New Living Translation
Genesis 24:5
5The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”
Genesis 24:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
- New International Version (NIV)The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”
Context of Genesis 24:5
3Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 4Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.” The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?” 6“No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. 7For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.
Read all of Genesis 24Genesis 24:5 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ הָעֶ֔בֶד אוּלַי֙ לֹא־תֹאבֶ֣ה הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה לָלֶ֥כֶת אַחֲרַ֖י אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את הֶֽהָשֵׁ֤ב אָשִׁיב֙ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֔ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֥אתָ מִשָּֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Peradventure the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- will not be willingאָבָה'âbâh · be willingH14
- to followיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- meאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- unto this landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- must I needs bringשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- thy sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- from whence thou camestיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
Cross-references for Genesis 24:5
- Genesis 24:58So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her. And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
- Exodus 20:7“You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
- Exodus 9:2If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go,
- Proverbs 13:16Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.
- Jeremiah 4:2Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.”
Commentaries on Genesis 24:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Peradventure the woman will not be willing - We may see, says Calmet, by this and other passages of Scripture, Joshua 9:18, what the sentiments of the ancients were relative to an oath. They believed they were bound precisely by what was spoken, and had no liberty to interpret the intentions of those to whom the oath was made.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-67Verses 1-67 - The Marriage of Isaac 26. קרד qādad “bow the head.” השׁתחוה shâchâh “bow the body.” 29. לבן lābān “Laban, white.” In this circumstantial account of the marriage of Isaac, we have a beautiful picture of ancient manners in the East, the living original of which the present customs of that cradle of mankind are a striking copy. Genesis 24:1-9 Abraham binds the chief servant of his house to seek a wife for his son Isaac among his kindred…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-9Trusting in the Lord's promise, Abraham had his main servant promise to find a wife for Isaac (probably Eliezer, 15:2). Abraham told his servant to return to his relatives in his homeland, 724 kilometers away (about 450 miles). Abraham was faithful to the covenant by planning for Isaac's future.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91. And Abraham was old ... take a wife--His anxiety to see his son married was natural to his position as a pastoral chief interested in preserving the honor of his tribe, and still more as a patriarch who had regard to the divine promise of a numerous posterity.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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