12
And he said,וַיֹּאמַר“YHWH,יְהוָהthe Elohimאֱלֹהֵיof my lordאֲדֹנִיAbraham,אַבְרָהָםpleaseנָאmake it happenהַקְרֵהbefore meלְפָנַיtoday,הַיּוֹםand showוַעֲשֵׂהloyal loveחֶסֶדto my lordעִם אֲדֹנִיAbraham.אַבְרָהָם
Genesis 24:12
Study it in the app“And he said, “YHWH, the Elohim of my lord Abraham, please make it happen before me today, and show loyal love to my lord Abraham.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 24:12, word by word
- And he saidיֹּאמַרyomar
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomar” appears- “YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- the Elohimאֱלֹהֵיelohe
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohe” appears- of my lordאֲדֹנִadoni
lord
The one with authority over another; or a respectful title.
Where else “adoni” appears- Abrahamאַבְרָהָםavraham
Abraham
Abraham, the name God gave to Abram; it sounds like "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5). The father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised the land and blessing for all the families of the earth.
Where else “avraham” appears- make it happenהַקְרֵהhakre
befall
For an event to come upon someone without his seeking it.
Where else “hakre” appears- before meפָנַfana
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fana” appears- todayיּוֹםyom
today
This very day in which one speaks, the present moment.
Where else “yom” appears- and showעֲשֵׂהase
do
To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.
Where else “ase” appears- loyal loveחֶסֶדchesed
loyal love
God's steadfast kindness, true to his covenant, never forsaking.
Where else “chesed” appears
The context
11He made the camels kneel outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time the women who draw water go out.
12 · This verse (above)
13Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
To study Genesis 24 in a group
1. What it says
What did Abraham’s servant ask of YHWH by the well, and what did Rebekah do (vv. 12-20)?
2. What it means
What does it show about the servant’s prayer that he asks YHWH for guidance in his task (vv. 12-14, 26-27)?
3. How I live it
In what pending decision can you ask Elohim for guidance and pay attention to what happens?