*Sacred Scripture* Rebecca at the Well – Tiepolo

Abraham’s servant recognizes Rebecca as the future wife of Isaac when the woman offers to draw water for him and his camels. Artwork by G. Tiepolo.

Gn 24:12-27

Near evening, at the time when women go out to draw water, he made the camels kneel by the well outside the city.

12Then he said: “LORD, God of my master Abraham, let it turn out favorably for me^* today and thus deal graciously with my master Abraham.

13While I stand here at the spring and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water,

14if I say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jug, that I may drink,’ and she answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels, too,’ then she is the one whom you have decided upon for your servant Isaac. In this way I will know that you have dealt graciously with my master.”

15^d He had scarcely finished speaking when Rebekah—who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor—came out with a jug on her shoulder.

16The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin, untouched by man. She went down to the spring and filled her jug. As she came up,

17the servant ran toward her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.”

18“Drink, sir,” she replied, and quickly lowering the jug into her hand, she gave him a drink.

19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels, too, until they have finished drinking.”

20With that, she quickly emptied her jug into the drinking trough and ran back to the well to draw more water, until she had drawn enough for all the camels.

21The man watched her the whole time, silently waiting to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.

22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose-ring weighing half a shekel, and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels for her wrists.

23Then he asked her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. And is there a place in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24She answered: “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.

25We have plenty of straw and fodder,” she added, “and also a place to spend the night.”

26The man then knelt and bowed down to the LORD,

27saying: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not let his kindness and fidelity toward my master fail. As for me, the LORD has led me straight to the house of my master’s brother.”

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/24

What does Genesis 24:20 mean?

Abraham’s servant had asked God that the girl meant to marry Isaac would offer to water his camels without being prompted (Genesis 24:12–14). In the previous verse, Rebekah did exactly that. Now she follows through on her offer to keep bringing water to the trough for the camels until they are finished drinking. She acts quickly and thoroughly.

This is likely well beyond what Abraham’s servant would have hoped for. Not only has God given the sign that the right girl has been found, she is demonstrating a generous spirit, a sense of hospitality, and a genuine work ethic. The emphasis on Rebekah acting “quickly” seems to confirm that this is unprompted behavior. She’s sincerely acting out of good will, not being coerced or manipulated with guilt.

This is a key feature in how Abraham’s servant has approached his task to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:3–4). His prayer specifically asked God to send a woman of character. Rebekah’s beauty (Genesis 24:16) is certainly a good thing, but it’s not the primary trait this man is looking for.

Context Summary

Genesis 24:10–27 follows Abraham’s servant from Canaan to Mesopotamia on his mission to find a wife for Isaac from among Abraham’s people. Arriving at the town of Nahor, the servant prays that God will reveal the right woman by allowing her to be the one to offer to water his ten camels without being asked. A young woman named Rebekah immediate does exactly that. When the servant learns this young woman is also the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor, he quickly worships God for bringing him to the right woman in so little time.

Chapter Context

Abraham asks his most trusted servant to travel to his former homeland to find a wife for his son Isaac. Swearing to do so, the servant arrives at the city of Nahor and asks the Lord to show him which young women is appointed for Isaac. Finding Rebekah, the very granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor, the servant reveals the reason for his journey to her family. Her father Bethuel and brother Laban agree to allow Rebekah to travel to Canaan and marry Isaac, which she does.