Genesis 24:10-28

Rebekah at the Well

10. ten camels The largeness of this retinue is intended (1) to impress strangers with the reality and value of the proposed connexion by marriage: (2) to provide for the adequate means of conveying the bride and her attendant hand-maidens, cf. Genesis 24:61.

having all … hand R.V. marg. for all the goods of his master were in his hand. See Genesis 25:5. A slightly different turn is given to the sentence by the versions, LXX καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ, Lat. ex omnibus bonis ejus portans secum.

The servant carried with him gifts for the bride and for her family on behalf of the bridegroom: see Genesis 24:22; Genesis 24:53.

Mesopotamia Aram-naharaim, that is, Aram of the two rivers. This is the region watered by the Upper Euphrates which appears in the Tel-el-Amarna tablets with the name Naharina, or "the river land." The termination -aimdenotes the dual number; and hence the proposed rendering "Aram of the two rivers." If so, the two rivers are the Euphrates and its confluent the Habor; not the Tigris and the Euphrates. Another explanation supposes that the two sides of the river Euphrates are implied by the dual. But it is doubtful whether the sound of the dual termination is anything more than an accident: compare other proper names with the same termination, e.g. Ephraim, Mahanaim, Jerusalaim; and see note on Mizraim (Egypt) in Genesis 10:6.

The name "Mesopotamia" is derived from a later time, and is really applicable to a somewhat different region. For other mention of Mesopotamia, cf. Deuteronomy 23:4; Jdg 3:8; 1 Chronicles 19:6. Instead of Aram-naharaim, P writes Paddan-aram. Cf. Genesis 25:20; Genesis 28:2.

the city of Nahor The city where Nahor dwelt after Abraham's departure. The name, not mentioned here, appears as Haran in Genesis 27:43; Genesis 28:10; Genesis 29:4: cf. Genesis 11:31; Acts 7:2.