Genesis 24
The Lord Led Me
Abraham sends his senior servant back to his kindred to find a wife for Isaac. At the well the servant prays for a sign, and Rebekah gives it before he has finished praying. Her family agrees that “the thing proceedeth from the LORD,” and she answers, “I will go.”
Start reading Background
Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, sixty-seven verses, and much of that length comes from telling one story twice. The narrator describes the meeting at the well (verses 10–27), and then the servant describes it again to Rebekah’s family (verses 34–49). The chapter stands between Sarah’s burial (chapter 23) and Abraham’s death (Gen. 25:7–8), and it carries the covenant story from Abraham to Isaac. It ends with Rebekah in “his mother Sarah’s tent.”
Abraham’s family had divided long before. They had moved from Ur to Haran in northern Mesopotamia (Gen. 11:31; Abr. 2:4); at the Lord’s word Abraham went on into Canaan, and his brother Nahor’s branch of the family “remained at Haran.” News of that branch reached Abraham after the offering of Isaac, and the list of Nahor’s family named Bethuel’s daughter, Rebekah (Gen. 22:20–23).
The question Abraham raises in verse 3 is whom the heir of the promise will marry, and the chapter tells how “the Lord prepared a way for Isaac and Rebekah to marry within the covenant.” Rebekah becomes the mother of Esau and Jacob (Gen. 25:21–26), and in chapter 27 she acts again, “ensuring the bestowal of the birthright on the younger child, as God intended.”
The thread through the chapter
The key word of Genesis 24 is the Hebrew hesed, which the KJV translates “kindness” (verses 12 and 14), “mercy” (verse 27), and “kindly” (verse 49). It occurs eleven times in Genesis, and four of them are in this chapter. The servant asks the LORD to “shew kindness unto my master Abraham” (verse 12). He also asks for a way to know that the prayer is answered: a young woman who gives him the drink he asks for and offers, unasked, to water his camels too. “Thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master” (verse 14). When it happens, he blesses the LORD, who “hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth” (hesed and emet, verse 27). Then he asks Rebekah’s family for the same two things, to “deal kindly and truly with my master” (verse 49). Hesed “is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.” In this chapter the LORD’s kindness to Abraham arrives through the kindness of people.
The second strand is the journey. The servant sums up his own: “I being in the way, the LORD led me” (verse 27). Rebekah’s answer settles the story. Asked “Wilt thou go with this man?” she says, “I will go” (verse 58). Her verb is the one the Lord used when He told Abraham to go from his country and his kindred (Gen. 12:1).
Tap any highlighted phrase to open a note beneath its versein the margin.
Abraham’s charge
Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in everything. He said to his senior servant, the one in charge of everything he owned, “Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the Canaanites I live among. Go to my own country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
The servant asked, “What if the woman will not come back with me to this land? Should I take your son back to the country you came from?” Abraham said, “Make sure you never take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s house and my homeland and swore to give this land to my descendants, will send His angel ahead of you, and you will find a wife for my son there. If the woman will not come, you are free of this oath. Only do not take my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under Abraham’s thigh and swore to it.
1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 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?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
The prayer at the well
The servant took ten of his master’s camels and all kinds of good things from him and set out for Mesopotamia, to the town where Nahor lived. He made the camels kneel by the well outside the town in the evening, when the women come out to draw water, and prayed: “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make it happen for me today, and show kindness to my master. I am standing by the well while the young women of the town come out for water. Let it be that the girl I ask, ‘Please let me drink from your jar,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels too,’ is the one You have chosen for Your servant Isaac. That is how I will know You have shown kindness to my master.”
Before he had finished, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. She was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had been with her. She went down to the well, filled her jar, and came up. The servant ran to her and asked for a little water. “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered her jar and gave him a drink. Then she said, “I will draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough,” and she hurried back and forth to the well until all the camels had drunk. The man watched her in silence, waiting to learn whether the Lord had made his journey a success.
When the camels had finished, he took out a gold nose ring weighing half a shekel and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” She said, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son Milcah bore to Nahor. We have plenty of straw and feed, and room for you to stay.” The man bowed and worshipped the Lord: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. The Lord led me on the way to the house of my master’s relatives.”
10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?
24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.
25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.
26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.
27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.
The servant tells his errand
The girl ran and told her mother’s household. Her brother Laban, seeing the ring and the bracelets on his sister and hearing her story, ran out to the man at the well. “Come in, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why stand out here? I have made the house ready, and there is room for the camels.” The camels were unloaded and fed, water was brought to wash the feet of the servant and his men, and food was set before him. But he said, “I will not eat until I have told you why I am here.”
“I am Abraham’s servant,” he said. “The Lord has blessed my master greatly, with flocks and herds, silver and gold, servants, camels, and donkeys. Sarah bore him a son in her old age, and he has given that son everything he has.” Then he told them about the oath, his prayer at the well, Rebekah’s answer, and the gifts. “I bowed and worshipped the Lord, who led me by the right road to find my master’s relative for his son. Now, if you will deal kindly and faithfully with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I know which way to turn.”
28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things.
29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.
31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.
33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.
35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.
36 And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
38 But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.
39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.
40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:
41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.
42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:
43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;
44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master’s son.
45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.
48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.
49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.
“I will go”
Laban and Bethuel answered, “This comes from the Lord. We cannot say anything to you either way. Here is Rebekah. Take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has said.” The servant bowed to the ground before the Lord. He brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing for Rebekah, and costly gifts for her brother and mother. They ate and stayed the night.
In the morning he said, “Let me go back to my master.” Her brother and mother said, “Let her stay with us a few days, ten or so; then she can go.” He answered, “Do not hold me back, now that the Lord has made my journey a success.” They said, “Let us call the girl and ask her.” They asked Rebekah, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” So they sent her off with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men, and they blessed her: “Our sister, may you become thousands upon thousands, and may your descendants take the gate of those who hate them.” Rebekah and her young women mounted the camels and followed the man.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken.
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
Isaac and Rebekah
Isaac had come back from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev. In the evening he went out into the field to meditate, and he looked up and saw camels coming. Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, and she got down from her camel. “Who is that man walking across the field to meet us?” she asked. “He is my master,” said the servant. So she took her veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac everything he had done. Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Seeing Christ in Genesis 24
The God who leads the servant is “the LORD God of my master Abraham,” Jehovah, and “Jehovah is the premortal Jesus Christ.” The “mercy” and “truth” the servant praises in verse 27 are His covenant love and faithfulness (see the note on verse 12). In Genesis 24 that love works through ordinary things: a prayer answered “before he had done speaking” (verse 15), a young woman’s generosity at a well, and a road the servant could see only afterward: “I being in the way, the LORD led me.”
The meeting at the well comes back in the Gospel of John. Jesus sits by Jacob’s well in Samaria and asks a woman for a drink (John 4:5–7). “Even the New Testament has a woman-at-the-well type-scene,” but it turns out differently. Marriage is spoken of, and the woman goes into the town, “but to testify of Him, rather than be married to Him.” “This scene emphasizes the new kind of covenant relationship that Jesus is going to have with all people, not just with one woman.”
Worth exploring next
- The other wells. Read Gen. 29:1–20, Ex. 2:15–21, and John 4:5–42 beside verses 10–28. KnoWhy #854 (Scripture Central), “Why Does Boaz Allude to a Well in Connection with His Meeting Ruth?”, sets the well stories side by side.
- Rebekah’s whole story. Gen. 25:19–28; Gen. 26:34–35; Gen. 27:1–28:5. “The Matriarchs,” in From Creation to Sinai (BYU Religious Studies Center), follows her through it.
- Hesed. Ex. 34:6–7; Ps. 136. President Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant” (Liahona, Oct. 2022), explains the word.
- Marriage in the covenant. D&C 131:1–4; D&C 132:29–37.
Sources & further reading
- The Holy Scriptures (Latter-day Saint editions), text and chapter headings, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Westminster Leningrad Codex (the Masoretic Hebrew text), Read in the Hebrew–English interlinear on Bible Hub.
- Westminster Leningrad Codex, with morphology, Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (OSHB), openscriptures/morphhb.
- Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906.
- The Septuagint (Rahlfs Greek text, with Brenton’s English translation), Elpenor Bilingual Septuagint.
- New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, National Council of Churches, 2021; on BibleGateway.
- J. W. Etheridge, The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan ben Uzziel on the Pentateuch, with the Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum: Genesis and Exodus, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, 1862; scan on the Internet Archive.
- Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Genesis, In Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, online at Bible Hub.
- Old Testament Revision 1, The Joseph Smith Papers.
- Old Testament Revision 2, The Joseph Smith Papers.
- “Haran”, Bible Dictionary.
- “Laban”, Bible Dictionary.
- “Jehovah”, Bible Dictionary.
- Genesis 24–33, Scripture Helps: Old Testament (2025).
- Genesis 24–36: The Covenant Line Continues with Isaac and Jacob, Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis–2 Samuel (Church Educational System, 2003).
- Genesis 24: The Blessing of Covenant Marriage, Old Testament Seminary Teacher Manual (2026).
- Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant”, Liahona, Oct. 2022.
- Cynthia L. Hallen, “Rebekah”, Ensign, Jan. 2002, 39.
- Camille Fronk Olson, “The Matriarchs: Administrators of God’s Covenantal Blessings”, In From Creation to Sinai: The Old Testament through the Lens of the Restoration, ed. Daniel L. Belnap and Aaron P. Schade (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021), 385–425.
- Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “Genesis 24”, In Old Testament Cultural Insights, vol. 1, ed. Taylor Halverson (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2022); each section “adapted from Nahum M. Sarna, Genesis, JPS Torah Commentary (1989), 161–170”; read on Scripture Central.
- Scripture Central, “Why Did the Lord Tell Abraham That Neither His Servant Nor Ishmael Would Be His Heir?”, KnoWhy #838, Feb. 10, 2026.
- Scripture Central, “Why Does Boaz Allude to a Well in Connection with His Meeting Ruth?”, KnoWhy #854, May 26, 2026.