וַיִּקַּ֣ח הָ֠עֶבֶד עֲשָׂרָ֨ה גְמַלִּ֜ים מִגְּמַלֵּ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ וְכָל־ט֥וּב אֲדֹנָ֖יו בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיָּ֗קָם וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אֶל־אֲרַ֥ם נַֽהֲרַ֖יִם אֶל־עִ֥יר נָחֽוֹר׃

The servant took ten of his master’s camels for the extended journey from the south of Canaan to Haran, and he went with all of his master’s goods in his hand. He took gifts and other unique articles that would convey Abraham’s status and power, as well as various items he would need during the journey. He arose and went to Aram Naharayim, to the city of Nahor.

וַיַּבְרֵ֧ךְ הַגְּמַלִּ֛ים מִח֥וּץ לָעִ֖יר אֶל־בְּאֵ֣ר הַמָּ֑יִם לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב לְעֵ֖ת צֵ֥את הַשֹּׁאֲבֹֽת׃

At the end of his journey, he had the camels kneel, in contrast to horses and donkeys that generally drink while standing, outside the city by the well of water at evening time, at the time the women who draw water come out. Since the servant could not knock on every door searching for an appropriate wife for his master, he thought that visiting the well at this time of day would give him a good opportunity to see the local girls.

וַיֹּאמַ֓ר ׀ יְהוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם הַקְרֵה־נָ֥א לְפָנַ֖י הַיּ֑וֹם וַעֲשֵׂה־חֶ֕סֶד עִ֖ם אֲדֹנִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם׃

He said in prayer: Lord, God of my master Abraham, please arrange it for me today, and perform kindness with my master Abraham, on his behalf and in his honor.

הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֵ֣ין הַמָּ֑יִם וּבְנוֹת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר יֹצְאֹ֖ת לִשְׁאֹ֥ב מָֽיִם׃

Behold, I stand by the spring of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

וְהָיָ֣ה הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ הַטִּי־נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה וְאָמְרָ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם־גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֙חְתָּ֙ לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּי־עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם־אֲדֹנִֽי׃

It shall be that the girl to whom I shall say: Tilt your jug please, while it is still on your shoulder, which was the accepted method of giving another to drink, that I may drink, and she, that girl, shall say: Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink; I will know that it is she You have thereby confirmed to be a wife for Your servant, for Isaac; and through her, if I find such a girl, I shall know that You have shown kindness to my master.

וַֽיְהִי־ה֗וּא טֶרֶם֮ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל־שִׁכְמָֽהּ׃

It was before he concluded to speak, while he was still praying; behold, Rebecca, who was mentioned earlier (22:23), was coming out. Either she arrived first, before the other girls, or she stood out in some manner. The verse proceeds to restate her lineage: It was Rebecca who was born to Betuel, son of Milka, the primary wife , rather than a concubine, of Nahor, brother of Abraham. This is Abraham’s closest family (see 22:24). And her jug was on her shoulder as she came.

וְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד הָעַ֔יְנָה וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ וַתָּֽעַל׃

And the girl was good-looking, a virgin, and a man had not been intimate with her, which indicates that she was modest. Naturally, the servant became aware of these facts only later. She descended to the spring, she filled her jug, and ascended from the spring, which was slightly lower than the area surrounding it.

וַיָּ֥רָץ הָעֶ֖בֶד לִקְרָאתָ֑הּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט־מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ׃

The girl, whose dress likely indicated that she was unmarried, and who appeared to him to be the appropriate age for Isaac, impressed Abraham’s servant. Therefore, the servant ran toward her, and he said: Please allow me to sip a little water from your jug.

וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁתֵ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתֹּ֧רֶד כַּדָּ֛הּ עַל־יָדָ֖הּ וַתַּשְׁקֵֽהוּ׃

She said: Drink, my lord, and she hurried and lowered her jug on her hand, and gave him to drink. Instead of tilting the jug while it was still on her shoulder, Rebecca took the extra effort of removing the heavy container from her shoulder, so that it would be easier for the servant to drink.

וַתְּכַ֖ל לְהַשְׁקֹת֑וֹ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֤ם לִגְמַלֶּ֙יךָ֙ אֶשְׁאָ֔ב עַ֥ד אִם־כִּלּ֖וּ לִשְׁתֹּֽת׃

She concluded giving him to drink, and after he had drunk his fill she said: It is not enough for you alone to drink; I will draw for your camels and give them to drink as well, until they conclude to drink and their thirst is satiated.

וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּעַ֤ר כַּדָּהּ֙ אֶל־הַשֹּׁ֔קֶת וַתָּ֥רָץ ע֛וֹד אֶֽל־הַבְּאֵ֖ר לִשְׁאֹ֑ב וַתִּשְׁאַ֖ב לְכָל־גְּמַלָּֽיו׃

She hurried, emptied the water that remained in her jug into the trough, ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. It is no simple matter to give ten camels all the water they require; even a single camel that has traveled a long distance will consume a tremendous amount of water.

וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מִשְׁתָּאֵ֖ה לָ֑הּ מַחֲרִ֕ישׁ לָדַ֗עַת הַֽהִצְלִ֧יחַ יְהוָ֛ה דַּרְכּ֖וֹ אִם־לֹֽא׃

Therefore, the man stared at her as she ran back and forth from the well to the trough and was astonished at her. He was still silent, waiting to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. In light of her actions, he was certainly wondering about her identity and her family background, and thinking how he could learn more about her.

וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר כִּלּ֤וּ הַגְּמַלִּים֙ לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת וַיִּקַּ֤ח הָאִישׁ֙ נֶ֣זֶם זָהָ֔ב בֶּ֖קַע מִשְׁקָל֑וֹ וּשְׁנֵ֤י צְמִידִים֙ עַל־יָדֶ֔יהָ עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מִשְׁקָלָֽם׃

It was when the camels concluded to drink; the man took a gold nose ring, a kind of medallion placed on one’s nose or forehead, whose weight was one half shekel, and two bracelets that were to be strapped on her hands, whose weight was ten gold shekels. Based on comparisons with other sources, these were large and expensive pieces of jewelry. The servant initially removed the ornaments from his bag, then asked her for her identity, and only upon receiving a satisfactory answer did he give her the ring and bracelets. This is the interpretation of the Rashbam and the Ramban, although Rashi (verse 23) explains the sequence of events differently.

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ בַּת־מִ֣י אַ֔תְּ הַגִּ֥ידִי נָ֖א לִ֑י הֲיֵ֧שׁ בֵּית־אָבִ֛יךְ מָק֥וֹם לָ֖נוּ לָלִֽין׃

The servant then asked Rebecca two questions: First, he said: Whose daughter are you; please tell me. It was not considered proper etiquette for a stranger to ask a girl’s name; therefore he inquired into the identity of her family. Second, he asked: Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night, as it is evident from your behavior that you come from a family that is hospitable to guests.

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֖ה לְנָחֽוֹר׃

She said to him: I am the daughter of Betuel, son of Milka, whom she bore to Nahor.

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו גַּם־תֶּ֥בֶן גַּם־מִסְפּ֖וֹא רַ֣ב עִמָּ֑נוּ גַּם־מָק֖וֹם לָלֽוּן׃

She then said to him: With regard to your second question, both straw and feed is plentiful with us, as well as room to stay the night. She responded to the questions in the order in which they were asked. As noted by the Sages, it is considered the trait of a wise person to answer questions in the same order that they were posed.

וַיִּקֹּ֣ד הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לַֽיהוָֽה׃

The condition that the servant had earlier stipulated (verse 14) was merely divination, and its fulfillment alone did not prove that this girl was destined to marry Isaac. However, once it became clear that the same girl who fulfilled his conditions was also a close relative of Abraham, the man bowed and prostrated himself to the Lord.