《Expository Notes on the Whole Bible – Genesis》(Thomas Constable) Commentator

22 Chapter 22
Verses 1-8

This incident took place some time after the events recorded in the chapters immediately preceding this one, evidently several years later.

God's revelation to Abraham (His eighth recorded in Scripture) came to test Abraham's faith (i.e., to prove its character and strength; cf. James 2:21-23).

"Life is a succession of tests, for character is only possible through discipline." [Note: Thomas, p. 195.]

God was testing Abraham's love for Himself as well as his faith (Genesis 22:2). Such testing (Heb. nsh) shows what someone is really like, and it usually involves difficulty or hardship (cf. Exodus 15:25; Exodus 16:4; Exodus 20:20; Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 8:16; Deuteronomy 13:3; Judges 2:22; Judges 3:1; Judges 3:4; 1 Kings 10:1; Daniel 1:12; Daniel 1:14).

"This scene presents the radical nature of true faith: tremendous demands and incredible blessings." [Note: Waltke, Genesis, p. 301.]

"The . . . best approach to the passage is that God commanded an actual human sacrifice and Abraham intended to obey Him fully." [Note: Davis, p. 217.]

The land of Moriah was the mountainous country around Jerusalem. It stood about 45 miles north of Beersheba. On these mountains God later appeared to David who built an altar to the Lord (2 Samuel 24:16-25). Here also Solomon built his temple (2 Chronicles 3:1) and Jesus Christ died. A mountain was a suitable place for Abraham to meet God (cf. Genesis 22:14). [Note: See Appendix 3 at the end of these notes for an article about Jerusalem's Temple Mount.]

Genesis 22:1-2 relate another call God gave Abraham that parallels the one in Genesis 12:1-3 where God told him to leave where he was and go to another land.

"The repetition of these motifs forms an inclusio in the narrative structure of the Abrahamic narrative, pointing out the complete cycle in the patriarch's experience. The allusion to the former call would also have prompted obedience to the present one, in many ways a more difficult journey in God's direction." [Note: Ross, Creation and . . ., p. 394. Cf. Mathews, Genesis 11:27-50:26, p, 283.]

The Lord was not asking Abraham to make any greater sacrifices to Him, the true God, than his pagan neighbors were willing to make to their false gods. Canaanite religion involved child sacrifice, but we do not know for sure that the Canaanites practiced it as early as Abraham's time. [Note: See Everyday Life in Bible Times, p. 91; and The New Bible Dictionary, s.v. "Canaan, Canaanite," p. 186.]

"The demand [to sacrifice Isaac] was indeed only made to prove that Abraham was not behind the heathen in the self-denying surrender of his dearest to his God, and that when the demand had been complied with in spirit, the external fulfillment might be rejected." [Note: Delitzsch, 2:91.]

The words used to describe Isaac in this chapter, as well as what Moses said of him, indicate that he was probably a young man at this time (Genesis 22:6). Josephus said he was 25 years old. [Note: Josephus, 1:13:43.]

"There are indications to suggest that the meaning of Abba in Mark 14:36 is to be found in the light of its whole context and Genesis 22. Jesus' final trial in Gethsemane appears to be modelled on the supreme trial of Abraham and Isaac. Despite his horror and anguish before the prospect of an imminent sacrificial death, Isaac calls to Abraham his Abba and, as a faithful son, obeys the voice of God speaking through his father. Parallel to this, Jesus says Abba to God in the same way that Isaac does to Abraham. In this context, Abba has the meaning of 'father' in the sense of a relationship to a devoted and obedient son. In Jesus' supreme hour of trial, it is his trust and obedience to God as Abba that carries him through, even to the cross. This meaning of Abba may prompt further study of the significance of son in other NT texts to discover whether the obediential aspect may be more prominent than has been suspected. The father-son relationship in Genesis 22 may be a far-reaching New Testament model of that between Jesus and God." [Note: Joseph A. Grassi, "Abba, Father (Mark 14:36): Another Approach," Journal of the American Academy of Religion 50:3 (September 1982):455.]

Abraham referred to the sacrifice he would offer, supposedly Isaac, but really God's substitute for Isaac, as "the lamb." This statement (Genesis 22:8), of course, proved prophetic of Jesus Christ as well (John 1:29). Abraham spoke better than he knew.

Verses 1-19

14. The sacrifice of Isaac 22:1-19

In obedience to God's command Abraham took his promised heir to Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. Because Abraham was willing to slay his uniquely begotten son God restrained him from killing Isaac and promised to bless him further for his obedience. Abraham memorialized the place as "the Lord will provide."

God called on Abraham to make five great sacrifices: his native country, his extended family, his nephew Lot, his son Ishmael, and his son Isaac. Each sacrifice involved something naturally dear to Abraham, but each resulted in greater blessings from God.

This incident also demonstrates the strong confidence that Abraham had in God at this time. He believed God was even able to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). This is why he was willing to slay him. Jewish tradition refers to this chapter as the Akedah, from the Hebrew word wayya'aqod, translated "bound," in Genesis 22:9. [Note: See Mathews, Genesis 11:27-50:26, pp. 300-306.]

"With this chapter we reach the climax of the faith life of Abraham-the supreme test and the supreme victory." [Note: Leupold, 2:616. Cf. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, pp. 99, 112. This writer also noted parallels between chapters 21 and 22 on pp. 99-100.]

"The seventh crisis [I believe it is the eleventh] comes at a point in the narrative when we least expect it and is without question the greatest crisis of all. After all obstacles have seemingly been surmounted and all potential rivals eliminated, God now asks for Abraham's only son whom he loves. The gracious intervention of God and the reaffirmation of the basic promise of 12.1-3 in 22.15-18 would seem to conclude the Abraham cycle at the moment when faith triumphs over the greatest obstacle of all, death." [Note: Helyer, pp. 84-85.]

Verses 9-19

Isaac demonstrated his own faith clearly in this incident. He must have known what his father intended to do to him, yet he submitted willingly (Genesis 22:9).

"If Abraham displays faith that obeys, then Isaac displays faith that cooperates. If Isaac was strong and big enough to carry wood for a sacrifice, maybe he was strong and big enough to resist or subdue his father." [Note: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters 18-50, p. 110.]

The possibility of Isaac resisting may be why Abraham bound him on the altar.

"The sacrifice was already accomplished in his [Abraham's] heart, and he had fully satisfied the requirements of God." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 1:250.]

"The test, instead of breaking him, brings him to the summit of his lifelong walk with God." [Note: Kidner, pp. 142-43. See Donald Campbell, "Passing the Test," Kindred Spirit 9:2 (Summer 1985):9-10.]

Abraham gained a greater appreciation of God as the One who will provide or look out for him (Yahweh-jireh, lit. "the Lord sees") as a result of this incident (Genesis 22:14). Also, the Lord confirmed His knowledge of Abraham (Genesis 22:12; cf. Genesis 18:21; Job 1:1; Job 1:8; Job 2:3).

"The story reaches its climax when Abraham demonstrated his loyalty (Genesis 22:12; Genesis 22:15-18) by obeying God's command (cf. Genesis 26:5). God then elevated the patriarch to the status of a favored vassal who now possessed a ratified promise, comparable to the royal grants attested in the ancient Near East. God contextalized His self-revelation to Abraham (and to the readers of the narrative) within the relational, metaphorical framework of a covenant lord. Thus one should not be surprised to hear Him speak in ways that reflect the relational role He assumed within this metaphorical framework." [Note: Chisholm, "Anatomy of . . .," p. 13.]

Abraham's sacrifice of the ram (Genesis 22:13), like Noah's sacrifice after he left the ark (Genesis 8:18 to Genesis 9:17), expressed thanks and devotion to God and anticipated His benevolence toward future generations. This is the first explicit mention of the substitutionary sacrifice of one life for another in the Bible. God appeared again to Abraham (the ninth revelation) at the end of His test (Genesis 22:15). God swore by Himself to confirm His promises to Abraham (Genesis 22:16). God so swore only here in His dealings with the patriarchs. Moses referred to this oath later in Israel's history (Genesis 24:7; Genesis 26:3; Genesis 50:24; Exodus 13:5; Exodus 13:11; Exodus 33:1; et al.; cf. Hebrews 6:13-14).

". . . the main point of Genesis 22:9-14 is not the doctrine of the Atonement. It is portraying an obedient servant worshipping God in faith at great cost, and in the end receiving God's provision." [Note: Ross, "Genesis," p. 65.]

One writer suggested that Genesis 22:15-18 really ". . . describes the establishment of the covenant of circumcision first mentioned in Genesis 17." [Note: T. Desmond Alexander, "Genesis 22 and the Covenant of Circumcision," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 25 (February 1983):17.] However the lack of reference to circumcision in the immediate context makes this interpretation tenuous.

For the first and last time in Genesis, the Lord swore an oath in His own name guaranteeing His promise (Genesis 22:16; cf. Hebrews 6:13-14). God thus reinforced, reemphasized, and extended the promise that He had given formerly (Genesis 12:1-3) because Abraham trusted and obeyed Him (Genesis 22:17-18).

"Here again God promised Abraham that he would become the recipient of the covenant blessings. The covenant was not based on obedience, nor was the perpetuity of the covenant based on obedience-but rather the reception of covenant blessings was conditioned on obedience. Remember, an unconditional covenant may have conditional blessings." [Note: Pentecost, Thy Kingdom . . ., pp. 66-67.]

Abraham's "seed" (Genesis 22:18) refers not only to Isaac but also to Messiah (cf. Galatians 3:16).

The Four Seeds of Abraham in Scripture

NATURAL SEED All physical descendants of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 12:7; et al.)

NATURAL-SPIRITUAL SEED Believing physical descendants of Abraham (Romans 9:6; Romans 9:8; Galatians 6:16)

SPIRITUAL SEED Believing non-physical descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3:6-9; Galatians 3:29)

ULTIMATE SEED Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16)

Abraham then returned to the well he had purchased at Beersheba and lived there (Genesis 22:19).

Moses probably preserved the details of this story because this test involved the future of God's promised seed, Isaac, and, therefore, the faithfulness of God. He probably did so also because this incident illustrates God's feelings in giving His Son as the Lamb of God (cf. John 1:29; John 3:16). Other themes in this chapter include testing and obedience, the relationship between God and man, and the relationship between father and son. [Note: John Lawlor developed these other themes in "The Test of Abraham: Genesis 22:11-19," Grace Theological Journal 1:1 (Spring 1980):19-35.]

Every time Abraham made a sacrifice for God the Lord responded by giving Abraham more.

1. Abraham left his homeland; God gave him a new one.

2. Abraham left his extended family; God gave him a much larger family.

3. Abraham offered the best of the land to Lot; God gave him more land.

4. Abraham gave up the King of Sodom's reward; God gave Abraham more wealth.

5. Abraham gave up Ishmael; God made Ishmael the father of a multitude of Abraham's posterity.

6. Abraham was willing to give up Isaac; God allowed him to live and through him gave Abraham numerous seed.

In each case God gave Abraham a deeper relationship with Himself as well as more material prosperity. Note the closeness of this fellowship in Abraham's response to God's revelations: "Here I am" (Genesis 22:1; Genesis 22:11).

God has not promised Christians great physical blessings (cf. 2 Timothy 3:2), but whenever we make a sacrifice for Him He gives us a deeper relationship with Himself at least (cf. John 15:14). For this reason we should not fear making personal sacrifices for God.

Note too that what God called Abraham to give back to Him was something that He had provided for Abraham supernaturally in faithfulness to His promise. Sometimes God tests our faith by asking us to give back to Him what He has supernaturally and faithfully provided, not just what He has provided through regular channels.

This test of Abraham's faith is the climax of his personal history. It is the last major incident in the record of his life.

". . . God does not demand a literal human sacrifice from His worshippers, but the spiritual sacrifice of an unconditional denial of the natural life, even to submission to death itself." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 1:252.]

The faithful believer will surrender to God whatever He may ask trusting in God's promise of provision and blessing.

Verses 20-24

15. The descendants of Nahor 22:20-24

The testing of Abraham's faith was complete with the sacrifice of Isaac. The Author therefore brought the history of his life to a close and began to set the scene for related events in Isaac's life.

This section signals a change in the direction of the narrative. It moves from Abraham to the next generation and its connections with the East. The record of Nahor's 12 sons prepares the way for the story of Isaac's marriage. It also shows that Rebekah ("heifer," or "soft, supple") was the daughter of Bethuel's wife (Genesis 22:23), not the daughter of Bethuel's concubine (Genesis 22:24). Isaac's marriage was very important because Isaac was the heir of the promises (ch. 24).

Only a few of the individuals named as descendants of Abraham's brother Nahor appear elsewhere in Scripture. The most important individuals were Rebekah and her father Bethuel. This is a segmented genealogy designed to establish family relationships, not a linear genealogy, which identifies the final descendant as the legitimate successor of the first (cf. Ruth 4:18-22).

23 Chapter 23
Verse 1-2

Sarah is the only woman whose age at death the Scriptures record (Genesis 23:1). She is also the only woman whose name God changed (Genesis 17:15). This notation of her age illustrates her importance. Isaac was 37 years old when his mother died. Abraham died at the age of 175 (Genesis 25:8), 38 years after Sarah.

Abraham and Sarah had moved back near Hebron after having lived at Beersheba for some time (Genesis 23:2; cf. Genesis 22:19).

"It should be stressed here that the world of the patriarchs was that of a developed and organized society and not what is usually regarded as a simple pastoral-bedouin existence. Throughout Genesis 12-50 there are connections to Mesopotamia and to Egypt as well as negotiations with local political centers (Shechem, Salem and Hebron) as well as Gerar in the Western Negev on a branch of the Coastal Highway.

"Much of the theological relevance of the patriarchs is based upon the fact that there were other more attractive lifestyles available to these early Biblical figures. The option they chose gave them few of the advantages they could have enjoyed elsewhere, especially in Mesopotamia where their family was established. In light of this fact and the great promises made to Abraham during his lifetime, his remark to the leaders of Hebron after the death of his wife, Sarah, takes on new meaning." [Note: Monson, pp. 153-54.]

Verses 3-16

Typically ancient Near Easterners buried family members in their native land. [Note: Ross, "Genesis," p. 66.] Abraham's desire to bury Sarah in the Promised Land shows that he had turned his back on Mesopotamia forever (Genesis 23:4). Canaan was his adopted homeland.

God had made Abraham a powerful person, which his neighbors acknowledged (Genesis 23:6). [Note: On Abraham as a "mighty prince," see Wiseman, "Abraham ... Part II: Abraham the Prince," pp. 228-37.]

"Abraham has put himself at the bottom of the social ladder, and they put him at the top." [Note: E. F. Roop, Genesis, p. 154.]

"Their warm and generous reply apparently gave Abraham all he wanted, but permission to bury Sarah was only part of what he had requested. He had asked for a burial plot, not simply for the use of one of their graves. Despite the warmth of their reply, the Hittites, by omitting any mention of this point, probably indicate their reluctance to transfer land to Abraham, for then he would no longer be a landless sojourner." [Note: Wenham, Genesis 16-50, p. 127.]

These Hittites (Hethites) were residents of Canaan, not members of the mighty Hittite Empire that later flourished north of the Promised Land in Syria. [Note: See Bryant G. Wood, "Hittites and Hethites: A Proposed Solution to an Etymological Conundrum," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54:2 (June 2011):239-50.]

Why did Ephron want to sell Abraham the entire plot of ground in which the cave lay rather than just the cave as Abraham requested (Genesis 23:8-11)? Hittite law specified that when a landowner sold only part of his property to someone else the original owner had to continue to pay all taxes on the land. However if he sold the entire tract the new owner was responsible to pay the taxes (cf. 1 Chronicles 21:24). Consequently Ephron held out for the entire tract knowing that Abraham needed to make his purchase quickly so he could bury Sarah. [Note: Barker, p. 134.]

Abraham's willingness to pay what appears to have been an unusually large price for the land further demonstrates his faith (Genesis 23:15-16). An average field cost four shekels per acre, and garden land cost 40 shekels per acre. [Note: Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventy-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, 1:356.] Abraham was willing to pay 400 shekels. Of course, the text does not give the exact area of the property, but it appears to have been relatively small.

"The piece of property was no bargain for Abraham; 400 shekels would be more than a hundred pounds of silver. David paid only one-eighth that amount-50 shekels of silver-for the purchase of the temple site from Araunah (2 Samuel 24:24)." [Note: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters 18-50, p. 135.]

Ephron's responses to Abraham's requests sound very generous, but he was really making it difficult for Abraham to pay less than his asking price. Ephron's object may have been to get a present from Abraham for having given him the field and cave that would compensate for the value of the land. Such a gift was customary. On the other hand he may have wanted to preclude Abraham's offering to pay him less than his asking price (Genesis 23:15). [Note: See Keil and Delitzsch, 1:255-56; Leupold, 2:650; and G. C. Aalders, Genesis , 2:58-59.]

"Did the patriarchs who forsook everything for the sake of the promises go unrewarded? No, answers our narrative. In death they were heirs and no longer 'strangers.' A very small part of the Promised Land-the grave-belonged to them; therefore they did not have to rest in 'Hittite earth' or in the grave of a Hittite (cf. Genesis 23:6), which Israel would have considered a hardship difficult to bear." [Note: von Rad, p. 250.]

"At a time when the children of Israel were on their way to take possession of the land, Moses did well to remind them how in faith their forefathers had secured at least 'a grave which was his own property,' and thus to arouse in them the desire to finish the work of taking into full possession what had so long ago been promised to them." [Note: Leupold, 2:653.]

Verse 17-18

Abraham's purchase of the cave of Machpelah (lit. double cave, or split cave) indicates his continuing faith in God's promise to give the land of Canaan to him and his descendants. Similarly Jeremiah purchased property in the Promised Land on the eve of the Babylonian captivity to express his belief that God would bring the Israelites back there eventually (cf. Jeremiah 32:6-15). One does not usually bury his family in a place unless he considers it his home and plans to be there a long time.

Verse 19-20

The writer noted twice that Hebron was within the land of Canaan (Genesis 23:2; Genesis 23:19) and stressed repeatedly that the negotiations for the land were official (Genesis 23:10; Genesis 23:13; Genesis 23:16; Genesis 23:18). There was no doubt that this part of the land now justly belonged to Abraham and his heirs.

"This verse [Genesis 23:20] is a conclusion to Genesis 23:2-19. It seems strange appearing after Genesis 23:19 -which would have been a reasonable note on which to conclude. Its placement here points out that the crucial element in this chapter is not Sarah's death, but Abraham's acquisition of land from outsiders. As such, it is a harbinger of things to come." [Note: Hamilton, The Book . . . Chapters 18-50, p. 136.]

"The very fact that Abraham buried Sarah in the land of Canaan is proof of his unwavering faith. Knowing that his descendants would have to endure four hundred years of bitter bondage in a foreign country (Genesis 15:13), he looked beyond that to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises." [Note: Davis, p. 223.]

Isaac and Jacob as well as Abraham used this burial site. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah were all buried here. Rachel's tomb was near Bethlehem (lit. house of bread, i.e., granary).

The time of death should be the time when the godly proclaim their faith most loudly in view of our hope in God's promises.
24 Chapter 24
Verses 1-9

The thigh may be a euphemism for the genitals (Genesis 24:2). [Note: Ibid., p. 254; cf. Waltke, Genesis, p. 327.] The ancients considered the "thigh" to be the source of posterity and the seat of power (cf. Genesis 47:29).

"By putting his hand under Abraham's thigh, the servant was touching his genitals and thus giving the oath a special solemnity. In the ancient Orient, solemn oaths could be taken holding some sacred object in one's hand, as it is still customary to take an oath on the Bible before giving evidence in court. Since the OT particularly associates God with life (see the symbolism of the sacrificial law) and Abraham had been circumcised as a mark of the covenant, placing his hand under Abraham's thigh made an intimate association with some fundamental religious ideas. An oath by the seat of procreation is particularly apt in this instance, when it concerns the finding of a wife for Isaac." [Note: Wenham, Genesis 16-50, p. 141.]

"That act would be significantly symbolic in this instance, for success of the mission would make possible propagation of posterity and fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant." [Note: Howard F. Vos, Genesis, p. 90. See R. David Freedman, "'Put Your Hand Under My Thigh'-The Patriarchal Oath," Biblical Archaeology Review 2:2 (June 1976):3-4, 42.]

"Isaac was not regarded as a merely pious candidate for matrimony, but as the heir of the promise, who must therefore be kept from any alliance with the race whose possessions were to come to his descendants, and which was ripening for the judgment to be executed by those descendants." [Note: E. W. Hengstenberg, Dissertations on the Genuineness of the Pentateuch, 1:350. Cf. Esau's Canaanite wives, and Ishmael's Egyptian wife.]

Verses 10-28

Camels were relatively rare in this era, so the fact that Abraham owned 10 of them reflects his great wealth (Genesis 24:10; cf. Job 1:3). [Note: Wenham, Genesis 16-50, pp. 142-43, 146.] Genesis 24:12 is the first recorded instance of prayer for specific guidance in Scripture. Since camels could drink 25 gallons, the servant's sign was sagacious (Genesis 24:14). It tested Rebekah's kindness, hospitality, industry, and willingness to help a stranger.

"Although the Lord elects both Abraham and Rebekah, his mode of revelation to them is strikingly different. To Abraham he speaks (Genesis 12:7) in visions and auditions, to Rebekah he communicates through answered prayer and providential acts (Genesis 24:27; Genesis 24:48; Genesis 24:50)." [Note: Waltke, Genesis, p. 326.]

Verses 29-61

"Another striking feature of this story is that after introducing the new characters of Laban and his household, the writer allows the servant again to retell the narrative (Genesis 24:34-39). But as with most repetitions in biblical narrative, the retelling is not a mere repeating. It is rather a reassertion of the central points of the first narrative.... As we overhear the servant recount more details, we see that the miracle of God's provision was even more grand than that suggested in the narrative itself." [Note: Sailhamer, "Genesis," p. 177.]

Repeating an event confirmed its truthfulness in Scripture (cf. Genesis 41:32).

It was customary in Hurrian society to consult the bride before completing the marriage plans (Genesis 24:58-60). Also the brother took the lead in giving his sister in marriage. Note that Laban, Rebekah's brother, was the principal negotiator who represented the family rather than Bethuel, her father (cf. Genesis 24:50), or her mother (Genesis 24:53; Genesis 24:55; cf. Genesis 34:11-17; Genesis 42:1-3). Another view is that Bethuel was simply too old or was under his wife's control, as Rebekah later "organized" Isaac. [Note: Wenham, Genesis 16-50, p. 149.] The description of the family farewell also reflects Laban's leadership (Genesis 24:59-60). [Note: See West, pp. 67-68; and Speiser, pp. 184-85.] Rebekah demonstrated her faith in Abraham's God by decisively choosing to leave her family to marry Isaac (cf. the similar choices of Abraham and Ruth; Ruth 1:16).

Verses 62-67

Beer-lahai-roi, where Isaac lived and meditated (Genesis 24:62), was a place where God had previously answered prayer (cf. Genesis 16:14). This suggests that Isaac may have been praying for God's will to be done in the choice of his wife. Rebekah dismounted out of respect for her intended husband (cf. Joshua 15:18; 1 Samuel 25:23). Her self-veiling hinted at her becoming his bride since it was customary to veil the bride in a marriage ceremony. Normally Israelite women did not wear veils (cf. Genesis 12:14; Genesis 38:14).

"The final remarks (Genesis 24:67) again show that God's guidance in the mundane areas of life is good for those who put their trust in him. When Isaac took Rebekah as his wife, he loved her and was comforted with her after the death of his mother. In other words, Rebekah had taken the place of Sarah in the line of the descendants of Abraham." [Note: Sailhamer, "Genesis," p. 178.]

The significance of this long story in the larger context of special revelation is fourfold at least.

1. Primarily it demonstrates God's faithfulness to His promise to provide descendants for Abraham and, therefore, His trustworthiness. Along with this is the assurance that even though Abraham was soon to die God would fulfill His promises in the future.

2. It reveals that God guides people who are seeking His will so they discover it.

3. It illustrates God's selecting a bride for His Son out of the world through the agency of His Spirit, which the New Testament teaches.

4. It provides a good model, in the servant, of one who responded properly to the work of God. Abraham's servant prayed before he acted, praised when God answered his prayers, and lived believing that God controls all the affairs of life.

"There are two themes, one more central, one more auxiliary, which are highlighted by the example story [in Genesis 24]: the faithful, prudent and selfless steward acting on behalf of his master as messenger, and the good wife as a gift from the LORD, the theme underlying much of the steward's action." [Note: Wolfgang M. W. Roth, "The Wooing of Rebekah: A Tradition-Critical Study of Genesis 24," Catholic Biblical Quarterly 34 (1972):181.]