Genesis 24:53

Gen 24:53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave [them] to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

Ver. 53. And gave them to Rebekah: he gave also.] Note, that the custom was then, to give gifts to the bride and her friends. Now it is otherwise. Yet in Hungary their women have no portion, they say, {a} but a new coat at their wedding. Moris est apud Thraces (saith Solinus, cap. 14), ut nupturae non parentum arbitratu transeant ad matiros; sed quae prae coeteris specie valent, subhastari volunt; et licentia taxationis admissa, non moribus nubunt, sed proemiis.

{a} Heyl., Geog.

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.

24:53 The servant gave expensive gifts to Rebekah, her mother, and her brother to conclude the arrangements.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and . . . gold--These are the usual articles, with money, that form a woman's dowry among the pastoral tribes. Rebekah was betrothed and accompanied the servant to Canaan.

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 53. Jewels of silver, and jewels of gold] The word כלי keley, which we here translate jewels signifies properly vessels or instruments; and those presented by Eliezer might have been of various kinds. What he had given before, Ge 24:22, was in token of respect, what he gave now appears to have been in the way of dowry.

Precious things.] מגדנת migdanoth. This word is used to express exquisite fruits or delicacies, De 33:13-16; precious plants or flowers, Cant. Son 4:16; Son 7:13. But it may mean gifts in general, though rather of an inferior kind to those mentioned above.

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

(53) Jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.—Heb., vessels. In ancient times a wife had to be bought (Gen_34:12), and the presents given were not mere ornaments and jewellery, but articles of substantial use and value. Quickly indeed in a country of such ceremonial politeness the purchase took a more honourable form, but Orientals do not let their courtesy interfere with their interests, and the relatives would take care that the freewill offerings did not fall below the usual standard. These went partly to the bride, and partly to her relatives: and as they are described here as going exclusively to the brother and mother, Jewish tradition has invented the story that Bethuel was ill at the time, and died on the day of the servant’s arrival. But the manner in which Isaac speaks of him in Gen_28:2 does not allow us to suppose that he was either dead at the time of her departure, or that he was a person of no ability or importance. Possibly, therefore, polygamy had led to the custom of the purchase presents going to the mother’s tent.

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

53. jewels … silver … gold … raiment] The word “jewels” in the original is indefinite, and might be rendered “vessels,” as LXX σκεύη and Lat. vasa. The servant’s first act is to ratify the betrothal by making the betrothal gifts to the bride. Oriental custom required that, at the betrothal, gifts should be made to the parents or nearest representative relations of the bride. Mention of marriage gifts (mohar) to the bride’s family is found also in Gen_34:12; Exo_22:16-17; Deu_22:19; 1Sa_18:25. The custom must be regarded as a remnant of still earlier times, when the bride was purchased, and the marriage ceremony consisted chiefly of a financial transaction. In this verse, the “precious things,” given by the servant to Rebekah’s brother and mother, constitute the customary mohar to the bride’s family. This custom is also mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi, §§ 159–161.

It is noticeable that the “precious things” are given, not to Rebekah’s father, Bethuel, but to her brother and mother. This is an important point in favour of the view, mentioned above, that Bethuel’s name in Gen_24:50 is an interpolation (see note on Gen_24:15).

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 they called Rebekah,.... Or ordered her to be called by one of the servants:

and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man? that is, directly; the question was not about her marriage of Isaac, that was agreed upon, and she had doubtless given her consent, and which she tacitly did by accepting of the presents, but about taking the journey immediately:

and she said, I will go; the note of Jarchi is,"of myself, and even if you are not willing,''which seems to make her answer rude, as well as resolute; but it must be interpreted consistent with her decent and modest behaviour, and as expressive of her agreeing to go with the man directly, having no manner of objection on her mind to it; but on the contrary found a strong inclination to it, and was determined on it; and perhaps was under a divine impulse, which strongly wrought upon her, and caused her to be so willing to leave her own people, and her father's house.

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

Present. Thus ratifying what he had already done, (ver. 22,) and obtaining full consent, both of the virgin, and of her father and brother.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The precious fruits of the land from which he came; see Deu 33:13, &c.; or in general, other rare and excellent things. In those days men gave portions for their wives, as now they have portions with them.

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

53. Jewels of silver — Rather, vessels of silver. Costly presents from the great accumulations of Abraham, amassed through many years. Comp. Gen_13:2; Gen_20:16.

Precious things — Choice gifts of various kinds, such as he knew would be pleasing.

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

Vers. 53, 54. And the servant brought forth jewels literally, vessels (skeuh, LXX.), the idea being that of things finished or completed; from hlK to finish (cf. Gen_31:37 Gen_45:20) of silver, and jewels (or vessels) of gold, and raiment, covering garments, e.g. the outer robes of Orientals; (Gen_20:11, Gen_20:12, Gen_20:13, 15 41:42) especially precious ones (1Ki_22:10) and gave them to Rebekah as betrothal presents, which are absolutely essential, and usually given with much ceremony before witnesses (vide "Land and Book," p. 593). He gave also to her brother and to her mother (here mentioned for the first time) precious things, tnOD; gmi from dg,m, precious, occurring only elsewhere in 2Ch_21:3 and Eze_1:6; both times as here, in connection with gold and silver probably describes valuable articles in general. And (having thus formally concluded the engagement) they did eat and drink, i.e. partook of the victims which had been set before them at an earlierstage (ver. 33)he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; literally, and passed the night (cf. Gen_19:2 Gen_24:25) and they rose up in the morning (indicative of alacrity and zeal), and he said, Send me away unto my master being impatient to report to Abraham the success of his expedition.

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

ומגדנות PRECIOUS THINGS — it has the same meaning as מגדים (cf. Song 7:14) “precious fruits״, for he had brought with him various kinds of fruit from the land of Israel (Genesis Rabbah 60:11).

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.

ויוצא, seeing that Rivkah had been given to him, he produced more silver, gold, and clothing.

ומגדנות, this word includes anything of value, including exotic fruit and fancy garments. The word appears also in Chronicles II 32,23 in a similar sense.

לאחיה ולאמה, for they were the mainstay of the household, Betuel being old and frail. According to an aggadic interpretation (Bereshit Rabbah 60,12) based on Lavan speaking instead of his father, he had died suddenly as he intended to raise obstacles to the marriage.

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.