But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
4. my country kindred ] Here, as in Gen 28:2 (P), the country and kindred of Abraham are to be sought, not in Ur of the Chaldees, but in the land of Haran, or Paddan-aram; cf. Gen 24:7.
take a wife for my son Isaac ] It was customary for the father to select a bride for his son; cf. Gen 34:4; Jdg 14:2. The same custom prevailed in Babylon, as appears from the Code of Hammurabi, 155, “if a man betroth a maiden to his son,” &c.
“Marriage between cousins has been and still is particularly common in the East (cp. Gen 24:4; Gen 29:19 ; 1Ki 14:31; 1Ki 15:2), and the tie between them is closer and more sacred than that between an ordinary couple” (Burckhardt, Ar. Prov., quoted in Stanley Cook, p. 99).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 4. My country] Mesopotamia, called here Abraham’s country, because it was the place where the family of Haran, his brother, had settled; and where himself had remained a considerable time with his father Terah. In this family, as well as in that of Nahor, the true religion had been in some sort preserved, though afterwards considerably corrupted; see Ge 31:19.
And take a wife unto my son] A young man in Bengal is precisely in the same circumstances as Isaac; he has nothing to do in the choice of a wife; parents employ others to seek wives for their sons. Those who leave their homes in search of employment always marry their children in their own country, and among their acquaintance at home; never among the people with whom they reside. In Asiatic countries this custom has prevailed from the infancy of the human race. See Ward’s Hindoo Customs.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
My country, i.e. Mesopotomia, Gen 24:10, which being largely taken for the country between those two famous rivers Euphrates and Tigris, from which situation it hath that name; so Chaldea, whence Abraham came, Gen 11:31; 12:1, was a part of it.
My kindred, the family of Nahor, concerning the increase whereof he had received information, Gen 22:20, &c., which he justly preferred before the Canaanites, partly because though they were idolaters, as appears from Gen 31:19,30-35; Jos 24:2, yet they did worship the true God together with idols, as may be gathered from Gen 24:31,50, and from other places; and therefore there was more hopes of the conversion of one of that family; and partly because they lived at a great distance from the place where Abraham and his posterity did and should live, and therefore one of that stock would be more easily disentangled from her superstition and idolatry, because she was removed from the influences of the evil counsels and examples of her nearest relations, and partly because they were of the race of blessed Shem, and not of cursed Canaan.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But thou shalt go unto my country,…. Not Canaan, which though his by promise, yet not in possession, but Mesopotamia, as appears from Ge 24:10; which taken largely included the Chaldea, see Ac 7:2, the country where Abraham was born, and from whence he came:
and to my kindred; the family of Nahor his brother, which now dwelt at Haran in Mesopotamia, called the city of Nahor, Ge 24:10; see
Ge 29:4; of the increase of whose family Abraham had heard a few years ago, Ge 22:20:
and take a wife to my son Isaac; from among them, who though they were not clear of superstition and idolatry, yet they worshipped the true God with their “idols”; and a woman taken out of such a family, and removed at a distance from it, it might be reasonably concluded would be brought off of those things, and adhere to the pure and undefiled religion; and the rather this family was chosen, not only because related to Abraham, but because it had sprung from Shem, who was blessed of God, and whose God the Lord was; nearness of kin was no objection and hinderance to such a marriage, the laws relating to marriage not being given till the time of Moses.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4. But thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred. It seems that, in the choice of the place, Abraham was influenced by the thought, that a wife would more willingly come from thence to be married to his son, when she knew that she was to marry one of her own race and country. But because it afterwards follows that the servant came to Padan Aram, some hence infer that Mesopotamia was Abraham’s country. The solution, however, of this difficulty is easy. We know that Mesopotamia was not only the region contained between the Tigris and the Euphrates, but that a part also of Chaldea was comprehended in it; for Babylon is often placed there by profane writers. The Hebrew name simply means, “Syria of the rivers.” They give the name Aram to that part of Syria which, beginning near Judea, embraces Armenia and other extensive regions, and reaches almost to the Euxine Sea. But when they especially designate those lands which are washed or traversed by the Tigris and Euphrates, they add the name “Padan:” for we know that Moses did not speak scientifically, but in a popular style. Since, however, he afterwards relates that Laban, the son of Nahor, dwelt at Charran, (Gen 29:4,) it seems to me probable that Nahor, who had remained in Chaldea, because it would be troublesome to leave his native soil, in process of time changed his mind; either because filial piety constrained him to attend to his decrepit and declining father, or because he had learned that he might have there a home as commodious as in his own country. It certainly appears from the eleventh chapter Gen 11:1 that he had not migrated at the same time with his father. (3)
(3) See Gen 11:31.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
Some have thought, that as Isaac was in many respects a type of the blessed Jesus, what is said here, in reference to the servant’s embassy, to bring home a wife for Isaac, may shadow out the service of ministers of the gospel in their bringing home souls to Christ. Certain it is, that the church is called the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Rev 21:9 . And Christ himself is called the bridegroom. Joh 3:29 ; Eph 5:2Eph 5:2 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 24:4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
Ver. 4. But thou shalt go unto my country, &c. ] Nahor’s stock were neither pure in religion nor precise in life, Jos 24:2 Gen 31:30 yet far better in both than those cursed Canaanites. Some knowledge they retained of the true God, of whom they speak much in this chapter, and concerning whom they hear Eliezer here relating how he had answered his prayer, and prospered his journey. And for their manners, we find them hospitable, and their daughter, though fair, yet a pure virgin. Now,
“Lis est, cure forma, magna pudicitiae.”
Like unto these are the Greek Church at this day, which is far greater than the Roman: and though in some points unsound, and in others very superstitious, yet holdeth sufficient for salvation. Cyril, their good patriarch of Constantinople, set forth the confession of the faith of those Eastern churches anno 1629, agreeable in all things for most part to the reformed Protestant religion, but diametrically opposite to that they call the Roman Catholic. He is also busy about a general reformation among them, and hath done much good. a
a Brerewood’s Enquiries, p. 139. – Bp. Ussher’s Ser. at Wanstead. – D. Field, Of the Church. – Jac. Revius, De Vit. Pontif., p. 320.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
my kindred. Gentiles thus expressly excluded from this chapter, if regarded as a type. Compare verses: Gen 24:3, Gen 24:4, Gen 24:7, Gen 3:37, Gen 3:38. See also Gen 26:35; Gen 27:46; Gen 28:1, Gen 28:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
to my kindred: Gen 11:25-32, Gen 12:1, Gen 12:7, Gen 22:20-23, Gen 28:2, There does not appear in all this concern the least taint of worldly policy, or any of those motives which usually govern men in the settlement of their children. No mention is made of riches, or honours, or natural accomplishments, but merely of what related to God. – Fuller.
Reciprocal: Gen 21:21 – a wife Gen 24:8 – only Gen 24:27 – of my Gen 24:38 – But Gen 31:53 – God of Abraham Deu 26:5 – A Syrian 2Ch 24:3 – took for him Pro 17:2 – wise Jer 29:6 – take wives
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
24:4 But thou shalt go unto my {c} country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
(c) He did not want his son to marry out of the godly family: for the problems that come from marrying the ungodly are set forth in various places throughout the scriptures.