Packard ]

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, [ the city of Haran some 425 miles to the north and near the headwaters of the Euphrates River. So it would be a 4 - 6 week journey. This is the city were Abraham and Sarah had arrived in Haran about 90 years prior when they were commanded to leave Ur, and they stayed there about 12 years and then were commanded to leave again were they traveled to Canaan and the Egypt. ] and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. [ who is now about 40 years old. ]

5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure [ Or "What if she won't come?" I mean, you think about this. This is going to a land, and he'll be bringing a woman that'll never return to her homeland again. It is quite a remarkable marriage negotiation, perhaps different from some of the others because of the distance that's involved here, and not knowing the family that this daughter is going to marry into except by reputation perhaps, if they are really connected. And so the servant is worried. ] 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? [In other words the servant is asking if I need to becuase the woman that I found for Isaac is not willing to come with him, do you want me to take Isaac to her?]

6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. [ the answer is no do not take my son to meet her in Haran ]

7 ¶ The ^aLORD 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; [ Abraham's faith does not falter he is confident in the Lord. ] he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. [ Abraham informs the servant this is no ordinary task he has been assigned, but rather a divinely inspired one. The servant must have been religious, otherwise the oath from v. 2 and these direction from Abraham would be meaningless. Abraham's directions also emphasize that the servant rely on spiritual means in obtaining the wife as opposed to physical means.. Abraham instructs the servant to use the spirit tp discern who Issac is to marry, using the same spirit that directed Abraham to leave his land, the same spirit that granted to him the covenant blessings. The servant does as he is instructed invoking prayer in vs 12; 26-27. Note that agency is also a part of the proposed equation. ]

8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, [ Abraham instructs the servant that the woman has her agency and even though the angel prepares the way for him to find her he is to only use persuasion to entice her to return with him. She must come of her own free will. ] then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. [ Just so were are clear - do not take my son to Haran; you do not need to rather follow the spirit. ]

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh [ JST "hand" ] of Abraham his master, and sware [ covenanted ] to him concerning that matter.

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: [ He was given the power of attorney over all of Abrahams possessions. He might have shown the parents Abraham's balance sheet maybe as justification that Abraham's family could indeed provide for Rebekah. ] and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. [ Nabor is the brother of Abraham; so it appears as if Nahor has lived there long enough that he has a city named after him. ]

11  And he made his camels to kneel down [ So he is up in Mesopotamia. This is like we see later in these chapters, Paddan Aram. Aram is another name that we refer to as Syria. It could be as much as like 800, 900 miles. I mean, it's a distance and taking all of this stuff. ] without [ Outside. ] the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. [ The servant is pretty smart, go where you know that the women will come to you. Now he had to come up with a pick up line - haha. ]

12 And he said, [ Or he prayed. ] O LORD God [ µyhla hwhy Yehovah Elohim, which we translate the LORD GOD. Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] of my master Abraham, I pray thee, [ The servant does as he has been instructed - he asks the Lord in pray for help. After all he knows of the blessing promised to Abraham, the servant is saying "I can't get this wrong, Lord. You got to help me.". ] send me good speed this day, [ Please answer my prayer. ] 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: [ "the well of water" symbolism here of the living water, and that he he is here to find a woman whom Isaac can marry in a covenant relationship, so not just any woman. The servant knows how to call down the powers of heaven through effective prayer. He has studied out the situtation in his mind; then he goes to the lord and proposes a plan to the Lord. See D&C 9:7-9. Notice that the servant came up with the plan, like the brother of Jared. We to have to come up with the plan and take it to the Lord. ]

14 And let it come to pass, [ So that I may know this is from thee will thou make this happen(or he wants a specific sign) with the right woman so that I will know - He then asks for a pretty specific interaction with the proper (chosen) woman. ] that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; [ The servant says Heavenly Father here is what I am going to do. ] and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that [ JST "let her be the one whom" ] thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; [ And is she is the woman appointed to marry Isaac have her not only fetch me drink but also my 10 camels. So we have Rebekah getting a drink for the ten camels, Eleazar and herself - a total of twelve drinking from her efforts - just and interesting side note. ] and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. [ The servant follows Abraham's advice to use spiritual means in finding this woman and appeals to the Lord for guidance. He picks a rather detailed sign that leaves little doubt. Has anything impressed you about the servant to this point? (Loyal, faithful, prayerful...) and then I will know for sure that she is the one. Sometimes when we ask the Lord to do something and it happens by so quickly or by another means that we had supposed do we wonder if it ws just a freak acident or if it was from the Lord? See verse 21. ]

15 ¶ And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, [ That was a pretty quick response to prayer. ] that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, [ So we already know her lineage. ] [ Rebekah was Isaac's niece. ] with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, [ That is alway a great quality to have in a marriage partner The Joseph Smith Translation reads, “And the damsel being a virgin, very fair to look upon, such as the servant of Abraham had not seen, neither had any man known the like unto her . . .” (JST, Genesis 24:16).] a virgin, [ Denoting righteousness and obedience to spiritual laws. ] neither had any man known her: [ Go down to the footnote, "Known the like unto 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. [ Rebekah had to know that this was going to be a real chore. She knew that A camel can comsume approximately 52 gallons of water at a drinking. So the idea that Rebekah could have raised around 520 gallons of water from the well that was on average 10 to 30 feet deep - and provided for all 10 camels. A gallon of water weights about 8.35 lbs so the math would mean that she could have lifted about (4,342 pounds of water or over 2 tons) This was no small feat.]

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. [ Do you think the servant was stunned at the fulfilment of his request scarcely as he finished praying? What clues does Abrahams servent have at this point that Rebekah would be a good wife for Isaac? 1) She was unselfish, hard worker, willing to help and go the extra mile. 2) She responded the way that he had ask the Lord to answer his prayers. ]

21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, [ did not say a thing ] to wit [ JST "pondering in his heart". ] whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. [ The servant reflecting on what has happened to him here at the well and wonders if it was a sign from the Lord or just someting very curious. Such is the nature of signs, even when we receive them we still have doubts about whether it was a freak accident or if it was engineered by Providence. Do we not find ourselves asking this same question some times - when the Lord accomplishes something by an act of nature do we ask ourselves was that the Lords hand in that or was it just a freak happening? Have you ever ask the Lord to do something as a sign...then it happens and you start to wonder if it was really just concidence?
Story of Paul...Julie's bro...conference... ]

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; [ He gives her these two bracelets and the weight of this jewelry, it's heavy. This is serious gold here. The servant emparts some pretty good gifts on Rebekah. I suppose first to say thanks for the work rendering in watering the 10 camels and second to ingratiate himself with her. An interesting note on the "golden earring" mentioned here. One may wonder why only one earring. The King James Version is a little weak here. The word translated "earring" is more correctly translated "ring." And in verse 47, where the KJV renders the text "put the earring upon her face," the Masoretic text is more accurate, "put the ring upon her nose." So the ring was actually a nose-ring! Funny, the odd new fashions we see on the streets these days aren't really new at all! ]

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? [ He asks about her and her family, she tells him and extends customary hospitality He realizes she is related to Abraham and therefore Abraham's prediction and requirements of obtaining a wife are fulfilled, and therefore bows in reverence to the Providence of the Lord (v. 26). ]

24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. [ Or I am the grand-daughter of Nahor ]

25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender [ Food, hay. ] enough, and room to lodge in.

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. [ The servant gives thanks to the Lord for the blessing of finding Rebekah - understanding that is is providence from the Lord. Notice he did not wait for his nightly prayers to do so. ]

27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God [ µyhla hwhy Yehovah Elohim, which we translate the LORD GOD. Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD [ Not knowing where I would go or what I would do when I arrived; but trusting in the Lord to lead me. ] led me to the house of my master’s brethren. [ So the servant has learned that she and her family are related to Abraham There for Abrahams prediction and requirement are fulfilled. He identifies himself as a servant of one of her relatives who has been guided by the Lord on his mission there (v. 27). ]

28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things. [ She runs ahead and informs the family of his imminent arrival, and of the events leading up to it. ]

29 ¶ And Rebekah [ Means to bind with a noose, like tying cattle up to a farmhouse, making a home] had a brother, and his name was Laban: [ So Laban is the brother of Rebekah; this is the same Laban whom Jacob the son of Isaac and Rebekah will travel back to Haran as he searches for a wife. Jacob will work for him for the hand of Rachel his cousin; he will be dupied by Laban into marring Leah first after working seven years only to work another seven for the hand of Rachel. See Gen 29 ] and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. [ Laban recognizes that the man who has met his sister is of some importance and goes out to meet this man at the well. ]

30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring [ JST "earrings". ] 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 [ Abraham's servant. ] stood by the camels at the well.

31 And he [ Laban. ] said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? [ why do you stand outside? ] for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. [ Laban offers the servant a place to stay and arranges food for the caamels. Upon his arrival, her brother Laban welcomes him and arranges food for him and the camels (v. 31-32). Aha! The first sign that all is not well. We will follow Laban's character to determine what kind of man he was. Note this first sign of something wrong -- he was moved, not by kindness or hospitality, but by the sight of the jewelry.(v.30). ]

32 ¶ And the man came into the house: and he [ Laban. ] ungirded [ JST "unburdened". ] 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 and. [ The servant had to be hungry - but still recognized his mission. He knew that if he was not up front as to the real reason he was there - telling them later might cause more problems. So he says before I will eat let me tell you why I am here, and what has transpired to bring me to your house. Better to announce his intention very early so that there are no false assumptions later on which might cause problems. Full disclosure up front. ] And he said, [ JST "Laban said"] Speak on.

34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. [ This is actually a very interesting verse. Notice he does not give his own name, but rather the name of his master. Why did he do this? Because he and his host have not yet eaten together. It was thought that all was fair until they broke bread. If it turned out that the families of the visitor and his host were feuding, the visitor could be in danger. But if this is not discovered until after they ate together, then the visitor was safe. ]

35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: [ Or prominent. ] 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. [ Isaac will inherit all that Abraham has. ]

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, [ Abrahams father was Terah - So he was to go to the descendants of Terah. ] and to my kindred, [ Relatives. ] and take a wife unto my son.

39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure [ JST "perhaps". ] the woman will not follow me.

40 And he [ Here we have some reflection. The servant is telling what Abraham told him. ] said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, [ Or walk in his ways - worship. ] will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; [ Bless with success. ] 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, [ JST "a wife for my son". ] 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: [ So the servant stands by the well with the prayer, part of the words he offerred were the words which Abraham had spoken. ]

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, [ She is right there on the spot she does not hold back at all. Almost as if she recognizes something is different. ] 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. [ JST "And I gave the earrings unto her, to put into her ears, and the bracelets upon her hands." Two bracelets is a typical kind of a wedding gift or for a bridal gift because it represents man and woman creating a new family, the two bracelets. And so he's already moving on this, if you noticed, he's starting giving away the presents. ]

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, [ If the answer is to be YES. ] tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. [ The servant asks if they believe, and is bold enough to say if you believe let me carry on by returning with Rebekah at once to Abraham. If they don't believe then he (the servant) will just leave. ]

50 Then Laban [ Rebekah's brother ] and Bethuel [ Her father. ] answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. [ They kind of respond that we do not want to do anything that will get in the way of what the Lord wants, because he has made that clear here. It was customary to ask the family first; which the servant has done. Their response is since this comes from the Lord we would dare interceed in the matter. ]

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. [ Laban replies that the matter is decreed of the Lord, and they will not obstruct the marriage Laban answers first? This, in Judaic thought, shows disrespect for his father. Further, sly evidence of Laban's undesirable character. ]

52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, [ There words that yes this sounds like the Lord's doing, We don't want to get in the way of what the Lord wants. See vers 50. ] he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. [ The servant is once again grateful for Providence and bows down before the Lord and gives thanks to him. ]

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, [ Jewels could be interrupted as objects of silver. It was customary to provide gifts for the family of the bride which he appears to do here - it is called Bride Price. ] and raiment, [ Clothing. ] and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things. [ Since there is not mention of giving gifts to Rebekah's father there are many who suggest that He is only mentioned once in verse 50 that he has already passed and that is why so much of the negotiations is done with Rebekah's mother and brother. ]

54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; [ Stayed through the night. ] and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. [ In the morning the servant arises and wants to get on his way back to Abraham with Rebekah. ]

55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; [ This has all happened pretty quickly and Rebekah's family wants her to stay around for a few more days. Jewish tradition would indicate that there was usually a betrothal period were for all intend and purpose the couple was married. This period also provided for some festivities associated with the betrothal, suggesting that the family may have wanted to have some of the traditional activities associated with a wedding. The issue at hand here is probably the betrothal period. Typically the betrothal lasted at one year wherein the couple were for all intent and purpose legally "married" but not civilly married or cohabitating. This was a traditional period of time, probably performed to indicate that it was not a "shotgun wedding" (i.e. that they had to get married because she was pregnant). But in this case, since the bride and groom had never met there was no way this could have happened. However, the family appears to still want to participate in some of the traditions and festivities associated with the betrothal, hence their desire to have her stay a few more days. ] after that she shall go.

56 And he [ Abrahams servant ] said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; [ The Lord has answered my prayers and my mission has been successful. BUt since God has answered my prayers I do not want to wait to complete my assignment. Let's return now. ] send me away that I may go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. [ We will let Rebekah decide. ]

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. [ So the final choice was left up to Rebekah, who decides to follow the servant. This is the last time that she will see her family that we are aware of. She will later send Jacob, her son up to them but she does not make the journey. ]

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, [ Providing a nurse and maids were common practise as gifts to the bride at the time of a wedding. The fact that Rebekah was sent with her nurse suggests a few things. 1) Her family was well-off materially 2) most likely there would have been no need for her to have lugged the water from the well - she could have easily had on of her servants/maids have done that for her. Which provides additional insight into the qualities of this young woman - not lazy, she is a hard worker, not demanding. Rebekah get's to take her nurse and we're going to run into that nurse later. She's taking care of Rachel when Rachel gives birth. I wonder if she's with all Jacob's wives as they give birth. You wonder, so she might have gone back with him. I don't know, but we see Deborah the nurse, And so, she probably brought other people. She would've brought her dowry. Rebekah would've been sent with a lot. Those 10 camels are probably going back laden, again, coming back. ] and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah, [ She was given a blessing - Like a fathers blessing. Not sure who gave the blessing, as we have not heard about her father so is he deceased? did the brother give the blessing? who knows but she did get a blessing which denotes spirituality within the family . interesting that the blessing given Rebekah was very similiar to the blessings given Abraham...the blessing delivered is one of physical security and progeny, one which parallels the blessings bestowed upon Abraham (no coincidences there as she is about to marry into that family). ] and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the ^amother of thousands of millions, [ Interesting words here thousands of millions. She is given a blessing that is complementary to the blessing of Abraham and his posterity. ] and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. [ Note the blessing itself, does that not sound like a part of the same blessing that Abraham was given? ]

61 ¶ And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, [ Her servants. ] 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 Lahai-roi; [ This is the well that Hagar named. This is the well where Hagar, when she ran off and she thought everyone had forgotten her, that the Lord sends an angel to speak and she names it, "the God who sees me." ] for he dwelt in the south country. [ Isaac has recently moved away from home and set up camp in the Negeb to the south. So perhaps Abraham was worried about him moving out onto his own and falling in with the local women while not under the watchful eye of his father. ]

63 And Isaac went out to meditate [ The Hebrew term here is obscure and uncertain. The Jewish Publication society translation renders it "walking". ] in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. [ Isaac was surely apprised of the efforts underway to obtain him a wife, so naturally he would return home from his camp to see what turned up. He could have easily calculated how long it would take to go to Heron and back - suggesting that he knew that it was within that time frame. You can image how nervous, and anxious he might have been. Would he have any interest in his bride, what would she be like - lot's of question would have been in his mind; hence he was in th efield meditating about life. ]

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. [ Jumped off. ]

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: [ Notice the wording here. " It is my master." Now, did you notice something? Who has been his master before this? Abraham; but we don't hear about Abraham. This is one of those that I have sometimes wondered if perhaps he could have died prior to this. Before Rebekah came back. The noting that Abraham has passed is not until Chapter 25:8. ] therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. [ When she sees a lone man in the distance she inquires who it is of the servant and upon being informed it is her soon to be husband she veils herself in token of her betrothal.The Middle Assyrian laws make the raising of a concubine to the status of a wife contingent upon her being veiled in the presence of the court. In light of all this, Rebekah's veiling herself has both symbolic and socio-legal significance. It is an unspoken signal to Isaac that she is his bride. Regarding this the Jewish Publication society Torah Commentary on Genesis states: ...the veiling of the bride was part of the marriage ceremony. In Akkadian the bride on her wedding day is called kallatu kutumtu, "the veiled bride". Pussumtu, "the veiled one", in another term for kallatu, "bride". The Middle Assyrian laws make the raising of a concubine to the status of a wife contingent upon her being veiled in the presence of the court. In light of all this, Rebekah's veiling herself has both symbolic and socio-legal significance. It is an unspoken signal to Isaac that she is his bride. And then again just maybe because her journey has been dusty and dirty and she didn't want the first time her new husband see's her to be one where she is covered with dust. Let me get cleaned up first, before we see. ]

66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. [ They come up to Isaac, the servant tells Isaac about everything that has transpire. ]

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 ^bdeath . [ Issac is some 40 years old at this time. may suggest Isaac was displacing his emotions over the death of his mother onto Rebekah. It is plain from preceding chapters that Sarah was quite protective of Isaac, and from this verse it is plain he was very fond of Sarah as well. The question is "Did Isaac really fall in love with Rebekah, or was it ardor as a result of his heightened emotional state?" In subsequent chapters it is plain Isaac and Rebekah don't communicate much, and here they had just barely met when they got married, and the text closely associates his love with his getting over his mother's death. This suggests it might not be enduring love. He accepts Rebekah and they get married. This extraordinary verse deserves some mention. Notice the order of the statements -- 1) he took Rebekah, 2) she became his wife, 3) he loved her. We would expect the love to precede the marriage, but in Eastern thought, the love that *followed* the marriage was much more important than any love that led to the marriage. The perpetuity of marital love was the real issue, not any romance that led to the marriage. Either way Isaac chooses to marry Rebekah. As far as their life. All we know is that it's going to be 20 years before she's able to get pregnant to have a child. ]