And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
64. lighted off the camel ] i.e. she “alighted,” or “leapt down from.” Her action is that of Oriental courtesy: cf. Jos 15:18; Jdg 1:14 ; 1Sa 25:23; 2Ki 5:21. See Thomson’s Land and Book, p. 593, “Women frequently refuse to ride in the presence of men; and when a company of them are to pass through a town, they often dismount and walk.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As a testimony of her respect to him, whom by the servant she understood to be her lord and husband. Compare Jos 15:18; 1Sa 25:23.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
64. she lighted off the camelIfIsaac were walking, it would have been most unmannerly for her tohave continued seated; an inferior, if riding, always alights inpresence of a person of rank, no exception being made for women.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes,…. And looked about:
and when she saw Isaac; whom she suspected him to be, and therefore inquired of the servant, who told her who he was:
she lighted off the camel; or “fell” w from it, not accidentally, or through surprise, but willingly, and in honour to Isaac, as was customary; for had she sat on her camel when she met him, it would not have seemed respectful enough to him; though Jarchi thinks she did not get off, but only bowed herself upon the camel, when she came near him.
w “et cecidit”, Montanus, Drusius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
64. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes. We may easily conjecture that Isaac, when he saw the camels, turned his steps towards them, from the desire of seeing his bride; this gave occasion to the inquiry of Rebekah. Having received the answer, she immediately, for the sake of doing honor to her husband, dismounted her camel to salute him. For that she fell, struck with fear, as some suppose, in no way agrees with the narrative. She had performed too long a journey, under the protection of many attendants, to be so greatly afraid at the sight of one man. But these interpreters are deceived, because they do not perceive, that in the words of Moses, the reason is afterwards given to this effect, that when Rebekah saw Isaac, she alighted from her camel; because she had inquired of the servant who he was, and had been told that he was the son of his master Abraham. It would not have entered into her mind to make such inquiry respecting any person whom she might accidentally meet: but seeing she had been informed that Abraham’s house was not far distant, she supposes him at least to be one of the domestics. Moses also says that she took a veil: which was a token of shame and modesty. For hence also, the Latin word which signifies “to marry,” (12) is derived, because it was the custom to give brides veiled to their husbands. That the same rite was also observed by the fathers, I have no doubt. (13) So much the more shameful, and the less capable of excuse, is the licentiousness of our own age; in which the apparel of brides seems to be purposely contrived for the subversion of all modesty.
(12) “ Verbum nubendi.” The original meaning of the word nubere is to veil, or cover.
(13) “Isaac was walking, and it would therefore have been the highest breach of Oriental good manners, to have remained on the camel when presented to him. No doubt they all alighted and walked to meet him, conducting Rebekah as a bride to meet the bridegroom.” — Bush. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(64) She lighted off.Heb., fell: descended hastily from her camel. It is still the custom in the East for an inferior when meeting a superior to dismount, and advance on foot. Rebekah, therefore, would have been thought bold and disrespectful had she not acknowledged the superiority of her lord. Besides beauty, we have already seen in her kindliness of heart, activity, and courageous submission to the guidance of Providence; we now see her modesty and courtesy towards her husband.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
64. She lighted off the camel Literally, and she fell from off the camel . The expression denotes the rapidity with which she threw herself from the camel at sight of Isaac, whom she, probably at once, more than suspected to be her future husband. Dr. Thomson says: “The behaviour of Rebekah, when about to meet Isaac, was such as modern etiquette requires. It is customary for both men and women, when an emeer, or great personage, is approaching, to alight some time before he comes up with them. Women frequently refuse to ride in the presence of men, and when a company of them are to pass through a town, they often dismount and walk. It was, no doubt, a point of Syrian etiquette for Rebekah to stop, descend from her camel, and cover herself with a vail in the presence of her future husband. In a word, this biblical narrative is so natural to one familiar with the East, so beautiful, also, and lifelike, that the entire scene seems to be an affair in which he has himself been but recently an actor.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and when she saw Isaac she alighted from the camel. And she said to the servant, “What man is that who walks in the open country to meet us?” And the servant said, “It is my master.” And she took her veil and covered herself.’
Rebekah too has an instant response. Something tells her that this man she can see walking in the open country is her future husband and she slips from her camel. Then she seeks confirmation from the steward, who replies “It is my master.”
Some have cavilled at this statement on the grounds that Abraham is his master, but it has always been commonplace for the son of the house to be thought of as ‘the young master’. There is a delicacy of touch in his slightly exaggerating Isaac’s status in the eyes of the future wife. He wishes Rebekah to know that he will be as faithful to her future husband as he is to her future father-in-law.
“And she took her veil and covered herself.” She has been travelling unveiled but now modesty requires that she veil herself to meet her betrothed, for this is a formal meeting and she does not wish to appear forward.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 24:64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
Ver. 64. She lighted off the camel. ] To meet him with the more reverence and submission; for which cause also, she veiled herself. Here that of the poet held not.
“Fastus inest pulchris, sequiturque superbia formam.” – Ovid.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
lighted off. Hebrew. fell, or alighted hastily.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
lighted: Jos 15:18, Jdg 1:14
Reciprocal: 1Co 11:10 – power