And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
Parallel translations
- WEB The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not.
- BSB Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.
- NKJV And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
- NASB Meanwhile, the man was taking a close look at her in silence, to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.
- NLT The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The servant watches silently to discern whether God has prospered his journey. He waits attentively to confirm the Lord's leading.
Overview
The servant observes Rebekah quietly, weighing whether God has answered his prayer. His silent watchfulness shows reverent caution rather than presumption. He seeks certainty that the Lord has indeed prospered his mission before acting further.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Gen 24:12And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
- Ps 107:43Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
- Luke 2:51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
- 2 Sam 7:18–20Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
- Luke 2:19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
- Ps 116:1–7I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
- Ps 107:8Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
- Ps 107:1O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
- Gen 24:56And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
- Ps 34:1–6I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
- Ps 107:15Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 24:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.