וַיּוֹצֵ֨א הָעֶ֜בֶד כְּלֵי־כֶ֨סֶף וּכְלֵ֤י זָהָב֙ וּבְגָדִ֔ים וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לְרִבְקָ֑ה וּמִ֨גְדָּנֹ֔ת נָתַ֥ן לְאָחִ֖יהָ וּלְאִמָּֽהּ׃

The servant produced vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and garments, and he gave them to Rebecca; and he gave her brother and her mother precious objects, food or gifts, as a tribute for the match.

וַיֹּאכְל֣וּ וַיִּשְׁתּ֗וּ ה֛וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־עִמּ֖וֹ וַיָּלִ֑ינוּ וַיָּק֣וּמוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שַׁלְּחֻ֥נִי לַֽאדֹנִֽי׃

He and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed the night, as the previous events and discussions all took place during the evening hours: He met Rebecca toward the end of the day before the sun set (verse 11). They most likely reached her house in the early evening hours, after which he dined with her family. They arose in the morning, and he, the servant, said: Send me to my master. I wish to return to him and fulfill his request. His implicit intention was that they should send the girl with him, and thereby allow him to complete his mission.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אָחִ֙יהָ֙ וְאִמָּ֔הּ תֵּשֵׁ֨ב הַנַּעֲרָ֥ אִתָּ֛נוּ יָמִ֖ים א֣וֹ עָשׂ֑וֹר אַחַ֖ר תֵּלֵֽךְ׃

Her brother, who again spoke first, and her mother said: Let the girl remain with us for a full period, one year, or ten months; afterward she shall go. It is preferable that she remain here in the meantime; she may leave after all of the necessary preparations for her departure and her wedding have been completed.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ אַל־תְּאַחֲר֣וּ אֹתִ֔י וַֽיהוָ֖ה הִצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכִּ֑י שַׁלְּח֕וּנִי וְאֵלְכָ֖ה לַֽאדֹנִֽי׃

He said to them: Do not delay me, as the Lord has made my path successful; send me and I will go to my master.

וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ נִקְרָ֣א לַֽנַּעֲרָ֑ וְנִשְׁאֲלָ֖ה אֶת־פִּֽיהָ׃

They said: We will call the girl and ask her response.

וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ לְרִבְקָה֙ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יהָ הֲתֵלְכִ֖י עִם־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֑ה וַתֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלֵֽךְ׃

They called Rebecca and said to her: Will you go with this man? Some commentaries suggest that their use of the term “this man” instead of referring to him as the servant of Abraham, was a veiled warning: Do you really agree to undertake a long journey with this unfamiliar man? She said: I will go.

וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֛וּ אֶת־רִבְקָ֥ה אֲחֹתָ֖ם וְאֶת־מֵנִקְתָּ֑הּ וְאֶת־עֶ֥בֶד אַבְרָהָ֖ם וְאֶת־אֲנָשָֽׁיו׃

After Rebecca’s response, her family were left with no choice, and therefore they sent Rebecca their sister, and her nursemaid, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

וַיְבָרֲכ֤וּ אֶת־רִבְקָה֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לָ֔הּ אֲחֹתֵ֕נוּ אַ֥תְּ הֲיִ֖י לְאַלְפֵ֣י רְבָבָ֑ה וְיִירַ֣שׁ זַרְעֵ֔ךְ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר שֹׂנְאָֽיו׃

They blessed Rebecca, and said to her: Our sister, may you become thousands and ten thousands. We wish that a great nation should come from you, and let your descendants defeat and inherit the gate of their enemies.

וַתָּ֨קָם רִבְקָ֜ה וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֗יהָ וַתִּרְכַּ֙בְנָה֙ עַל־הַגְּמַלִּ֔ים וַתֵּלַ֖כְנָה אַחֲרֵ֣י הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּקַּ֥ח הָעֶ֛בֶד אֶת־רִבְקָ֖ה וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃

Rebecca and her young women rose. Since Nahor’s family was noble and wealthy, Rebecca was sent with her nursemaid and other girls to accompany her. And they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. Rebecca’s nursemaid and servants rode on the camels that were led by Abraham’s other subordinates, while the servant took Rebecca himself, personally overseeing her well-being, and went.

וְיִצְחָק֙ בָּ֣א מִבּ֔וֹא בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַנֶּֽגֶב׃

Isaac came from going to visit the area of Be’er Lahai Roi, the location where the angel of God had found Hagar. This name was due to Hagar’s vision of God there; it means the well [ be’er ] of the living [ ḥai ] God of my vision [ ro’i ] (see 16:14). And he, Isaac, was living in the land of the South.

וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים׃

Isaac went out to walk [ lasuah · ] in the field among the bushes [ siḥim ] toward evening; and he lifted his eyes, and behold, he saw camels coming.

וַתִּשָּׂ֤א רִבְקָה֙ אֶת־עֵינֶ֔יהָ וַתֵּ֖רֶא אֶת־יִצְחָ֑ק וַתִּפֹּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל הַגָּמָֽל׃

Presumably realizing that their caravan was approaching their destination, Rebecca lifted her eyes, and she saw Isaac. Perhaps his appearance had been previously described to her, or she possibly identified him by his dress and manner as a noble individual, as he was strolling in the field rather than working. She might have intuitively sensed that he was Isaac. In any event, she was excited, and she fell from the camel. This probably means that she leaned toward the servant, who was walking next to her and leading the camel.

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־הָעֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַלָּזֶה֙ הַהֹלֵ֤ךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה֙ לִקְרָאתֵ֔נוּ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הָעֶ֖בֶד ה֣וּא אֲדֹנִ֑י וַתִּקַּ֥ח הַצָּעִ֖יף וַתִּתְכָּֽס׃

She said to the servant, as she leaned toward him: Who is that man who walks in the field toward us? He appears to me to be an exceptional individual. Although Rebecca had apparently already identified Isaac, perhaps she wanted her suspicions confirmed. Alternatively, the dialogue in this verse preceded the events of the previous verse. The servant said: He is my master, Isaac. She took the veil and covered herself. Since her journey was complete, and she was now about to meet her future husband, she covered herself with a veil in a formal manner.

וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר הָעֶ֖בֶד לְיִצְחָ֑ק אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃

The servant related to Isaac all the matters that he had done, his own actions, as well as the miraculous fashion in which his mission was accomplished.

וַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק הָאֹ֙הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־רִבְקָ֛ה וַתְּהִי־ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶ֑הָ וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם יִצְחָ֖ק אַחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ׃ (פ)

Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah. As a distinguished woman, Sarah likely had her own tent, in which she kept her personal possessions. This tent, located in Hebron, remained empty after her death, and it was here that Isaac brought Rebecca. It is possible that this is the tent referred to earlier, in the story of Abraham’s hospitality to the angels (18:9–10). He took Rebecca, she became his wife, and he loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother. Evidently, his mother had died not long before. As Sarah’s only son, Isaac felt a deep inner void upon her passing. Upon the arrival of Rebecca, he finally felt that he could be comforted after his mother’s demise. He brought Rebecca to Sarah’s tent because she was expected to take over the matriarchal role in the family, a function that she would indeed fulfill in an important sense later.