genesis 24:1-67 chiastic structure

Read Genesis 24:1-67 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph division

Gen 24:1-67 {p} The servant finds a bride for Isaac, the promised seed

Gen 24:1-67 chiastic structure

1a) Gen 24:1-9 Abraham’s servant takes an oath;

1a) Gen 24:1-3 And Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and YHVH had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by YHVH, the God of heaven and the God of the earth;
1b.1) Gen 24:3b-4 “That you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac;”
1b.2) Gen 24:5-6 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?” But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there;
central axis) Gen 24:7 “YHVH God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land,’ He will send His angel before you;”
2b.1) Gen 24:7b “And you shall take a wife for my son from there;
2b.2) Gen 24:8 “And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there;”
2a) Gen 24:9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter;

1b) Gen 24:10-11 The servant arrives in Padan-aram;

1c) Gen 24:12-27 The errand’s first test;

1a) Gen 24:12a And he said: “O YHVH, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray You, good speed this day;
1b) Gen 24:12b-14 “And show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. So let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say: Let down your pitcher, I pray you, that I may drink; and she shall say: Drink, and I will give your camels drink also; let the same be she that You have appointed for Your servant, even for Isaac; and thereby shall I know that You have shown kindness to my master;”
1c) Gen 24:15a And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother;
1d) Gen 24:15b-20 Rebekah, very fair, gave him drink, and drew for the camels also;
central axis) Gen 24:21 And the man looked steadfastly on her; holding his peace, to know whether YHVH had made his journey prosperous or not;
2d) Gen 24:22 As the camels had done drinking, the man gave her gold for her nose + wrists;
2c) Gen 24:23-25 Whose daughter are you?/ Of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor;
2b) Gen 24:26-27a And the man bowed his head, and prostrated himself before YHVH. And he said: “Blessed be YHVH, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master;
2a) Gen 24:27b As for me, YHVH has led me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren;”

1d) Gen 24:28-30 And the damsel ran, and told her mother’s house according to these words. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, to the fountain. And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying: “Thus spoke the man to me,” that he came to the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the fountain.

central axis) Gen 24:31-33 And he said: “Come in, you blessed of YHVH; wherefore do you stand without? For I have cleared the house, and made room for the camels.” And the man came into the house, and he ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were with him. And there was set food before him to eat; but he said: “I will not eat, until I have told my errand.” And he said: “Speak on;”

2d) Gen 24:34-48 The servant tells her father’s house his errand;

1a) Gen 24:34-36 And he said: “I am Abraham’s servant. And YHVH has blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He has given him flocks + herds, silver + gold, men-servants + maid-servants, camels + donkeys. And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him has he given all that he has;
1b) Gen 24:37-41) Gen 24:37-41 Sworn to take his son’s wife from his father’s house;

1a.1) Gen 24:37-38 The sworn oath to take his son’s wife from his father’s house;

1a) Gen 24:37a And my master made me swear, saying: You shall not take a wife for my son;
1b) Gen 24:37b Of the daughters of the Canaanites;
central axis) Gen 24:37c In whose land I dwell;
2b) Gen 24:38a But you shall go to my father’s house, and to my kindred;
2a) Gen 24:38b And take a wife for my son;

1a.2) Gen 24:39 And I said to my master: Peradventure the woman will not follow me;
central axis) Gen 24:40a And he said to me: YHVH, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you, and prosper your way;
2a.1) Gen 24:40b-41a And you shall take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house; then shall you be clear from my oath, when you come to my kindred;
2a.2) Gen 24:41b And if they give her not to you, you shall be clear from my oath;

1c) Gen 24:42-44a And I came this day to the fountain, and said: O YHVH, the God of my master Abraham, if now You do prosper my way which I go: behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden that comes forth to draw, to whom I shall say: Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink; and she shall say to me: Both you drink, and I will also draw for your camels;
central axis) Gen 24:44b Let the same be the woman whom YHVH has appointed for my master’s son;
2c) Gen 24:45-46 And before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the fountain, and drew. And I said to her: Let me drink, I pray you. And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said: Drink, and I will give your camels drink also. So I drank, and she made the camels drink also;
2b) Gen 24:47 And 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 hands;
2a) Gen 24:48 And I bowed my head, and prostrated myself before YHVH, and blessed YHVH, the God of my master Abraham, who has led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son;

2c) Gen 24:49-58 The errand’s second test;

1a) Gen 24:49 If you will deal kindly + truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left;
1b) Gen 24:50 Laban + Bethuel answered: “The thing proceeds from YHVH; we cannot speak to you bad or good;
central axis) Gen 24:51a Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife;
2b) Gen 24:51b As YHVH has spoken;”
2a) Gen 24:52-58, The servant: Send me away to my master + delay me not;

2b) Gen 24:59-61 The servant departs with Rebekah;

1a) Gen 24:59 They sent away Rebekah their sister, her nurse, Abraham’s servant, his men;
central axis) Gen 24:60 They blessed Rebekah: “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those that hate them;”
2a) Gen 24:61 Rebekah arose with her damsels + rode upon the camels + followed the man/ The servant took Rebekah, and went his way;

2a) Gen 24:62-67 {p} Abraham’s servant fulfills his oath + brought Rebekah to Isaac, and she became his wife.