Genesis 24:28

Gen 24:28 And the damsel ran, and told [them of] her mother’s house these things.

Ver. 28. Of her mother’s house.] For the women had houses apart from the men: and the daughters were most about their mothers’ lodgings.

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.

and told them of her mother's house these things--the female apartments. This family was in an advanced stage of pastoral life, dwelling in a settled place and a fixed habitation.

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 28. Her mother's house] Some have conjectured from this that her father Bethuel was dead; and the person called Bethuel, Ge 24:50, was a younger brother. This is possible, but the mother's house might be mentioned were even the father alive; for in Asiatic countries the women have apartments entirely separate from those of the men, in which their little children and grown-up daughters reside with them. This was probably the case here, though it is very likely that Bethuel was dead, as the whole business appears to be conducted by Rebekah's brothers.

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

28. And the damsel ran and told them of her mother’s house. It is possible, that the mother of Rebekah occupied a separate house; not that she had a family divided from that of her husband, but for the purpose of keeping her daughters and maidens under her own custody. The expression may, however, be more simply explained to mean, that she came directly to her mother’s chamber; because she could more easily relate the matter to her than to her father. It is also probable, that when Bethuel was informed of the fact, by the relation of his wife, their son Laban was sent by both of them to introduce the stranger. Other explanations are needless.

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.

(28) The damsel ran, and told (them of) her mother’s house.—The words inserted in italics are worse than useless. The wife of a sheik has a separate tent (Gen_24:67), and the result of polygamy is to make each family hold closely together. Naturally, too, the maiden would first show her mother and the women presents of so special a meaning. We even find Laban, the brother, acting as Rebekah’s representative; and it is only when the final decision has to be given that Bethuel is allowed to have any voice in the matter (Gen_24:50).

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

28. her mother’s house] Her father probably was dead. The “house” is not the building, but the “household,” cf. Gen_18:19.

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 the damsel ran,.... Having invited him to come and lodge at her father's house, that he might not be brought in abruptly, she ran before to acquaint the family of what had passed:

and told them of her mother's house these things; she did not go to her father to inform him of it; some think he was dead, as Josephus (g), but the contrary appears from Gen 24:50; rather the reason was, because her mother had an house, a tent, or an apartment to herself, as women in those times and places used to have, see Gen 24:67; and because daughters are generally more free to converse with their mothers and impart things to them than to their fathers, which may be the true reason of Rebekah's conduct.

(g) Antiqu. l. 1. c. 16. sect. 2.

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

Not

of her father’s house; either because her father was now dead, and Bethuel, who is hereafter mentioned, was not Laban’s father, but his brother so called; or because the women had distinct apartments in the houses, and she went first thither according to her custom.

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

28. Her mother’s house — The daughter naturally runs to her mother’s tent to tell the news. But not so Rachel. See Gen_29:12.

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

ran and told her mother's household

Here "household" stands for all the people living in her mother's house. AT: "ran to the house and told her mother and everyone there" (See: Metonymy)

all of these things

"everything that had just happened"

Now

This word is used here to mark a break in the main story line. Here the author tells background information about Rebekah. The author introduces her brother, Laban, to the story. (See: Background Information and Introduction of New and Old Participants)

When he had seen the nose ring ... and when he had heard the words of Rebekah his sister

These things happened before he ran out to the man. This tells why Laban ran out to the man. (See: Order of Events)

when he had heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "This is what the man said to me,"

This can be stated as an indirect quotation. AT: "when he had heard his sister Rebekah tell what the man had said to her" (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

behold, he

The word "behold" here adds emphasis to what follows. "it was just as she had said: he"

translationWords

household

Rebekah

Laban

fountain

camel

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

לבית אמה [AND TOLD IT] TO THEM OF HER MOTHER’S HOUSE — It was customary for the women to have their own apartments to sit in at their work — and a daughter, of course, confides only in her mother (Genesis Rabbah 60:7).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ותרץ, she ran home full of joy and told what happened in her mother’s house. She did not tell anything in her father’s house for a daughter shares her experiences with her mother and not with her father.

כדברים האלה, the general outline of what had transpired without going into each detail.

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.