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Marriages and funerals are the changes of families, and the common news among the inhabitants of the villages. In the foregoing chapter we had Abraham burying his wife, here we have him marrying his son. These stories concerning his family, with their minute circumstances, are largely related, while the histories of the kingdoms of the world then in being, with their revolutions, are buried in silence; for the Lord knows those that are his. The subjoining of Isaac's marriage to Sarah's funeral (with a particular reference to it, Gen 24:67) shows us that as "one generation passes away another generation comes;" and thus the entail both of the human nature, and of the covenant, is preserved. Here is, I. Abraham's care about the marrying of his son, and the charge he gave to his servant about it (Gen 24:1-9). II. His servant's journey into Abraham's country, to seek a wife for his young master among his own relations (Gen 24:10-14). III. The kind providence which brought him acquainted with Rebekah, whose father was Isaac's cousin-german (Gen 24:15-28). IV. The treaty of marriage with her relations (v. 29-49). V. Their consent obtained (Gen 24:50-60). VI. The happy meeting and marriage between Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 24:61, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 24 This chapter shows Abraham's concern to get a suitable wife for his son Isaac, for which purpose he commits the affair into the hands of his eldest servant, and makes him swear that he will not take one from among the Canaanites, but out of his own country, and from among his own kindred, Gen 24:1; which his servant agreed to, after having the nature of his charge, and of the oath, explained to him, Gen 24:5; upon which he departed to Mesopotamia, and coming to the city of Nahor, and to a well near it, he prayed for success, and desired direction by a token, which was granted him, Gen 24:10; and inquiring of the damsel, who answered to the token, whose daughter she was, and whether they had room for him and his in their house; and an agreeable answer being returned, he gave thanks to God that had directed him, and had so far made his journey prosperous, Gen 24:23; the damsel acquainting her parents whom and what she met with at the well, a brother of her steps out, and invites the servant in, and makes him welcome, Gen 24:28; but before he would eat anything, he tells his errand he was come upon, at the instance of his master; how, he had prayed for direction, and was heard, and for which he had given thanks, Gen 24:34; and then treats with the relations of the damsel about her marriage to his master's son, to which they agreed, Gen 24:49; and after having blessed God, and given his presents he brought with him to the damsel, and her family, and ate and drank with them, was for departing the next morning, Gen 24:52; but the friends of the damsel being desirous of her stay with them some few days, and he urgent to be gone, the affair was referred to her, and she agreed to go with him directly, Gen 24:55; upon which they dismissed her with their blessing, Gen 24:59; who being met by Isaac in the way, was received and introduced into his mother's tent, and married by him, Gen 24:61.

And the man wondering at her,.... At her affability and courteousness to a stranger; at her humility and condescension to take upon her such a service; at her readiness, diligence, and laboriousness in it; and the quick dispatch she made; and at her expressions and conduct being so exactly agreeable to the token he desired to have; and at the providence of God in bringing him to this place so seasonably; and at the damsel, that she should come just at this time, and every way answer his expectations and desires: held his peace, to wit; or to know, to think and consider further with himself: whether, or "if" the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not; or if not; he was musing and saying within himself, surely God had made his journey prosperous; or if not, how was it that such strange surprising circumstances should occur? or what else must be done by him? or what methods must be taken for the future.

The dutiful servant therefore now saw God’s providence distinctly. “He kept observing her closely,” the text goes on, “and remained silent so as to know if the Lord had made his journey successful or not.” What is the meaning of “kept observing her closely”? He kept studying the maiden’s very words, her gaze, her walk, her appearance, everything else about her, and waited to see “if the Lord had successfully conducted his journey or not.” You see, what had happened so far, the text is saying, showed the maiden’s great virtue that exceeded ordinary limits. Hence, to reward her for her response and the offer of water, the text goes on, he pressed upon her “golden earrings and two bracelets.” He carefully made enquiries about her, asking, “Whose daughter are you?” and “Is there room in your father’s house for us to rest?”

Abraham, being solicitous to get his son Isaac property married, calls his confidential servant, probably Eliezer, and makes him swear that he will not take a wife for Isaac from among the Canaanites, Gen 24:1-3, but from among his own kindred, Gen 24:4. The servant proposes certain difficulties, Gen 24:5, which Abraham removes by giving him the strongest assurances of God's direction in the business, Gen 24:6, Gen 24:7, and then specifies the conditions of the oath, Gen 24:8. The form of the oath itself, Gen 24:9. The servant makes preparations for his journey, and sets out for Mesopotamia, the residence of Abraham's kindred, Gen 24:10. Arrives at a well near to the place, Gen 24:11. His prayer to God, Gen 24:12-14. Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, Abraham's brother, comes to the well to draw water, Gen 24:15. She is described, Gen 24:16. Conversation between her and Abraham's servant, in which every thing took place according to his prayer to God, Gen 24:17-21. He makes her presents, and learns whose daughter she is, Gen 24:22-24. She invites him to her father's house, Gen 24:25. He returns thanks to God for having thus far given him a prosperous journey, Gen 24:26, Gen 24:27. Rebekah runs home and informs her family, Gen 24:28; on which her brother Laban comes out, and invites the servant home, Gen 24:29-31. His reception, Gen 24:32, Gen 24:33. Tells his errand, Gen 24:34, and how he had proceeded in executing the trust reposed in him, Gen 24:35-48. Requests an answer, Gen 24:49. The family of Rebekah consent that she should become the wife of Isaac, Gen 24:50, Gen 24:51. The servant worships God, Gen 24:52, and gives presents to Milcah, Laban, and Rebekah, Gen 24:53. He requests to be dismissed, Gen 24:54-56. Rebekah, being consulted, consents to go, Gen 24:57, Gen 24:58. She is accompanied by her nurse, Gen 24:59; and having received the blessing of her parents and relatives, Gen 24:60, she departs with the servant of Abraham, Gen 24:61. They are met by Isaac, who was on an evening walk for the purpose of meditation, Gen 24:62-65. The servant relates to Isaac all that he had done, Gen 24:66. Isaac and Rebekah are married, Gen 24:67.

The man, wondering at her - And he was so lost in wonder and astonishment at her simplicity, innocence, and benevolence, that he permitted this delicate female to draw water for ten camels, without ever attempting to afford her any kind of assistance! I know not which to admire most, the benevolence and condescension of Rebekah, or the cold and apparently stupid indifference of the servant of Abraham. Surely they are both of an uncommon cast.

A MARRIAGE COMMISSION. (Gen 24:1-9) And Abraham was old . . . take a wife--His anxiety to see his son married was natural to his position as a pastoral chief interested in preserving the honor of his tribe, and still more as a patriarch who had regard to the divine promise of a numerous posterity.

After the death of Sarah, Abraham had still to arrange for the marriage of Isaac. He was induced to provide for this in a mode in harmony with the promise of God, quite as much by his increasing age as by the blessing of God in everything, which necessarily instilled the wish to transmit that blessing to a distant posterity. He entrusted this commission to his servant, "the eldest of his house," - i.e., his upper servant, who had the management of all his house (according to general opinion, to Eliezer, whom he had previously thought of as the heir of his property, but who would now, like Abraham, be extremely old, as more than sixty years had passed since the occurrence related in Gen 15:2), - and made him swear that he would not take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Canaanites, but would fetch one from his (Abraham's) native country, and his kindred. Abraham made the servant take an oath in order that his wishes might be inviolably fulfilled, even if he himself should die in the interim. In swearing, the servant put his hand under Abraham's hip. This custom, which is only mentioned here and in Gen 47:29, the so-called bodily oath, was no doubt connected with the significance of the hip as the part from which the posterity issued (Gen 46:26), and the seat of vital power; but the early Jewish commentators supposed it to be especially connected with the rite of circumcision. The oath was by "Jehovah, God of heaven and earth," as the God who rules in heaven and on earth, not by Elohim; for it had respect not to an ordinary oath, but to a question of great importance in relation to the kingdom of God. "Isaac was not regarded as a merely pious candidate for matrimony, but as the heir of the promise, who must therefore be kept from any alliance with the race whose possessions were to come to his descendants, and which was ripening for the judgment to be executed by those descendants" (Hengstenberg, Dissertations i. 350). For this reason the rest of the negotiation was all conducted in the name of Jehovah.

"The man, wondering at her, stood silent, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not." משׁתּאה, from שׁאה to be desert, inwardly laid waste, i.e., confused. Others derive it from שׁאה = שׁעה to see; but in the Hithpael this verb signifies to look restlessly about, which is not applicable here.