Genesis 24:39

Gen 24:39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

Ver. 39. Preadventure the woman will not.] Here he leaveth out, in his discretion, Abraham’s charge. {Gen 24:6} For that would but have offended and irritated. Part of the truth may be concealed sometimes, as Jer 38:27.

“ Quid, quod, ubi, per quos, quoties, cur, quomodo, quando,

Quilibet haec animo reputet, medicamina dando. ”

But what shall we think of that practice of Buchanan the Scotch poet, who being taken hold of by some of the Pope’s inquisitors in his travels, to acquit himself, sent this Distichon to the Pope -

“ Laus tua non tua fraus, virtus non copia rerum

Scandere te fecit hoc decus eximium. ”

Hereupon he was released: but, when got out of the Pope’s jurisdiction, he sent to him, and desired that his verses might not be misunderstood; but, according to his true meaning, might be read backward: which being so read, stand thus -

“ Eximium decus hoc fecit te scandere rerum

Copia, non virtus; fraus tua, non tua laus. ”

This was, saith one, so only to speak the truth, as to leave the incorrigible to their lusts, wisely avoiding their hatred: this is σοφον φαρμακον, at least, say I.

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.

Behold, I stand by the well of water, and it shall come to pass,.... See Gill on Gen 24:14.

.

Genesis 24:44

gen 24:44

gen 24:44

gen 24:44And she say to me, both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels,.... See Gill on Gen 24:14.

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

General Information:

Abraham's servant continues speaking to Rebekah's family.

Perhaps the woman will not follow me.

This is something that could possibly happen. AT: "What if the woman will not come back with me?" or "What should I do if the woman will not come back with me?" (See: Hypothetical Situations)

before whom I walk

Serving Yahweh is spoken of as if Abraham were walking in Yahweh's presence. AT: "whom I serve" (See: Metaphor)

he will prosper your way

"he will make your journey successful"

family line

"family"

But you will be free from my oath if you come to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from my oath

This is a hypothetical situation that Abraham did not think was likely to happen. Possible meanings are 1) "There is only one way for you to be free from my oath: if you come to my relatives and they will not give her to you, then you will be free from my oath" or, 2) building on verse 40, "If you go to my father's family and ask for a girl, you will have done what I told you to do. If they will not give her to you, then you will be free from the oath you swore to me." (See: Hypothetical Situations)

you will be free from my oath

"you will be released from the oath you made to me." Not having to fulfill an oath is spoken of as if the person is free from an object to which he was bound. AT: "you will not have to do what you swore to me that you would do" (See: Metaphor)

if you come to my relatives

Languages use the words come and go differently. AT: "if you arrive at my relatives' home" or "if you go to my relatives" (See: Go and Come)

translationWords

lord

Yahweh

walk

angel

oath

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

אלי לא תלך האשה PERADVENTURE THE WOMAN WILL NOT FOLLOW ME —The word אולי perhaps is written without ו so that it may be read אֵלַי unto me. Eliezer had a daughter and he was endeavouring to find some reason why Abraham should say that he must appeal to him (Eliezer) that he should give his daughter in marriage to Isaac. Abraham said to him, “My son is blessed and you are subject to a curse. One who is under a curse cannot unite with one who is blessed” (Genesis Rabbah 59:9).

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.

ואמר... אלי, the word veulai is spelled with the letter ו missing, something which gave rise to an interesting aggadic interpretation mentioned already by Rashi. Accordingly, Eliezer himself had hoped to have his daughter marry Yitzchok in the event that the woman he found in Aram Naharyim would be unwilling to relocate in the land of Canaan. This is why he had referred to this possibility with the words אלי, לא תלך האשה אחרי, “to me (if) the woman will not follow me (to the land of Canaan).” The truth is that Eliezer related all the events exactly as they had occurred. We are not able to provide conclusive reasons why the Torah sometimes chose to write certain words defectively, (with a letter missing) or by adding a letter which could have been omitted. There are too many such instances for us to find satisfactory explanations for all of them. Eliezer related the events that had occurred to him in his conversation with his master as well as how G’d had arranged things after he had set out on his mission. His sole purpose was to demonstrate from the course of events that G’d loved Avraham so much that He had made his mission so spectacularly successful up to this point. G’d had responded even to his own prayer in exactly the manner in which he had hoped he would. As a result, the very idea of denying his request would appear out of the question, seeing that it was so clear that the entire sequence of events must have been engineered by G’d, personally. If we find some different nuances here and there in the events as reported by the Torah and as related by Eliezer, this is meaningless, just as different nuances in the wording of the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus and the Book of Deuteronomy are not meant to raise concerns as to their authenticity of either version. Everything until the word ועתה in verse 49 is quite clear.

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.