Section 7 - Part 13: God Provides a Wife for Isaac

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Gen 1:1-2:4 The generations of the heavens and the earth

Gen 2:4-5:1 The book of the generations of Adam

Gen 5:1-6:9 The generations of Noah

Gen 6:9-10:1 The generations of the sons of Noah

Gen 10:1-11:10 The generations of Shem

Gen 11:10-11:27 The generations of Terah

Gen 11:27-25:19 The generations of Isaac

Gen 25:19-37:2 The generations of Jacob

Gen 37:2-Ex 1:1 The generations of the Sons of Jacob

Genesis 24 NASB95

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there! “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. “But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. He said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. “Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master.” Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in.” Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.” Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. “The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. “Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. “My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ “I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ “He said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’ “So I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; and she will say to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”; let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’ “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. “Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. “And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. “So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.” Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. “Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” But her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” He said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” And they said, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.” Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them.” Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there! “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. “But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.” So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

in every way

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

who had charge of all that he owned

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

Please place your hand under my thigh

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

Please place your hand under my thigh

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites

See notes on endogamy

Abraham commands his servant not to take a wife for Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites (Gen 24:3–4) — Genesis 24:3.

Isaac charges Jacob not to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan (Gen 28:1) — Genesis 28:1.

God commands Israel not to make covenants with Canaanites and warns that their daughters will cause Israel’s sons to play the harlot with their gods — Exodus 34:11–16.

God forbids intermarriage with the seven nations, warning that foreign wives will turn Israel’s sons away from following the Lord to serve other gods (Deut 7:1–4) — Deuteronomy 7:3–4.

The sons of Israel live among Canaanites and take their daughters as wives and serve their gods (Judg 3:5–6) — Judges 3:5–6.

Joshua warns that if Israel intermarries with remaining nations, the Lord will not drive them out but they will become a snare and trap (Josh 23:12–13) — Joshua 23:12–13.

Solomon loves many foreign women from nations the Lord said Israel should not associate with, for they will turn the heart away after their gods — 1 Kings 11:1–2.

Ezra reports that Israel’s people, priests, and Levites have taken daughters of foreign peoples as wives, intermingling the holy race with the peoples of the lands (Ezra 9:1–2) — Ezra 9:1–2.

Ezra’s prayer recalls the command not to give daughters to foreign sons or take their daughters, so Israel may be strong and inherit the land forever (Ezra 9:10–12) — Ezra 9:10–12.

Nehemiah sees Jews married to women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab, and contends with them, making them swear not to give daughters to their sons (Neh 13:23–27) — Nehemiah 13:23–25.

Nehemiah references Solomon, who was loved by God and made king over Israel, yet foreign women caused even him to sin (Neh 13:23–27) — Nehemiah 13:26.

Malachi condemns Judah for marrying the daughter of a foreign god, profaning the sanctuary of the Lord (Mal 2:11) — Malachi 2:11.

Understanding Genesis 24 requires awareness of several interconnected cultural practices from the ancient Near East that shape the narrative’s meaning.

Marriage arrangements were typically made by parents rather than individuals, and families deliberately selected spouses from within their own kinship networks—a practice called endogamy that preserved family wealth and maintained clan identity by preventing outsiders from entering the lineage.[1] Abraham’s refusal to allow Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman reflects this cultural priority.[1] The narrative itself demonstrates this pattern: Abraham’s servant travels to the ancestral homeland to find a bride from Nahor’s descendants, and both Isaac and Jacob marry cousins from their own extended family.[2]

The mechanics of marriage in this cultural context differ substantially from modern practice. In patriarchal societies, sons remained in their father’s household throughout their lives, while daughters left their birth family to join their husband’s father’s compound.[3] The essential act of marriage involved the groom’s family formally “taking” the bride from her father’s house, often accompanied by oaths or blessings, with the entire community awaiting proof of consummation through bloodstained sheets that demonstrated the bride’s virginity.[3] This explains why Abraham’s servant functions as a representative—he acts as the groom’s proxy in negotiating and retrieving the bride.

Additionally, the passage mentions Isaac “meditating” in a field, though the Hebrew word used appears only here in the Bible, making its precise meaning uncertain—scholars debate whether it means meditation, prayer, walking, or simply relaxing.[1] Understanding these cultural dimensions—kinship obligations, household structures, and marriage protocols—illuminates why the characters act as they do and what their actions would have signified to ancient readers.

[1] Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder, Genesis 12–50, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013). [See here, here, here.] [2] Ronald Hendel, Genesis 1–11: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2024), 1a:422. [3] John J. Pilch, A Cultural Handbook to the Bible (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K., 2012), 114.

This oath-taking gesture reflects several interlocking cultural and religious dimensions of patriarchal life. The thigh was considered the source of posterity in the ancient world—more properly, the “loins” or the testicles.[1] By placing his hand there, the servant was invoking something far deeper than a simple promise.

The practice carried multiple layers of significance. Placing a hand under a thigh close to the circumcised male sex organ connected the oath to the divine presence, and for Abraham and his descendants, circumcision was a constant reminder of God’s presence.[2] This wasn’t merely swearing on an object—it was swearing on the covenant itself, the very mark that identified Abraham’s family as God’s chosen people. Abraham had been promised a “seed” by God, and this covenantal blessing was passed on to his son and grandson, so Abraham made his trusted servant swear “on the seed of Abraham” that he would find a wife for Isaac.[1]

Beyond the covenant dimension, the gesture emphasized family continuity and kinship bonds. The placement of a hand under the thigh might have emphasized the ties of family kinship, with promises made by placing the hand near the organ of procreation tying the oath to the continuation of Abraham’s line through Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants.[2] If anyone violated an oath made in such a manner, the other descendants would carry out appropriate judgment.[2]

This manner of swearing an oath has been found also in the culture of the Babylonians,[3] suggesting it was a recognized practice across the ancient Near East. The solemnity of the gesture—touching the source of life itself while invoking God’s presence—underscored how seriously Abraham regarded this mission and how binding he expected the servant’s commitment to be.

[1] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013). [See here, here.] [2] Kenneth O. Gangel and Stephen J. Bramer, Genesis, ed. Max Anders, Holman Old Testament Commentary (B&H Publishing Group, 2002), 365. [3] James M. Freeman and Harold J. Chadwick, Manners & Customs of the Bible (North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998), 33.

The search results don’t directly address this question with archaeological or textual evidence from Abraham’s era. However, they do clarify what we actually know about this practice from biblical and scholarly sources.

Genesis 47:29 is the only other biblical example of this oath-taking gesture[1], which means the practice appears in Scripture only twice. The origin, form, and import of this ceremony in taking an oath are very doubtful[2], and scholars have proposed multiple interpretations rather than drawing from contemporary documentary evidence.

The explanations offered by commentators represent educated guesses rather than attestations from Abraham’s time. Aben-Ezra suggests it was a custom showing a servant’s submission to his master’s authority, and notes this practice existed in India[2]. Other commentators, both ancient and modern, interpret it as invoking the covenant of circumcision, with Rabbi Eleazar stating that “before the giving of the law, the ancient fathers swore by the covenant of circumcision”[2]. Grotius proposed that since swords were worn upon the thigh, the gesture symbolically meant “if I falsify, kill me”[2].

Notably, the idea of swearing on one’s loins appears in other cultures, and the English word “testify” is directly related to “testicles”[3]—suggesting this practice may have been more widespread in the ancient world than our surviving records indicate. However, we lack direct textual or archaeological documentation from Abraham’s period that explicitly describes this oath custom.

[1] John D. Currid, A Study Commentary on Genesis: Genesis 1:1–25:18, EP Study Commentary (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, n.d.), 412. [2] John M’Clintock and James Strong, “Thigh,” in Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1881), 10:360–361. [3] Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013). [See here.]

The Hebrew and Septuagint provide important linguistic and contextual clues that deepen understanding of both Genesis 24 as a whole and the thigh-oath specifically.

Regarding the oath itself, the Hebrew word yerekh (thigh) functions as a euphemism for genitalia, appearing in Genesis 46:26, Exodus 1:5, and Judges 8:30, where a man’s children are described as coming from his yerekh[1]. This linguistic pattern establishes that the gesture carried reproductive significance. However, scholars acknowledge that no other ancient Near Eastern texts provide parallels for this oath-swearing expression, making the precise procedure uncertain[1]. The oath’s significance centered on the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line[2], and the gesture involving Abraham’s genitalia was particularly apt since the oath concerned his immediate offspring, Isaac, and ultimately all of his descendants[1].

The Hebrew text also reveals structural emphasis in the narrative. In verse 5, the Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the infinitive absolute preceding the imperfect, though this emphasis is difficult to reflect in English translation[2]. Additionally, the Hebrew term for being “free” from the oath means “clean” or “purged,” conveying freedom from guilt and the punishment that breaking an oath would bring[3].

Regarding broader context, Hebrew oath-taking practices emphasized formal rituals and ceremonies, with killing an animal in the ceremonial being particularly common[4], though the thigh-oath represented a simpler form. The absence of Septuagint variants on these passages suggests the Greek translation preserved the Hebrew meaning without significant interpretive shifts, maintaining the covenant and family-continuity themes central to Abraham’s concern.

[1] Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder, Genesis 12–50, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013). [See here, here, here.] [2] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006). [See here, here.] [3] William David Reyburn and Euan McG. Fry, A Handbook on Genesis, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1998), 525–526. [4] George Ferries, “OATH,” in A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, ed. James Hastings et al. (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912), 3:576.

The Hebrew language does not show the same etymological connection between a word for “witness” and a word for “testicles” that exists in Latin.

Hebrew uses עֵד (ʿēd) for “witness,”[1] but this word has no etymological relationship to the Hebrew term for testicles. The Hebrew word for testicle is אֶ֫שֶׁךְ (ʾešek),[2] which comes from an uncertain origin and stands completely separate from the witness vocabulary.

This represents a significant linguistic difference between the two language families. While Latin preserved a semantic connection between “witness” and “testicles” through a shared root (testis meaning both), Hebrew developed independent vocabulary for these concepts. The Hebrew word for witness derives from a different etymological source entirely and carries no trace of the body-part meaning.

However, this doesn’t mean the cultural practice was absent from Hebrew-speaking peoples. The oath-taking custom itself appears in the biblical text—as we discussed with Genesis 24:2-3 and Genesis 47:29—but the Hebrew language simply didn’t preserve the etymological fossil that Latin did. The practice existed and was significant enough to be recorded in Scripture, but the Hebrew lexicon evolved differently, keeping the semantic domains of “witness” and “testicle” linguistically separate rather than etymologically linked.

[1] Isaiah Hoogendyk and Andrew Curtis, eds., in Analytical Lexicon of the Vulgate (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2018). [See here.] [2] THE LEXHAM ANALYTICAL LEXICON OF THE HEBREW BIBLE. [See here.]

Both “testify” and “testicle” trace back to Latin roots, with “testify” deriving from the Latin testificari (meaning to bear witness) and “testicle” from testiculus, a diminutive of testis[1]. The connection runs deeper than mere coincidence.

In Latin, testis originally meant “witness,” and the word developed derivatives including testes (testicles) and testimonium (evidence in court, testimony)[2]. The underlying meaning was “third standing by”—a witness was literally a third party present to observe and verify[2].

The semantic shift from “witness” to “testicle” reflects an ancient cultural practice. The use of “witness” in the meaning “testicle” appears in Greek as well[2], suggesting this wasn’t unique to Latin. The logic behind this metaphor stems from the oath-taking custom we discussed earlier: when men swore oaths by placing a hand on the testicles, they were invoking the male reproductive organs as “witnesses” to their truthfulness—the physical embodiment of the oath itself.

So the etymology reveals a fascinating linguistic fossil. The word “testimony” preserves a memory of when bearing witness involved invoking one’s own body as guarantor of truth. The verb “testify” literally means to bear witness or serve as evidence[1], but its Latin ancestry connects it to a practice where the testicles themselves functioned as witnesses to an oath’s binding nature. This linguistic connection between testimony and testicles demonstrates how deeply embedded this oath custom was in ancient Mediterranean culture—it left traces not just in legal practice but in the very language used to describe truthfulness.

[1] Inc Merriam-Webster, in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003). [See here, here.] [2] Michiel de Vaan, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, ed. Alexander Lubotsky (Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2008), 7:618.

Several literary and theological dimensions deserve attention to grasp Genesis 24’s full significance.

Genesis 24 functions as a short story—a narrative composed by an author who establishes a central question and resolves it through a sequence of events[1]. Understanding the chapter requires recognizing how the author structures tension and resolution. In Genesis, plot and theme matter more than character development[1], so paying attention to what the narrative accomplishes matters more than analyzing the servant’s personality.

The chapter serves as Abraham’s final act before leaving the stage, ensuring the transmission of God’s blessing to the next generation while functioning as a theological epilogue to the Abraham tradition[2]. The narrative incorporates elements of the betrothal type-scene (“meeting at the well”) and the motif of the faithful, prudent steward[2], making it potentially instructive for understanding servant leadership.

The “woman at the well” motif extends far beyond Genesis 24. This pattern appears when Jacob meets Rachel at a well and when Moses meets Zipporah, and it reappears in the New Testament when Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well, with the Genesis 24 occurrence providing crucial backdrop for understanding that later encounter[3].

Type scenes—formulaic presentations of key events—help identify authorial intention through comparison and contrast. Genesis 24 and Genesis 29 both feature “meeting a woman at a well,” but the servant’s prayer to Yahweh in Genesis 24:12–14, absent in Jacob’s account, conveys important information about the characters and the author’s theological perspective[4].

Finally, the chapter’s insistence on avoiding Canaanite intermarriage echoes throughout Scripture—Moses and Joshua repeat this warning, and much of the Old Testament records Israel’s decline because they disregarded this principle, eventually losing the promised land[3].

[1] John Goldingay, Genesis, ed. Bill T. Arnold, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020), 6. [2] James Chukwuma Okoye, Genesis 12–50: A Narrative-Theological Commentary (New York, NY: Cascade Books, 2020). [See here, here, here.] [3] Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder, Genesis 12–50, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013). [See here, here, here.] [4] Peter T. Vogt, Interpreting the Pentateuch: An Exegetical Handbook, ed. David M. Howard Jr., Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2009), 151.

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

to my relatives

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

should I take your son back to the land from where you came

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

“Beware that you do not take my son back there! “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

He will send His angel before you

Genesis 24:1–9 NASB95

then you will be free from this my oath

Genesis 24:10–27 NASB95

Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. He said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. “Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master.” Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in.” Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

Genesis 24:10–27 NASB95

the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master

Genesis 24:32 (NASB95) So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

Genesis 24:52 (NASB95) When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord.

Genesis 24:10–27 NASB95

Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor

Genesis 24:10–27 NASB95

kneel down outside the city

He prayed

He prayed for kindness for Abe - Abe was called his master. Why would this matter today?

He desired for good for his master

Genesis 24:10–27 NASB95

the well of water

Here are the biblical accounts of patriarchs and Jesus meeting women at wells:

Abraham’s servant and Rebekah (Genesis 24:10–67): The servant travels to Mesopotamia and waits by a well at evening, the customary time when women draw water. He prays for a sign—that the right woman will offer him water and volunteer to water his camels (Gen 24:10–67). Rebekah arrives and fulfills his request, and the servant recognizes her as the woman God has chosen for Isaac (Gen 24:10–67).

Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 29:1–12): Jacob arrives in the land of the east and encounters a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it. Rachel arrives as a shepherdess, and after Jacob waters her father’s flock, he identifies himself as her relative and Rebekah’s son (Gen 29:1–12).

Moses and Zipporah (Exodus 2:15–21): Moses flees to Midian and sits by a well, where the priest’s seven daughters come to draw water and water their flock; Moses helps them against shepherds who drove them away. The priest invites Moses to eat, and later gives his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4:4–42): Jesus sits by Jacob’s well in Samaria, wearied from his journey, and a Samaritan woman comes to draw water; Jesus asks her for a drink. The conversation shifts to spiritual themes, with Jesus offering “living water” that contrasts with the physical water from Jacob’s well (John 4:1–42).

Genesis 24:10–27 NASB95

‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’…..She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.”

Genesis 24:10–27 NASB95

the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord

Genesis 24:28–60 NASB95

Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. “The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. “Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. “My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ “I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ “He said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’ “So I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; and she will say to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”; let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’ “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. “Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. “And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. “So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.” Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The matter comes from the Lord; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. “Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” But her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” He said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” And they said, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes.” Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them.”

Underlined is the servant’s testimony

Where was her father? (Nahor)

Genesis 24:28–60 NASB95

Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household

Genesis 24:28–60 NASB95

They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them.”

Genesis 24:61–67 NASB95

Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Genesis 24 features four main characters:

Abraham (the father),

Eliezer (the servant),

Isaac (the son), and

Rebekah (the bride)[1].

The chapter also introduces Laban, who becomes significant in the subsequent Jacob narrative[2].

Regarding locations, Isaac and Rebekah begin in two different geographical areas[1]. The servant departs with ten camels carrying all his master’s goods and travels to Mesopotamia, specifically to the city of Nahor[3]. This region is known in Hebrew as “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia[4]. Upon arrival, the servant positions his camels by a well of water at evening, the time when women typically draw water[3]. Isaac lived in the Negev[5], which serves as the destination for Rebekah’s journey back with the servant.

The narrative movement traces a geographical arc: Abraham and Isaac remain in Canaan while the servant journeys eastward to Abraham’s ancestral homeland to secure a bride from within the family kinship group. Rebekah serves the servant and follows him back to the estate, where Isaac is working and praying in a field when he sees them approaching; Rebekah veils herself, and Isaac claims her as his wife[1].

[1] Chrystal Armstrong, God’s Divine Design for Dating and Marriage: A Perfect Love for Imperfect People (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2012). [See here, here, here.] [2] Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder, Genesis 12–50, Lexham Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013). [See here.] [3] James Dixon, Expository Thoughts on Genesis (Evangelical Press, 2005). [See here, here.] [4] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006). [See here.] [5] John B. Song, “Yeruham, Mount,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). [See here.]

Endogamy—marrying within one’s family or clan—was a widespread practice in the ancient Near East that served to preserve family inheritance and maintain clan boundaries against outsiders.[1] This pattern held particular significance in societies emphasizing inheritance, as it kept lineage isolated for purposes of social status and property ownership.[2]

During Abraham’s era, parental arrangement of marriages for children was standard practice throughout the ancient Near East.[1] Abraham specifically sought a wife for Isaac from his own family to preserve God’s promise for his son and future generations.[1] Endogamy appears to have prevailed generally during the patriarchal period,[3] with cross-cousin marriages—such as marrying one’s mother’s brother’s daughter—representing the most common preferential pattern.[3]

The practical benefits worked both directions. For husbands like Isaac and Jacob, endogamous marriages meant not introducing unfamiliar women into their fathers’ households; brides accustomed to family customs and relationships would be treated as family members.[4] For fathers of daughters like Bethuel and Laban, endogamy ensured that if a man died without sons and his daughters inherited his property, that property would remain within the family rather than passing to the sons of outsiders.[4]

Importantly, in Israel the concerns were ethnic because the land was promised to Abraham and his family, and he was avoiding assimilation with the people in the land.[2] Through endogamy, the patriarchs kept the promised land for Abraham’s descendants—which is why Abraham and Isaac were anxious to find wives for their sons among the descendants of Abraham’s father Terah.[4]

[1] Derek R. Brown et al., Jacob: Discerning God’s Presence, ed. John D. Barry, Studies in Faithful Living (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013). [See here, here, here.] [2] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 100. [3] John J. Pilch, A Cultural Handbook to the Bible (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K., 2012), 112. [4] Jocelyn McWhirter, “Marriage,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary, ed. John D. Barry et al. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016). [See here, here, here.]

The search results do not contain specific archaeological evidence for endogamy during Abraham’s time or the patriarchal period. However, the search results do provide relevant background information about the ancient Near Eastern context.

Texts discovered at Mesopotamian sites, especially Nuzi (a fifteenth-century Hurrian city), give evidence of social customs which resemble actions and events in the Genesis stories.[1] These include the practice of giving additional privileges to the firstborn son and Abraham’s adoption of his slave Eliezer.[1] While this demonstrates that certain patriarchal customs align with documented ancient Near Eastern practices, the search results do not specifically address archaeological evidence for endogamous marriage practices during Abraham’s era.

What the search results do confirm is that archaeology shows how much the Abraham we know from the Bible was part of his contemporary world.[1] This suggests that the endogamous marriage practices described in Genesis—while not explicitly confirmed by archaeological finds in the available sources—would have been consistent with broader social patterns of the ancient Near East that archaeology has documented.

To find specific archaeological evidence for endogamy during the patriarchal period, you would need to consult specialized studies on ancient Near Eastern marriage practices and family structures from that era.

[1] J. Gordon McConville, “Biblical History,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 21.

Genesis 47:29 NASB95

When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt,

Abraham’s servant encounters Rebekah at a well in Mesopotamia, where women came to draw water (Gen 24:10–27) — Genesis 24:13–14.

Jacob meets Rachel at a well in the land of the east, where he rolls away the stone and waters her father’s flock (Gen 29:1–12) — Genesis 29:2–10.

Moses sits by a well in Midian where the priest’s seven daughters come to draw water and fill troughs, and Moses helps them water their flock (Exod 2:15–21) — Exodus 2:15–17.

Young women go out to draw water in the city of Saul (1 Sam 9:11) — 1 Samuel 9:11.

Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well near Sychar, where she comes to draw water (John 4:1–42) — John 4:5–7.