Genesis 24:12

KJV

And 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.

KJV (with Strong's)

And he said {H559}, O LORD {H3068} God {H430} of my master {H113} Abraham {H85}, I pray thee, send me {H6440} good speed {H7136} this day {H3117}, and shew {H6213} kindness {H2617} unto {H5973} my master {H113} Abraham {H85}.

Complete Jewish Bible

He said, "ADONAI, God of my master Avraham, please let me succeed today; and show your grace to my master Avraham.

Berean Standard Bible

“O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

American Standard Version

And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray thee, good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Genesis 24:12 records the earnest prayer of Abraham's chief servant, a pivotal moment demonstrating profound faith and reliance on divine providence. As he embarks on the crucial mission of securing a wife for Isaac, the servant appeals to God for immediate guidance and success, recognizing that the future of God's covenant promises to Abraham hinges on a divinely orchestrated outcome. This prayer sets the stage for a remarkable display of God's active involvement in the unfolding of His redemptive plan.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This prayer occurs at a critical juncture in the narrative of [Genesis 24](/genesis/24 "Genesis 24 - Isaac and Rebekah"). Abraham, now old, has dispatched his most trusted servant on a solemn oath-bound mission: to find a wife for his son Isaac from his own kindred in Mesopotamia, specifically avoiding a Canaanite woman. The servant's journey has brought him to the well outside Nahor, a place of significant social interaction. His immediate action upon arrival—a fervent prayer for divine intervention—underscores the spiritual weight of his task. This prayer is not a perfunctory act but the desperate plea of a man who understands the generational and covenantal implications of finding the right spouse for Isaac, the heir of the promise. It immediately precedes the encounter with Rebekah, setting up the subsequent events as a direct answer to his petition.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, marriage was not merely a personal choice but a strategic alliance, particularly for prominent families. Endogamy (marrying within one's own kin group) was crucial for maintaining tribal identity, preserving inheritance, and ensuring the purity of lineage, especially for a family chosen by God. Abraham's insistence on a non-Canaanite wife reflects the cultural and religious separation God intended for his descendants, preventing assimilation into idolatrous practices. The custom of seeking a bride at a well was common, as these were vital community gathering places, especially for women drawing water. The servant's meticulous approach, including bringing ten camels and valuable gifts, was customary for such a significant negotiation, demonstrating Abraham's wealth and seriousness of intent. The servant's prayer also highlights the prevailing belief in divine guidance in daily affairs, particularly in matters of such consequence.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. It exemplifies **Divine Providence**, showcasing God's active and detailed involvement in the lives of His people to fulfill His purposes, even in seemingly mundane tasks like finding a spouse. It highlights the theme of **Covenant Faithfulness**, as the servant appeals to God's steadfast love (Hebrew: *chesed*) towards Abraham, reinforcing that God remains true to His promises (cf. [Genesis 12:1-3](/genesis/12-1-3 "God's Call and Promise to Abraham")). The narrative also underscores the **Importance of Prayer and Dependence on God**, presenting the servant as a model of seeking divine guidance in significant life decisions, rather than relying solely on human effort or chance. This aligns with the broader biblical emphasis on trusting God for direction, as seen in [Proverbs 3:5-6](/proverbs/3-5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Genesis 24:12 records the earnest plea of Abraham's servant, demonstrating a profound spiritual insight and absolute dependence on God. His prayer is not a mere formality but a heartfelt cry for divine intervention in a mission of monumental significance.

#### Key Word Analysis
* **LORD (Hebrew, _Yᵉhôvâh'_), God (Hebrew, _ʼĕlôhîym'_):** The servant addresses God using the combined Hebrew terms `Yᵉhôvâh` (H3068) and `ʼĕlôhîym` (H430). `Yᵉhôvâh` is God's personal, covenant name, emphasizing His relational faithfulness to His people, particularly to Abraham, as the self-Existent or Eternal One. `ʼĕlôhîym` highlights God's universal power and sovereignty as Creator and ruler over all, often used as a plural of majesty or deference. By invoking both names, the servant appeals to a God who is both intimately bound by covenant to Abraham and supremely powerful over all circumstances, capable of orchestrating the desired outcome. This appeal underscores God's established relationship with Abraham and His solemn promises concerning his descendants and the land.
* **good speed (Hebrew, _qârâh'_):** The phrase "send me good speed" translates from the Hebrew root `qârâh` (H7136), which means "to light upon (chiefly by accident)" or causatively, "to bring about." In this context, it denotes a 'favorable encounter' or 'divinely orchestrated occurrence,' rather than mere chance. The servant is not asking for luck but for a providential arrangement, a direct divine leading to the right person. This reveals his understanding that true success in such a crucial matter comes from God's direct guidance and intervention, aligning with the principle of trusting God for direction.
* **kindness (Hebrew, _chêçêd'_):** The word "kindness" is the rich Hebrew term `chêçêd` (H2617), which signifies loyal love, steadfast mercy, and covenant faithfulness. It describes God's unwavering commitment to His people, often expressed through benevolent action. The servant is praying that God would demonstrate His enduring `chêçêd` towards Abraham by ensuring the success of this mission. This is a plea for God to act in accordance with His character and His covenant commitment, a divine attribute central to God's revelation throughout Scripture. The servant understands that the success of his mission is not merely for his own benefit, but a direct manifestation of God's faithfulness to Abraham.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham,"**: This opening clause establishes the speaker as Abraham's servant and immediately directs his earnest plea to God. The invocation "O LORD God of my master Abraham" is a powerful theological statement, acknowledging God's personal, covenantal relationship with Abraham (LORD/Yahweh) and His universal sovereignty and power (God/Elohim). It grounds the servant's request in God's established faithfulness to Abraham and His promises.
* **"I pray thee, send me good speed this day,"**: Here, the servant articulates his specific request for divine intervention. The phrase "send me good speed" is a plea for a divinely orchestrated encounter, a providential leading to the right person. He is not asking for random luck but for God to actively guide his steps and bring about a favorable outcome on that very day, demonstrating his urgency and complete reliance on God's active involvement.
* **"and shew kindness unto my master Abraham."**: This final clause reveals the ultimate motivation behind the servant's prayer: not his own success, but the demonstration of God's loyal love and covenant faithfulness (`chesed`) to Abraham. The servant understands that the success of his mission is a direct manifestation of God's ongoing commitment to Abraham and the fulfillment of His promises through Isaac's lineage. This transforms the personal request into an intercessory prayer for the continuation of God's redemptive plan.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. The most prominent is **Supplication**, as the entire verse is a direct, earnest prayer to God. This highlights the servant's humility and dependence on divine intervention. The use of **Invocation** is also central, as the servant specifically addresses God as "O LORD God of my master Abraham," appealing to God's established character and covenant relationship with Abraham. This specific address serves to remind both God (in the human understanding of prayer) and the servant himself of the theological basis for the request. Furthermore, the **Repetition** of "my master Abraham" at the beginning and end of the prayer serves to emphasize the object of God's desired kindness and the covenantal context of the mission. This repetition underscores that the servant's primary concern is not his own success, but the welfare and the divine promises pertaining to Abraham.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This prayer is a profound testament to the active and personal nature of God's providence, particularly in the unfolding of His covenant purposes. It underscores that God is not a distant deity but intimately involved in the details of human life, orchestrating events to fulfill His promises. The servant's humble yet bold appeal to God's "kindness" (`chesed`) reveals a deep understanding of God's character as one who is faithfully committed to His covenant people across generations. This passage serves as a powerful model for believers, demonstrating that prayer is not merely a formality but a vital act of dependence, where we align our requests with God's revealed will and trust in His sovereign hand to guide our paths, especially in matters of significant spiritual and generational consequence.

* [Psalm 37:5](/psalms/37-5 "Commit your way to the LORD")
* [Proverbs 16:3](/proverbs/16-3 "Commit your works to the LORD")
* [Philippians 4:6-7](/philippians/4-6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 24:12 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers, urging us to cultivate a posture of humble dependence on God in all aspects of life, especially when facing decisions with significant, long-term implications. The servant's example encourages us to approach God in prayer, not with a list of demands, but with an earnest desire for His will to be done, trusting in His character and His covenant faithfulness, just as he appealed to the "LORD God of my master Abraham." This passage reminds us that God's *chesed* extends not only to us personally but also through us to others, prompting us to pray for divine blessings and guidance that will ultimately redound to His glory and the good of those we serve. It challenges us to elevate our daily tasks and major life choices to the realm of divine partnership, recognizing that God desires to be intimately involved in every step of our journey.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the servant's prayer in Genesis 24:12 challenge my approach to significant decisions in my own life?**
* **In what specific areas of my life do I need to more intentionally seek God's "good speed" and "kindness" rather than relying on my own efforts or chance?**
* **How can I cultivate a deeper understanding of God's covenant faithfulness (`chesed`) and allow it to bolster my confidence in prayer?**

### FAQ
**Who was Abraham's chief servant, and why was his mission so important?**

Answer: While the Bible does not explicitly name him in this chapter, tradition and inference from [Genesis 15:2](/genesis/15-2 "Eliezer of Damascus") suggest he was Eliezer of Damascus. His mission was critically important because Abraham, under God's command, sought a wife for Isaac from his own kin, ensuring the purity of the covenant line and preventing intermarriage with the idolatrous Canaanites. The success of this mission was vital for the continuation of God's promises to Abraham regarding his descendants and the eventual coming of the Messiah through this lineage.

**What does the servant mean by asking for "good speed"?**

Answer: The Hebrew word for "good speed" (*qârâh*) implies a divinely orchestrated encounter or a favorable, providential outcome, rather than mere chance or luck. The servant was praying for God to directly intervene and guide him to the right person, demonstrating his belief in God's active involvement in the details of his mission. This reflects a profound trust in God's sovereignty to bring about His purposes, even in seemingly ordinary circumstances.

**How does the servant's prayer demonstrate his understanding of God's character?**

Answer: The servant addresses God as "LORD God of my master Abraham" (*Yᵉhôvâh ʼĕlôhîym*), acknowledging both God's personal, covenant faithfulness (*Yᵉhôvâh*) and His universal power and sovereignty (*ʼĕlôhîym*). His request for "kindness" (*chêçêd*) further reveals his understanding of God's loyal love and steadfast commitment to His covenant. He appeals to God based on His established relationship with Abraham and His unchanging nature, demonstrating a mature theological grasp of who God is and how He acts.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The divine providence so clearly demonstrated in [Genesis 24:12](/genesis/24-12 "Abraham's Servant's Prayer") and throughout the narrative of finding a bride for Isaac ultimately points to the greater, overarching providence by which God prepared the way for the coming of Christ. Just as a suitable bride was sought for Isaac to continue the covenant line, Christ, the ultimate Seed of Abraham, came to establish a new covenant and gather His bride, the Church. The `chesed` (steadfast love) the servant prayed for Abraham finds its ultimate and most profound expression in Jesus Christ, through whom God's covenant promises are fully realized and His loyal love is perfectly manifested. Jesus is the fulfillment of God's `chesed` to Abraham, bringing salvation not just to a single lineage but to all nations, as promised in [Genesis 12:3](/genesis/12-3 "God's Blessing to All Nations through Abraham"). Through His sacrificial work on the cross, Jesus secures a people for Himself, a spiritual lineage that transcends physical descent ([Galatians 3:29](/galatians/3-29 "Heirs according to the promise")). The meticulous care God showed in guiding the servant to Rebekah is but a shadow of the perfect plan God executed in sending His Son to redeem humanity and unite His Church to Himself as His beloved bride, a union anticipated in [Ephesians 5:25-27](/ephesians/5-25-27 "Christ's love for the Church").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Genesis 24:27

And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I [being] in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.

2 Kings 2:14

And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where [is] the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

Genesis 26:24

And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I [am] the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I [am] with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake.

Exodus 3:6

Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Exodus 3:15

And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this [is] my name for ever, and this [is] my memorial unto all generations.

Genesis 24:48

And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

Genesis 24:42

And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: