And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
Parallel translations
- WEB If the woman isn’t willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again.”
- BSB 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.”
- NKJV And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.”
- NASB But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free of this oath of mine; only do not take my son back there.”
- NLT If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”
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
Abraham releases the servant from the oath if the woman refuses, but insists Isaac must not return. He balances trust in God's providence with firm conviction about the promised land.
Overview
Abraham frees the servant from any guilt should the woman decline, leaving the outcome to God. Yet he repeats that Isaac must never be taken back. His confidence is that God will provide, while his obedience holds firmly to the land of promise.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Josh 2:17–20And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
- Num 30:5But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
- Num 30:8But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.
- Gen 24:4–6But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
- John 8:32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
- Josh 9:20This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
- Acts 7:2And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
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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 24:8 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.