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 showed kindness unto my master.
14. and let it come to pass ] The servant contemplates the possibility of repeated application and failure. The sign for which he makes petition is the voluntary offer on the part of a girl to give water, not only to himself, but also to his camels. This would be no mere formality, but a practical and laborious act of kindness towards a stranger, done probably in the presence of many bystanders and idlers; and therefore making a demand upon energy and moral courage as well as physical strength.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That this was not a rash and vain fancy, but a special expectation and confidence wrought in him by Gods Spirit, appears both by the eminent prudence and godliness of this person, and by the exact correspondency of the event with his prayer, and by parallel examples, as Jdg 6:36; 1Sa 6:7; 14:8.
She that thou hast appointed; Heb. evidently pointed out; or, exactly searched out, as a person meet for him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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,…. The pitcher of water she should have upon her shoulder, after she had drawn it out of the well:
and she shall say, drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; not only very readily and courteously invite him to drink himself but also propose to draw water for his camels too:
[let the same be] she [that] thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; to be his wife; he desired this might be the token by which he might know who the person was God had appointed, and whom he approved of as a proper wife for Isaac, and whom he pointed at in his Providence most clearly to be the person he had designed for him; and this was a very agreeable sign and token; for hereby he would know that she was a careful and industrious person, willing to set her hand to business when necessary; that she was humane and courteous to strangers; humble and condescending, and willing to do the meanest offices for the good of others; and such a wife as this he sought for, and knew would be a good one, and greatly acceptable to his master and to his son:
and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness to my master; by directing to so good a wife for his son, and prospering the journey of his servant according to his wishes.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gen 24:14 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.
Ver. 14. Drink, and I will give thy camels, &c. ] This argued a good nature, a kind, courteous disposition; which therefore may be he singled out as a token of a suitable wife, as a thing especially to be looked at in a wife. Good dispositions sanctified, become more useful, because more amiable; and so more graceful to the gospel, and powerful with others. As if not yet sanctified, yet there is more hopes they may be. For where a good nature is, the soul is a plain, smooth board, whereon a painter may more easily draw a picture: and a harsh crabbed nature, is as a board full of knots, and rugged, whereon the artificer cannot so well show his workmanship. And though the power of God will show itself wherever he intends to make a vessel of mercy, yet it is with more ado; and will cost a man the more sorrow, and him that hath the working of it the more pains. a
a See Mr Valent’s Fast. Serm.
pitcher. Still used in Palestine as in Joh 4:28.
thereby
Jdg 6:17; Jdg 6:37; 2Ki 20:9; Pro 16:33; Act 1:26. Cf: Mat 12:39. Signs are given to faith, not to doubt.
And let: Jdg 6:17, Jdg 6:37, 1Sa 14:9
she that: Gen 24:44, Pro 19:14
thereby: Gen 15:8, Exo 4:1-9, Jdg 6:17, Jdg 6:37, Jdg 7:13-15, Jdg 18:5, 1Sa 6:7-9, 1Sa 10:2-10, 1Sa 14:8, 1Sa 14:10, 1Sa 20:7, 2Sa 5:24, 2Sa 20:9, 2Ki 20:8-11, Isa 7:11, Rom 1:10
Reciprocal: Gen 24:19 – General Gen 24:43 – General Exo 2:16 – they came Jdg 7:11 – thou shalt Pro 31:13 – worketh
Gen 24:14. Let it come to pass He prays that God would be pleased to make his way plain and clear before him, by the concurrence of minute circumstances in his favour. It is the comfort, as well as the belief, of a good man, that Gods providence extends itself to the smallest occurrences, and admirably serves its own purposes by them.
24:14 {g} 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.
(g) The servant moved by God’s spirit sought assurance by a sign, as to whether or not God would prosper his journey.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes