Genesis 24 42

Genesis 24:42 kjv

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:

Genesis 24:42 nkjv

"And this day I came to the well and said, 'O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go,

Genesis 24:42 niv

"When I came to the spring today, I said, 'LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.

Genesis 24:42 esv

"I came today to the spring and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go,

Genesis 24:42 nlt

"So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: 'O LORD, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission.

Genesis 24 verses

Genesis 24 42 meaning

Genesis 24:42 depicts the trusted servant Eliezer standing by the well in Mesopotamia, commencing a sincere prayer to YHWH. He addresses God as "LORD, God of my master Abraham," invoking the covenant relationship and God's faithfulness. His immediate plea is for divine assistance to prosper and guide his mission to find a wife for Isaac, emphasizing his complete dependence on God's intervention for success on that very day.

Genesis 24 42 Context

Genesis chapter 24 details Abraham's critical mission to secure a wife for his son Isaac, ensuring that Isaac does not marry a Canaanite woman. Being very old, Abraham entrusts this weighty task to his most trusted and senior servant, Eliezer of Damascus. Abraham makes Eliezer swear an oath by the LORD, highlighting the spiritual significance of the mission and his reliance on divine providence. Verse 42 is part of Eliezer's recount of his journey and prayer to Rebekah's family. He narrates his arrival at the well (a vital gathering place in the ancient Near East) and his initial, fundamental prayer before he even stipulated the specific signs he desired (detailed in Gen 24:12-14). This demonstrates Eliezer's faith and direct approach to YHWH, reflecting Abraham's piety in his servant. The historical context underscores the importance of tribal lineage, arranged marriages for familial and covenantal continuity, and the cultural role of wells as social hubs for the community. The cultural setting of finding a spouse, where families, not individuals, initiate and consent to marriage, also provides the backdrop for Eliezer's diplomatic yet spiritually earnest approach.

Genesis 24 42 Word analysis

• And I came: Emphasizes the immediate, direct action and the promptness of Eliezer's obedience to Abraham.
• this day: Stresses the immediacy and urgency of the task and Eliezer's reliance on prompt divine intervention. It highlights a present and immediate need for God's guidance.
• to the well: (Hebrew: be'er - בְּאֵר). Wells were indispensable for survival in arid regions, acting as communal gathering points, and often associated with significant encounters and covenants (e.g., Isaac at Beer-lahai-roi, Jacob at the well). This signifies the physical locus of the divine encounter and the practical reality of daily life integrated with faith.
• and said: Implies an oral, direct address to God, a vocalized prayer, demonstrating active communication and reverence.
• O LORD: (Hebrew: YHWH - יהוה). The personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel. This highlights a deep, personal relationship, and reliance on God's covenant promises, not merely a general deity. Eliezer knew and appealed to the specific God of Abraham.
• God of my master Abraham: Establishes the foundation of the prayer in God's faithfulness to Abraham and his household. Eliezer implicitly trusts in God's promises made to Abraham regarding his seed and blessing (Gen 12:1-3, Gen 15:1). This also demonstrates the transmission of faith from master to servant.
• if now: An earnest, polite entreaty, not a demanding one. It suggests a humble request, conditional on God's gracious will.
• thou do prosper: (Hebrew: hāṣlaḥtā - הִצְלַחְתָּ, from tsalach - צָלַח). This term signifies to succeed, to advance, to be effective, or to break through. It denotes God granting success and ensuring the journey culminates fruitfully, underscoring that true success in mission comes from God's hand.
• my way which I go: A specific petition for guidance and success on this very particular journey and task. Eliezer is seeking clear divine direction for the path he is currently walking, recognizing God's sovereignty over his steps.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And I came this day to the well, and said": This phrase sets the scene of Eliezer's proactive faith. Upon reaching a crucial location, he immediately turns to prayer, demonstrating urgency and the integration of prayer into his task.
• "O LORD, God of my master Abraham": This forms the invocation, demonstrating Eliezer's theology and deep spiritual heritage. He approaches God based on Abraham's established relationship and God's covenant with him, emphasizing trust in God's consistent character and promises. It distinguishes YHWH from other pagan deities prevalent in Haran.
• "if now thou do prosper my way which I go": This is the core petition, highlighting humble dependence, an appeal for divine providence, and seeking tangible success directly from God for his mission. It encapsulates his need for God's active involvement in the unfolding of events.

Genesis 24 42 Bonus Section

Eliezer's prayer demonstrates a nuanced understanding of discernment. He doesn't just ask God to show him the person, but he first prays for success or prosperous passage. The specific signs he asks for later (Gen 24:12-14) are not presumptuous tests of God, but rather a set of clear, observable criteria he proposes after having already surrendered the overall journey's success to the Lord. This sequential praying reveals a blend of earnest seeking and practical, faith-filled application, looking for confirmation that is unambiguous. It implies a "sign for success" rather than "a sign for signs sake." This reliance on divine enablement for the success of the mission as a whole before looking for specific confirmatory signs is a valuable lesson in discerning God's will. The use of "this day" is not just about the specific timing but implies that this day, the present moment, is where God's hand is sought, aligning present action with divine intention.

Genesis 24 42 Commentary

Genesis 24:42 serves as a pivotal moment, capturing Eliezer's immediate, profound, and deeply contextualized prayer at the threshold of his mission's climax. This is not a casual plea but an earnest cry from a servant committed to his master's will, driven by faith in God. He bypasses any human strategy or negotiation first, turning directly to the covenant-keeping God. By invoking "God of my master Abraham," Eliezer aligns himself with the divine promises and the faithfulness already demonstrated towards Abraham, acknowledging that his master's blessings extended to his household and, by extension, to his servant's crucial undertaking. The plea "if now thou do prosper my way" is a humble surrender, an admission that success is not dependent on his own skills but solely on God's intervention. This verse underscores the practice of prayer in critical moments, illustrating a trust that God is intimately involved in even the mundane details of daily life, particularly when seeking His will in significant decisions like marriage. It stands in stark contrast to pagan practices of divination or reliance on chance, championing absolute dependence on the Living God.

Practical examples:

• Before a crucial job interview, instead of relying only on preparation, a person might genuinely pray: "O LORD, prosper my way today."
• When faced with a significant life decision, like a move or a new endeavor, one can echo Eliezer's trust, "If now You do prosper my way," committing the outcome to divine will.
• Praying for clarity and favor in relationships or when seeking a godly spouse, recognizing that true success and divine alignment come from the LORD.