Genesis 24:12

Gen 24:12 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.

Ver. 12. And he said, O Lord God.] Begin we all our enterprizes with prayer. God may give good success without, but it will be nothing so sweet. See therefore that,

“Hoc primum repetas opus, hoc postremus omittas.” - Hor., epis. 6. l. 48.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 24:12. Send me good speed — What a noble example is here for all servants to imitate their masters in all goodness! Abraham’s servant, we find, had not lived in his master’s house without profiting by his example; he shows the like faith and dependance upon God as his master manifested; and this being a business of great consequence about which he is sent, he does not rest upon his own prudence and wisdom, but begs the blessing and direction of God in it. And what can be more desirable in our undertakings than to be under the guidance of infinite wisdom? And we have leave to be particular in recommending our affairs to the care of Divine Providence. Those that would have good speed must pray for it this day, in this affair. Thus we must, in all our ways, acknowledge God, and then he will direct our paths.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He groundeth his prayer upon God’s promise made to his master.

Or, cause me to meet.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

And he said, O Lord God of my master--The servant appears worthy of the master he served. He resolves to follow the leading of Providence; and while he shows good sense in the tokens he fixes upon of ascertaining the temper and character of the future bride, he never doubts but that in such a case God will direct him.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. And he said, O Lord God, c.] "The conduct of this servant," says Dr. Dodd, "appears no less pious than rational. By supplicating for a sign, he acknowledges God to be the great superintendent and director of the universe, and of that event in particular and at the same time, by asking a natural sign, such as betokened humanity, condescension, and other qualities which promised a discreet and virtuous wife, he puts his prayer upon such a discreet, rational footing, as to be a proper example for all to imitate who would not tempt the providence of God, by expecting extraordinary signs to be given them for the determination of cases which they are capable of deciding by a proper use of their rational faculties." This is all very good; but certainly the case referred to here is such a one as required especial direction from God; a case which no use of the rational faculties, without Divine influence, could be sufficient to determine. It is easy to run into extremes, and it is very natural so to do. In all things the assistance and blessing of God are necessary, even where human strength and wisdom have the fullest and freest sphere of action; but there are numberless cases, of infinite consequence to man, where his strength and prudence can be of little or no avail, and where the God of all grace must work all things according to the counsel of his own will. To expect the accomplishment of any good end, without a proper use of the means, is the most reprehensible enthusiasm; and to suppose that any good can be done or procured without the blessing and mercy of God, merely because proper means are used, is not less reprehensible. Plan, scheme, and labour like Eliezer, and then, by earnest faith and prayer, commit the whole to the direction and blessing of God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. O lord God of my master Abraham. The servant, being destitute of counsel, retakes himself to prayers. Yet he does not simply ask counsel of the Lord; but he also prays that the maid appointed to be the wife of Isaac should be brought to him with a certain sign, from which he might gather that she was divinely presented to him. It is an evidence of his piety and faith, that in a matter of such perplexity he is not bewildered, as one astonished; but breaks forth into prayer with a collected mind. But the method which he uses seems scarcely consistent with the true rule of prayer. For, first, we know that no one prays aright unless he subjects his own wishes to God. Wherefore there is nothing more unsuitable than to prescribe anything, at our own will, to God. Where, then, it may be asked, is the religion of the servant, who, according to his own pleasure, imposes a law upon God? Secondly, there ought to be nothing ambiguous in our prayers; and absolute certainty is to be sought for only in the Word of God. Now, since the servant prescribes to God what answer shall be given, he appears culpably to depart from the suitable modesty of prayer; for although no promise had been given him, he nevertheless desires to be made fully certain respecting the whole affair. God, however, in hearkening to his wish, proves, by the event, that it was acceptable to himself. Therefore we must know, that although a special promise had not been made at the moment, yet the servant was not praying rashly, nor according to the lust of the flesh, but by the secret impulse of the Spirit. Moreover, the general law, by which all the pious are bound, does not prevent the Lord, when he determines to give something extraordinary, from directing the minds of his servants towards it; not that he would lead them away from his word, but only that he makes some peculiar concession to them in their mode of praying. The sum of the prayer before us is this: “O Lord, if a damsel shall present herself who, being asked to give me drink, shall also kindly and courteously offer it to my camels, I will seek after her as a wife for my master Isaac, just as if she were delivered into my hand by thee.” He seems, indeed, to be laying hold on some dubious conjecture; but since he reposes on the Providence of God, he is certainly persuaded that this token shall be to him equivalent to an oracle; because God, who is the guardian of his enterprise, will not suffer him to err. Meanwhile this is worthy of remark, that he does not fetch the sign of recognition from afar, but takes it from something present; for she who shall be thus humane to an unknown guest, will, by that very act, give proof of an excellent disposition. This observation may be of use to prevent inquisitive men from adducing this example as a precedent for vain prognostications. In the words themselves the following particulars are to be noticed: first, that he addresses himself to the God of his master Abraham; not as being himself a stranger to the worship of God, but because the affair in question depends upon the promise given to Abraham. And truly he had no confidence in prayer, from any other source than from the covenant into which God had entered with the house of Abraham. The expression “cause to meet me this day,” Jerome renders, “meet me, I pray, this day.” But the verb is transitive, and the servant of Abraham intimates by the use of it, that the affairs of men were so ordered by the counsel and the hand of God, that the issue of them was not fortuitous; as if he would say, O Lord, in vain shall I look on this side and on that; in vain shall I catch at success by my own labor, industry and various contrivances, unless thou direct the work. And when he immediately afterwards subjoins, show kindness to my master, he implies that in this undertaking he rests upon nothing but the grace which God had promised to Abraham.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(12-14) O Lord God . . . —Heb., Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham. The word translated “master” throughout this chapter is ‘donai, the ordinary word for lord, and it is so rendered in Gen_24:18. As a circumcised member of Abraham’s household, the servant prays to Jehovah, Abraham’s God; and though in Gen_24:5 he had suggested a difficulty, apparently it was from no want of faith, but that he might know whether under any circumstances Isaac might return to Aram-Naharaim. He now leaves the success of his mission to Jehovah; and while he would use his own discernment in selecting from the troop of advancing maidens one whose countenance gave promise of goodness of heart, the fulfilment of the appointed signal which was to mark God’s approval would also show that she was no churlish woman, but one active, generous, and kind.

Send me good speed this day.—Heb., cause it to meet me this day.

I stand.—This word here, and in Gen_24:43, is not the same as that used in Gen_24:30, but one that means I post myself, or I take my station.

Thereby.—Rather, by her: by her giving the appointed sign I shall know that thou hast showed kindness to my lord.

The damsel.—This word (Heb., Na’ar) is of the common gender in the Pentateuch, except in Deu_22:19, where it has the feminine termination. It is used of Abraham’s young men in Gen_14:24; Gen_18:7, &c., but no less than twenty-two times of women. In the rest of the Bible the gender is always marked, and even here it is read in the feminine in the Jewish synagogues. We have herein another of the many linguistic proofs of the extreme antiquity of the Pentateuch, and it is the more interesting because found in a Jehovistic section. The same word is used again in Gen_24:16; Gen_24:28. (See Note on Gen_43:8.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. O Lord, the God of my master] Referring to Gen_24:7. The servant, though possibly (Gen_15:2) a native of Damascus, worships the God of Abraham; cf. Gen_24:26.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham,.... He does not call the Lord his God, though no doubt he was, since he appears throughout the whole to be a good man; but the God of Abraham, because God had often manifested and renewed his covenant with Abraham in an eminent manner, and had bestowed many favours upon him, and admitted him to much nearness and communion with him; and it was not on his own account, but on his master's business he now was:

I pray thee, send me good speed this day; or "cause something to happen before me this day" (u); some extraordinary event, which depends not upon the will, or skill, or contrivance of men, but upon the pleasure of God; and which, with respect to second causes, men call hap or chance, but with respect to God, is according to his determinate counsel and will. The Targum of Jonathan is,"prepare now a decent wife before me this day.''But the servant's meaning is, that something might turn up in providence that would lead on to such an event:

and shew kindness unto my master Abraham; which he would be ready to acknowledge as a favour, an instance of kindness and mercy, and not merit.

(u) "occurere fae nune coram me", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Schmidt, Ainsworth.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, mercy. He makes no mention of himself, nor of the merits of his master, but he ascribes even temporal blessings, and much more eternal salvation, merely to God’s mercy.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. Lord… send me good speed — Or, cause it to happen before me today. This prayer is one of remarkable simplicity and directness, but in it note the following: 1) The use of the name Jehovah. 2) The appeal to Abraham’s God. 3) The urging of the case as Abraham’s interest. 4) The implied faith that all his success in this undertaking must come from God.

5) The request for a special sign. 6) The child-like simplicity which designates the very form and language in which the sign shall be given. 7) The consequent knowledge of God’s favour with which he will be blessed.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 12-14. And he said, commencing his search for the maiden by prayer, as he closes it with thanksgiving (ver. 26) a beautiful example of piety and of the fruits of Abraham"s care for the souls of his household, (Gen_18:19) (Wordsworth) O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day. Literally, cause to meet (or come before) me, i.e. what I wish, the maiden of whom I am in quest; hence eujodeson ejnantion ejmou, make the way prosperous before me (LXX); less accurately, occurre obsecro mihi (Vulgate). And show kindness unto my master Abraham. The personal humility and fidelity displayed by this aged servant are only less remarkable than the fervent piety and childlike faith which discover themselves in the method he adopts for finding the bride. Having cast the matter upon God by prayer, as a concern which specially belonged to him, he fixes upon a sign by which God should enable him to detect the bride designed for Isaac. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; literally, Behold me standing (cf. ver. 43)and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water (vide on ver. 11, and cf. Gen_29:9; Exo_2:16) and let it come to pass that the damsel r; Gh, with the vowels of the Keri; the word used for Abraham"s young men (cf. Gen_14:24 Gen_18:7; q.v.) In the Pentateuch it occurs twenty-two times, without the feminine termination, meaning a girl (vide Gen_24:16, Gen_24:28, 55 34:3, 12; Deu_20:15, &c.) a proof of the antiquity of the Pentateuch, and of this so-called Jehovistic section in particular, since in the latter books the distinction of sex is indicated by the affix h being appended when a girl is intended ("Speaker"s Commentary"); but this happens at least once in the Pentateuch (Deu_22:19) 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: the sign fixed upon was the kindly disposition of the maiden, which was to be evinced in a particular way, viz., by her not only acceding with promptitude to, but generously exceeding, his request It is probable that the servant was led to choose this sign not by his own natural tact and prudence, but by that Divine inspiration and guidance of which he had been assured (ver. 7) before setting out on his important mission let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac. "The three qualifications in the mind of this venerable domestic for a bride for his master"s son are a pleasing exterior, a kindly disposition, And the approval of God" (Murphy). And thereby ejn toutw (LXX), per hoc (Vulgate); but rather, by her, i.e . the damselshall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Send me good speed this day - We have leave to be particular in recommending our affairs to the care of Divine providence. Those that would have good speed must pray for it this day, in this affair. Thus we must, in all our ways acknowledge God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Then he said

"Then the servant said"

grant me success today and show covenant faithfulness to my master Abraham

You can state this with the connecting word "by." This makes clear how the servant wants God to show covenant faithfulness. AT: "Show covenant faithfulness to my master Abraham by granting me success today" (See: Connecting Words)

grant me success

"give me success." The servant wanted to find a good wife for Abraham's son. The abstract noun "success" can be stated as a verb. AT: "help me to succeed" or "make me able to do what I have come here to do" (See: Abstract Nouns)

show covenant faithfulness to my master Abraham

The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be stated as "faithful." AT: "be faithful to the covenant you have with my master Abraham" or "be faithful to my master Abraham" (See: Abstract Nouns)

Look, here I am standing

"You can see me standing here"

the spring of water

"the spring" or "the well"

the daughters of the men of the city

"the young women of the city"

Let it happen like this

"Let it happen this way" or "Make this happen"

When I say to a young woman, 'Please lower your pitcher so that I may drink,'

This is a quotation within a quotation. This can be expressed with an indirect quote. AT: "When I ask a young woman to let me have a drink of water from her jar" (See: Quotes Within Quotes and Direct and Indirect Quotations)

Please lower your pitcher

The women carried the pitchers on their shoulder. She would have to lower it to give the man a drink.

pitcher

a medium-size jar made of clay used for holding and pouring liquids

that you have shown covenant faithfulness to my master

The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be stated as "been faithful." AT: "that you have been faithful to the covenant you have with my master Abraham" or "you have been faithful to my master Abraham" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

Yahweh

God

lord

covenant faithfulness

Abraham

fountain

appoint

servant

camel

Isaac

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ויאמר...הקרה נא לפני, “arrange for me,” as had been predicted by Avraham. This is what he meant when he added ועשית חסד עם אדני אברהם, “perform an act of loving kindness for my master Avraham.”

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.