Genesis 24

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:21

And the man wondering at her —gazing with attention on her ( LXX ; Vulgate, Gesenius, Furst); amazed and astonished at her (Rosenmüller, Delitzsch, Keil, Lange, Calvin)— held his peace, to wit — i . e . that he might know—silence being the customary attitude for the soul in either expecting or receiving a Divine communication (cf. Le Genesis 10:3 ; Psalms 39:2 ; Acts 11:18 )— whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. This inward rumination obviously took... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:21

Eliezer, or a wife-seeker. "And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his way prosperous or not." "The man" spoken of was probably the Eliezer of Damascus mentioned in Genesis 15:2 . He had been selected by Abraham to be his heir, but of course when Isaac was born he could not hold that position. He became honored and trusted as "the eldest servant of (Abraham's) house, who ruled over all that be had" ( Genesis 24:2 ). To him was committed the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:22-27

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking ,—"If it is remembered that camels, though endowed in an almost marvelous degree with the power of enduring thirst, drink, when an opportunity offers, an enormous quantity of water, it will be acknowledged that the trouble to which the maiden cheerfully submitted required more than ordinary, patience" (Kalisch)— that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight ,—the נֶזֶם , was neither a pendant for the ear ( LXX ;... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:28

And the damsel — הַגַּעַרָ ( vide on Genesis 24:16 )— ran (leaving the venerable stranger in the act of devotion), and told them of her mother's house —a true touch of nature. With womanly instinct, discerning the possibility of a love-suit, she imparts the joyful intelligence neither to her brother nor to her father, but to her mother and the other females of the household, who lived separately from the men of the establishment— these things —in particular of the arrival of a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:29

And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. "White," whose character has been considerably traduced, the Biblical narrative not representing him as "a monster of moral depravity," but rather as actuated by generous imputes and hospitable dispositions (Kalisch). And Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well . That Laban, and not Bethuel, should have the prominence in all the subsequent transactions concerning Rebekah has been explained by the supposition that Bethuel was now dead... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:29-60

A bride for the heir.-3. Eliezer and Laban, or proposals for the bride. I. THE HOSPITABLE BROTHER . 1. The eager invitation . "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord!" 2. The kindly reception . II. THE AGED WOOER . 1. Impatient . The nature of his mission urged him to dispatch, as knowing well that his master was old, that Isaac was needful of a bride, that coy maidens are soonest caught by fervent suitors, and that successful wooing brooks no delay. 2. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:30

And it cams to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands ( vide Genesis 24:22 ), and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man (this explains the cause of the action mentioned in the previous verse); and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:30

Laban's eye of greed. "And when he saw the bracelets," &c.; One thing moved Laban to offer hospitality to a stranger—the vision of gold on his sister's form. I. COVETOUSNESS MAKES A MAN CALCULATING WHEN APPEARING TO BE GENEROUS . Laban had not been so pressingly urgent in his invitation if he had not cherished a hope of further advantages. He was a churlish man. He said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord," &c; because he saw that which was to him the greatest... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:31

And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord . בְּרוּךְ יהֹוָה (cf. Genesis 26:29 ; Numbers 24:9 ); the usual form being לַיַהוָֹה ( vide Genesis 14:19 ; Ruth 2:20 ; 1 Samuel 15:13 ). Though Laban was an idolater ( Genesis 31:30 ), it seems more satisfactory to regard him as belonging to a family in which the worship of Jehovah had originated, and by which it was still retained (Murphy, Wordsworth), than to suppose that he first learnt the name Jehovah from the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:31

Laban, the solicitous host. "Wherefore standest thou without?" The character of Laban has been well explained by Blunt in his ' Coincidences.' It is one of consistent greed. He was sincere in inviting Eliezer because he saw the bracelets on his sister's hand, and expected still further favors from a guest who can so lavishly bestow gifts. Christ asks us to enter his kingdom, but he expects nothing from us in return but love. We may adapt this inquiry of Laban to souls as yet outside the... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:21

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:21

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:22-27

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:28

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:29

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:29-60

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:30

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:30

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:31

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 24:31

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