Genesis 24:39
New International Version
“Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

New Living Translation
“But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’

English Standard Version
I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’

Berean Standard Bible
Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

King James Bible
And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

New King James Version
And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’

New American Standard Bible
Then I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’

NASB 1995
“I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’

NASB 1977
“And I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’

Amplified Bible
Then I said to my master, ‘But suppose the woman will not follow me [back to this land].’

Christian Standard Bible
But I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman will not come back with me? ’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman will not come back with me?’

American Standard Version
And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

Contemporary English Version
I asked my master, "What if the young woman refuses to come with me?"

English Revised Version
And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I asked my master, 'What if the woman won't come back with me?'

Good News Translation
And I asked my master, 'What if she will not come with me?'

International Standard Version
"So I asked my master, 'What if the woman won't come back with me?'

Majority Standard Bible
Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

NET Bible
But I said to my master, 'What if the woman does not want to go with me?'

New Heart English Bible
And I said to my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’

Webster's Bible Translation
And I said to my master, It may be the woman will not follow me.

World English Bible
I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I say to my lord, It may be the woman does not come after me;

Young's Literal Translation
'And I say unto my lord, It may be the woman doth not come after me;

Smith's Literal Translation
And saying to my lord, If the woman will not come after me?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But I answered my master: What if the woman will not come with me?

Catholic Public Domain Version
But truly, I answered my lord, ‘What if the woman is not willing to come with me?’

New American Bible
When I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’

New Revised Standard Version
I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I said to my master, Suppose the woman will be unwilling to follow me?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I said to my Lord, “And perhaps the woman will not desire to come with me?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I said unto my master: Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I said to my master, Haply the woman will not go with me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rebekah is Chosen
38but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’ 39Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’ 40And he told me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house.…

Cross References
Genesis 24:5
The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

Genesis 24:8
And if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”

Genesis 12:1
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.

Genesis 15:7
The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Genesis 22:20-24
Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor: / Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), / Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” ...

Genesis 28:1-2
So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded. / “Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

Genesis 31:3
Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 50:24
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Exodus 3:8
I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Deuteronomy 1:8
See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.”

Joshua 24:3
But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,

Nehemiah 9:7-8
You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. / You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.

Isaiah 51:2
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.

Acts 7:2-5
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, / and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ / So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. ...

Hebrews 11:8-10
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. / By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. / For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.


Treasury of Scripture

And I said to my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

Genesis 24:5
And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

Peradventure.

Genesis 9:18
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

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Genesis 24
1. Abraham swears his servant.
10. The servant's journey.
12. His prayer.
14. His sign.
15. Rebekah meets him;
18. fulfils his sign;
22. receives jewels;
23. shows her kindred;
25. and invites him home.
26. The servant blesses God.
29. Laban entertains him.
34. The servant shows his message.
50. Laban and Bethuel approve it.
58. Rebekah consents to go, and departs.
62. Isaac meets and marries her.














But I asked my master
This phrase indicates a dialogue between the servant and his master, Abraham. The Hebrew word for "asked" is "שָׁאַל" (sha'al), which implies a request for guidance or clarification. This reflects the servant's humility and respect for Abraham's authority. In a broader scriptural context, it underscores the importance of seeking wisdom from those who are spiritually mature, a principle echoed throughout the Bible.

‘What if the woman
The phrase "the woman" refers to the prospective bride for Isaac. In Hebrew, "הָאִשָּׁה" (ha'ishah) is used, which can denote a specific woman of significance. This highlights the servant's concern for the success of his mission, emphasizing the importance of marriage in God's covenantal plan. Historically, marriage alliances were crucial for familial and tribal continuity, reflecting God's design for family as a foundational societal unit.

will not come back with me?’
The concern "will not come back" is expressed in Hebrew as "לֹא תֵלֵךְ אַחֲרָי" (lo telekh acharai), which literally means "will not walk after me." This phrase captures the uncertainty and potential obstacles in fulfilling God's plan. It reflects the servant's awareness of human free will and the need for divine intervention. Scripturally, it reminds believers of the necessity to trust in God's providence, even when outcomes are uncertain. The servant's question is a testament to his faithfulness and reliance on God's guidance, a theme that resonates throughout the narrative of Genesis.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then I asked
וָאֹמַ֖ר (wā·’ō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

my master,
אֲדֹנִ֑י (’ă·ḏō·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

‘What if
אֻלַ֛י (’u·lay)
Adverb
Strong's 194: Perhaps

the woman
הָאִשָּׁ֖ה (hā·’iš·šāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

come
תֵלֵ֥ךְ (ṯê·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

back with me?’
אַחֲרָֽי׃ (’a·ḥă·rāy)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part


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OT Law: Genesis 24:39 I said to my master 'What if (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 24:38
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