Genesis 24:59

Gen 24:59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

Ver. 59. And her nurse.] Deborah, who was a great stay to Jacob’s family, and her loss much lamented. {Gen 35:8}

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 24:59. Rebekah and her nurse — Deborah, as appears from chap. Gen 35:8; where we learn that she was held in great esteem, as indeed nurses in general were in ancient times, both in Asia and in Greece.

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

Verse 59. And her nurse] Whose name, we learn from Ge 35:8, was Deborah, and who, as a second mother, was deemed proper to accompany Rebekah. This was a measure dictated by good sense and prudence. Rebekah had other female attendants. See Ge 24:61.

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

59. And they sent away Rebekah. Moses first relates, that Rebekah was honorably dismissed; because her nurse was given unto her. Moreover, I doubt not that they had domestic nurses, who were their handmaidens; not that mothers entirely neglected that duty, but that they committed the care of education to one particular maid. They therefore who assisted mothers with subsidiary service were called nurses. Moses afterwards adds, that Rebekah’s relatives “blessed her,” (Genesis 24:60,) by which expression he means, that they prayed that her condition might be a happy one. We know that it was a solemn custom, in all ages, and among all people, to accompany marriages with all good wishes. And although posterity has greatly degenerated from the pure and genuine method of celebrating marriages used by the fathers; yet it is God’s will that some public testimony should stand forth, by which men may be admonished, that no nuptials are lawful, except those which are rightly consecrated. Now, the particular form of benediction which is here related, was probably in common use, because nature dictates that the propagation of offspring is the special end of marriage. Under the notion of victory (Genesis 24:60) is comprehended a prosperous state of life. The Lord, however, directed their tongues to utter a prophecy of which they themselves were ignorant. To possess the gates of enemies, means to obtain dominion over them; because judgment was administered in the gates, and the bulwarks of the city were placed there.

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.

(59) Their sister.—Bethuel may have had other sons, though Laban only is mentioned.

Her nurse.—How dear Deborah was, first to Rebekah, and afterwards to Jacob, may be seen by the lamentation at her death (Gen_35:8).

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

59. their sister] Laban is thus referred to as the head of the family; cf. “your daughter” in Gen_34:8.

her nurse] i.e. her special personal attendant; cf. Gen_29:24; Gen_29:29. The name of the nurse appears in Gen_35:8 as Deborah.

and his men] The servant’s retinue, mentioned in Gen_24:32; see note on Gen_24:10.

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 Rebekah lifted up her eyes,.... And looked about:

and when she saw Isaac; whom she suspected him to be, and therefore inquired of the servant, who told her who he was:

she lighted off the camel; or "fell" (w) from it, not accidentally, or through surprise, but willingly, and in honour to Isaac, as was customary; for had she sat on her camel when she met him, it would not have seemed respectful enough to him; though Jarchi thinks she did not get off, but only bowed herself upon the camel, when she came near him.

(w) "et cecidit", Montanus, Drusius.

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

Her nurse was Deborah, by comparing Gen 35:8. In this corrupt family, the mother and the nurse are two distinct persons; but in Abraham’s pious family there was no such principle or practice. See Gen 21:7.

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

59. They sent… their sister — Special reference to Laban and the younger members of the household.

Her nurse — Deborah, who died long after and was buried at Bethel. Gen_35:8.

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

So they sent their sister Rebekah

"So the family sent Rebekah"

their sister

Rebekah was Laban's sister. AT: "their relative" or "Laban's sister"

her female servant

This refers to the female servant who had fed Rebekah when she was a baby, cared for her when she was a child, and still served her.

Our sister

Rebekah was not the sister to everyone in her family. But they called her this to show that they loved her. AT: "Our dear Rebekah"

may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands

Here "mother" stands for ancestor. AT: "may you be the ancestor of millions of people" or "may you have very many descendants"

thousands of ten thousands

This means a very large number or an uncountable number. (See: Numbers)

may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them

Armies would break through the gate of their enemies' cities and conquer the people. AT: "may your descendants completely defeat those who hate them" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

Abraham

servant

bless

descend

gate

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

וישלחו, Lavan and his family, this is the meaning of the word אחותם, which, if taken literally would mean “their sister.”

ואת מינקתה, the Torah does not mention the other attendants sent with Rivkah, seeing that the מינקת, nursemaid, is the highest ranking of them all. Eliezer and his men were worth mentioning in their own right as part of the entourage, although regarding who was riding, the women were mentioned. In that context the nursemaid is not accorded any special recognition, seeing that she too was subservient to Rivkah.

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.