Abraham was old and well-born, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. And he said unto his eldest servant of his house, which had charge of all his goods, Put thine hand under my thigh, that I may make thee swear by the LORD God of heaven and earth, that thou shalt take unto my son a wife of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but that thou shalt go unto my fatherland, and to my friendship, and take unto my son Isaac a wife. And the servant said, If the woman will not follow me into this land, how shall I bring thy son again into the land whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him, Take heed lest thou bring my son thither again. The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my friendship, which spake unto me, and sware unto me, saying, This land will I give unto thy seed; and he shall send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife for my son there. But if the woman does not follow you
If you want to take my son, you are free from this oath; but do not take him there again. Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him. So the servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went, having with him all his master's goods, and arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels lie down without the city by a well of water in the evening about the time when the women went out to draw water, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, meet me this day, and have mercy on my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the people of this city shall come forth to draw water. If therefore a damsel come, to whom I say, Incline thy pitcher, and let me drink; and she shall say: Drink, and I will drink thy camellias also: that she may be she whom thou hast given to Isaac thy servant, and that I may know by her that thou hast shewed mercy on my lord. And before he went out
When he had spoken, behold, Rebekah came forth, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor Abraham's brother; and she bare a pitcher upon her shoulder; and she was a very fair damsel in appearance, and a virgin, and no man knew her: and she went down unto the well, and took the pitcher, and went up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me drink a little water out of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord. And she hasted, and let down the pitcher upon her hand, and watered him. And when she had made him drink, she said: I will drink unto thy camels also, until they all drink. 1) And she hasted, and poured out the pitcher into the trough, and ran to draw water, and drew water for all his camels. And the man marveled at them, and held his peace, until he perceived whether the Lord had well directed his journey or not. When the camels had all drunk, he took a gold forehead clasp weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets on their hands weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, "My daughter, to whom do you belong? Tell me. Have we room to dwell in thy father's house? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bare unto Nahor. And she said unto him, There is plenty of straw and fodder with us, and room enough to lodge. Then the man bowed himself, and worshipped the LORD, saying, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, which hath not left his mercy and his faithfulness upon my master: for the LORD hath led me by the way to my master's brother's house. And the damsel ran and told all these things at her mother's house. And Rebekah had a brother, whose name was Laban. And Laban ran unto the man without by the well: and when he saw the browbands and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus said the man unto me, he came unto the man, and, behold, he stood by the camels by the well. And said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD, why standest thou without? I have the
1, Erlanger: to drink. In the Bible: drunk.
He cleared the house and made room for the 2) camels. So he led the man into the house, and unharnessed the camels, and gave them straw and provender, and water to wash his feet, and the men that were with him, and set food before him. But he said, I will not eat until I have first advertised my cause. They answered: Tell me. He said: I am Abraham's servant, and the LORD hath blessed my lord abundantly, and waxed great, and hath given him sheep, and oxen, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses: moreover Sarah my lord's wife bare a son to my lord in his all, to whom he hath given all that he hath. And my lord took an oath of me, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Cananites, in whose land I dwell; but go to my father's house, and to my family, there take a wife for my son. And I said unto my lord, What if the wife will not follow me? Then said he unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and make thy way, that thou mayest take a wife for my son of my friendship, and of my father's house. Then shalt thou be even with my oath, when thou comest to my friendship: if they give thee not, thou shalt be even with my oath. So I came to the well this day, and said, O LORD God of my lord Abraham, thou hast made my way, whence I journeyed: behold, I stand here by the well of water. Now when a virgin comes forth to draw, and I say unto her, Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher; and she shall say, Drink thou, and I will draw for thy camels also, that she may be the wife which the LORD my master's son hath given. Now before I had spoken these words in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with a pitcher upon her shoulder, and went down to the well, and drew. And I said unto her, Give me to drink: and she hasted, and took the pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thee thy camels.
2) "also" is missing in the Erlanger.
3) "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
also water them. So I drank, and she also watered the camels. And I asked her, and said, What daughter art thou? She answered: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bare unto him. And I put a brace on her forehead, and bracelets on her hands, and bowed myself, and worshipped the LORD, and praised the LORD, 1) The God of my lord Abraham, which led me in the right way, to take my lord's brother's daughter unto his son. Now if you are those 2) who will do mercy and faithfulness to my lord, 3) tell me; if not, tell me, and I will turn to the right hand or to the left. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: This came forth from the LORD; therefore we cannot speak against it, either evil or good. Now Rebekah is before thee; take her, and go, that she may be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken. When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed himself to the LORD to the ground, and drew out silver and gold jewels and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; but to her brother 4) and to her mother he gave spices. 5) Then he ate and drank, and the men that were with him dwelt there overnight. And in the morning he arose, and said, Let me go to my lord. But her brother and mediator said: Let the damsel stay with us a day or ten, and then go. Then he said to them: Do not stop me, for the LORD has prepared my way; let me go to my master. Then said they, Let us call the damsel, and ask what she saith. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she answered, Yea, I will go with him. So they sent Rebekah her sister away with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou a thousand times a thousand, and thy seed possess the gates of his enemies. So Rebekah set out with her
1) "den HErrn" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) "so" is missing in the Erlanger.
3) "wollt" is missing in the Erlanger.
4) Erlanger: to their brothers.
5) Jenaer: delicious fruit.
And she sat down on the camels, and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and went. And Isaac came from the well of the living and seeing, because he dwelt in the land toward the south, and was gone out to seek b) in the field toward the evening. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw that there came camels. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and saw Isaac, and fell down from the camel, and said unto the servant: Who is this man that cometh to meet us in the field? And the servant said, This is my lord. Then she took the veil 7) and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things which he had set forth. And Isaac brought her into the tabernacle of Sarah his mother, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and loved her. So Isaac was comforted concerning his mother.
In the next two chapters we have heard about the dead, dying and burying; 8) here we hear again about life. Because that woman died, we must have a new bride again. Therefore, the chapter is no more than a history of the wedding, as it has approached the time. [But someone would like to say what a useless talker Moses is, that he makes so many words for the sake of the bride, describes it so exactly that he also says about camels alone. Now, we want to deal with the history first. But after this you will see a consolation, which all believers have, how God takes care of their things so hard.
2 Isaac was promised to be a father of a great nation, so it was certain that he would be married and have a wife. God also takes care of him. His life, his death, his honor, his goods, and all that he has are in God's hands; so also the wife he is to have, and yet does not know where she will come from. We fools do all things before we ask God for them, and do foolish things with them; afterward, when we see that the reproach is over, and the earnestness is lifted up, we grumble and are impatient. If we were Christians, and looked at man and woman in such a way that
6) In the Bible: pray.
7) In the Bible: cloak.
8) "heard" is missing in the Erlanger.
it was God's creation, and that we had to take everything from His hand, that we would not draw even a drop of water if God gave it, we would not make a mockery of it. The holy fathers accepted it all as a good gift from God, but we go along as if we had done it and God did not know about it or accept it.
(3) Behold, God thus provides for His own before Abraham, Isaac, and the servant, to whom they give thought with their friendship. To show that everything should be done in faith, that everything we have should be commanded to Him, especially the marriage state, the fruits of which are common in all the world, and for which reason it is established that people should be governed in the knowledge of God, and that children should be taught to fear God, and that care should be given to God.
4 But Abraham does not let this go; even though he and Isaac both ask God where the woman comes from, he still does as much as he needs to do. He shall leave off worrying and trust in God; he shall not leave off crooked work. I shall do my part, but how, when and where it is done, I shall command him. Therefore he commands God what he should take for one; but he sends his servant out among friends, not knowing where. As if he should say, as he also says: You will probably find one, only do not worry about what and how, you will have a great vile man. God from heaven has sworn to me and said, "This land I will give to your seed, who will send his angel before you, that you may take a wife for my son there." As if he wanted to say: If he wants to give my son the land, he will also give my son a wife; so he defies and insists on the promise. But if God will not provide it, then come again, he says, he will surely find where it is to come from; yes, he defies and insists even more, that he says, "He will send his angel before you"; so firmly does he hold to the promise of God. This is a piece that he makes the servant to seek as far as he is able to seek.
005 And he went further, and took an oath of the servant that he would never take a wife of the daughters of the land where he dwelt. This Abraham knew, that the Amorites, and
who dwelt in the land of Canaan were all to be destroyed, as it is said above in the fifteenth chapter, v. 16. 21. They] must all depart, if his seed should take the land. From the word it followed that he should not mix with the people, nor make friends with them, because God had already pronounced the judgment that they must all be cast out. So Abraham, as much as he had in him, did not spare work and effort, but commanded God to take care of him. Now, the servant is a pious, holy man, in great devotion and trust. Abraham will have drawn his servants in such a way that many of them will have been devout, but also many will have been wicked.
6th But that he laid his hands on Abraham's thigh, I had, must have been a usage, as we swear by the gospel or the saints; so that especially the great lords had the manner of taking an oath thus. Some interpret it spiritually, because Christ was to come from Abraham's blood and flesh, he therefore put his hand under Abraham's waist, so that the oath pointed to Christ. I let that go in his dignities.
(7) History also has this in it, that a pious Christian may also leave the world its right. Otherwise, one might have said, "What is he doing with this gilded work, that he lays such great things on it, and gives the servant ten cameos, gold and precious stones, and makes great splendor and gifts, so that he might give them to poor people? For this very reason it is written, that no one should think it a sin to ride with the bride more gloriously than he does in common life, that he should not be so tightly bound. It is not a sin to adorn a bride more beautifully than a maidservant, and to make a greater show of it, because these fathers did it. God allows it to happen in honor of the wedding, so that it may be praised.
Therefore one must leave the world its right, except the abundance, that one decorates a bride fairly, goes, eats and drinks, also that one dances beautifully, one must make no conscience about it, only that one resists, where it is abundance 1). God can well
1) Erlanger: exceedingly.
If one does a little too much at times, let no one's conscience be troubled.
9 But where one does not seek joy in it, but makes swine out of it, as we Germans do, 4>it is no good, one should resist. So it is also with the jewelry; now one must have so much pearls and silk, just as if the bride should not be adorned, but let it be seen how heavy she can carry. If that means adorned, then one could also adorn a cart, which could carry a lot of the thing; but there is a lack of regiment, which should see into it, and set measurements. It is also the fault of mad men who give women as much as they can hang around them; so it is a mad beast for a woman who cannot be satisfied with adornment. I say this because God is not angry if a man adorns himself well and lives well.
(10) So Abraham had the servant bring some gold jewels and ornaments for the bride, one of half a gold coin, the other two of ten gold coins. One gold coin is ten local florins, which is three and a half florins, so that it was all worth thirty florins.
(II) So now one would speak of dancing as we speak of adornment. That one says of it that it brings much stimulus to sins, is true, if it goes beyond the measures and discipline; but also one can well court with one who has neither jewelry nor beauty; for love is blind, falls so fchier on a cow dung, 1) than on a lily leaf. Therefore, because dancing is also the custom of the world, of the young people who take up marriage, if it is also done demurely, without shameful manner, words or gestures, only for joy, it is not to be condemned. This is what God has indicated herewith, that he lets it be written in such a way that the hopeful saints do not make sin out of it so soon; if only it is not brought into abuse.
The bride's side of the story is more delicate, so that one can see how the daughter is finely dressed. How kindly she receives the foreign servant, how willingly and servilely she 2) acquires herself,
1) Erlanger: Dirt.
2) Erlanger: beut.
that she serves him according to all need, runs and tells her father, and provides him shelter. This is how the children were raised in the past, so that they were able to serve, to be willing to accommodate everyone, especially guests and pilgrims, which virtue is often praised in the Scriptures. Item, afterwards, when he leads her home, and she sits on the camel, sees Isaac from afar, she falls from the camel, wraps the veil around her, and veils herself, has finely humble and chaste posed against the people, and led an honorable gesture, as the virgins look fine. It is also the best and loveliest adornment when they are chaste in their behavior, when they lower their eyes and do not throw themselves about; it is lovelier than all the gold that one may wear, as the wise man says: "Whoever has a chaste wife is not to be paid with money; but she is a strange animal. For it is a weak little flower around a woman, cannot keep itself nor govern itself.
(13) Now we should speak further of the marriage, how it should be done. The pope has forbidden in his rights the secret vows; but again, when it is done, he binds it, so that he has broken so many marriages, and tied them together again, that [it is] a pity. So now I have said, Let father and mother be mighty over the child. For there is no greater obedience on earth than father and mother obedience, nor greater authority. Where there is not father and mother, there shall be cousin, and whatsoever is next of kin, and guardians. Therefore I have said further: A maid or a boy shall not betroth himself; for hitherto the married life has been made a laughingstock and a disgrace, so that the young people have been ashamed to desire a married husband, and so they have been secretly driven into corners.
This is how it should be: If one is engaged behind the will of the parents, it shall stand with the parents, whether it is valid or not. You must not go to Rome for this; father and mother should do it, if it pleases them to confirm it; if not, they should only tear it up so that it does not bind. If this were to happen, much error and fornication would remain, since otherwise all misfortune and heartache would follow.
(15) Again, the parents should be wise, whether the children should and must follow them, that they may advise them 1) of their will, as Abraham does here. For it is Isaac's will that the father do as he pleases. Item, when the servant comes, and woos the bride, they say: "There is Rebekka, take her"; so they were already given together; still the brother goes to, and lets them also ask. All this is written, that Christian beings should be free, yes, go with will, out of desire and love; as Paul says to Philemon, v. 8-10, "I would have authority to command you what is your due; but, for love's sake, I admonish you" 2c. And soon after, v. 14: "Without thy will I would do nothing, that thy good might not be compelled, but be self-willed." So that a seriousness may remain in the matter, and not a joke be made of it. It is a high, noble estate, and with others it is nothing compared to this; for it must provide for and govern all, therefore it should also be raised to God's name. But what more is to be said of the marital state, how often marriage is broken up or separated and permitted, you may read in the booklet written about it.
(16) Thus we have the marriage of the patriarch Isaac, prepared by the Father, and provided for him by God; as I have often said, that it behooves a right Christian man to wait for all the goods of God, and only to be idle with care. From this, no doubt, Solomon took the saying [Proverbs 19:14]: Domu8 6t äivitiuo llaoroäitas purontum; a Domino autom uxor pruäons; "House and goods inherit the parents; but a sensible wife comes from the Lord." Parents can do much to provide a house and goods, but that it will be well with a wife is in God's hands alone. That is why a wife is more valuable than a house and a farm. Man has power from God to rule animals and all that is on earth, so that he may be master [Gen. 2:20]; therefore he has in his power the house and what belongs in the house, but he does not have the power to rule the wife. For no one can govern the soul of man, but God alone, through
1) Wittenberg and Jena: themselves.
the word and gospel. Where this is not, it remains ungoverned; but if it is governed, it becomes hypocrisy, and does not come from the heart. Hence the cry about married life, that it is a strange thing for a woman; for they are evil to rule.
(17) Therefore it is written that whoever wishes to begin a married life, to begin it in faith and in God's name, pray to God that the estate may succeed according to his will, so that it may not be made a laughingstock and a juggler. It is an annual thing, and as great an earnestness as there may be on earth; therefore, it is not to be slipped into, as the world does, to follow frivolity and levity, and to seek pleasure therein, but to ask God beforehand that one may lead such a life in honor of God. If they do not do so, they may thank God; if they do not do so well, they should not be surprised, because they did not begin it in God's name and ask Him for His blessing, but are under their own authority to govern people who are not in their hands. But whoever lets God do it and master it, it goes happily. I do not know much more to say about the chapter according to history; the best part is the faith of Abraham, who sends his servant to the defiance of the promise, promised to him. fWe] now also want to see something of the secret interpretation.
(18) Now here we have to mention Christ, who must always be there; if he is not found, it is not right. Isaac is an image of the Lord Christ, and he also has the right name, namely, as a laughing man who laughs for joy, so that he also indicates Christ by his name. He is the joyful child who makes people laugh, so that all hearts that know him must overflow with joy.
19 Now Abraham is here, that is, God appoints him a wife and brings her from another country; that is, Paul says in Eph. 5:25, 32: His bride is called the Christian church. For the marriage state is a sacrament and spiritual interpretation of Christ and Christianity, that we are all one body with Christ, who believe, and his bride; as he also says to the Corinthians [2. Ep. 11, 2.]
a pure virgin to Christ". Christ has a bride, whom he wants to remain a virgin and pure, like him. But she would not be pure if he had not made her pure, as St. Paul says in Eph. 5:25-27: "He gave himself for her, that he might sanctify her, and cleanse her with the bath of water in the word, that he might present unto him a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, but that she should be holy and without blemish." He found them unclean, but added the word, preached the gospel, and thereby cleansed them when they believed. So Christianity is his bride, which has the name from him, that she is called as ^r is called, and what the bridegroom has is all hers.
(20) But where did the bride come from, who fetched her and brought her so that 1) they could come together? The father had to send a servant with camels to fetch her. The bride does not seek the bridegroom, nor is this the usage, but he must have the first word and woo her. This also means that it is not in us to seek a unified good work. Thus the heavenly Father sends his messengers, wooing them, so that we 2) may not boast that we were the first and started it; he wants to keep the glory that he did the first work by his word. But the servants and messengers are the holy prophets and apostles, sent by God into the world to guide His word and bring Christianity to Him. But how does he send them? So that they do not know where he is sending them. (He names the country, the city and the friendship, but he does not say which maidservant they are to be until they arrive, when she appears before his eyes unawares.
(21) With this, the essence of the gospel as it works in the world is all explained. They just go and let the word go, let God take care of it, who can find it and send it under eyes, so that it is there before one looks around. Before he enters the house, the bride goes out and meets him. So, if they just let the ministry go, preach the word, the Rebekah who is supposed to be there comes out and meets him.
1) Erlanger: da.
2) Erlanger: they.
and believes, thus becomes the bride. Now the servant of his master gives her goods. Paul interprets this from 1 Cor. 4:1: "For this reason, consider us servants of Christ and stewards of the mystery of God. First, the servant gives her special jewels, like those given to brides, inaures, or forehead bracelets, of half a shekel of gold, that is, almost one Hungarian florin; then also an armlet, which she puts on her hands and arms, ten shekels of gold, that is, four and twenty florins; the two he expresses specially. The first jewel on the forehead is not precious, the other is still twenty times as precious on [the] hands. Now the spiritual goods which he brings with him, and gifts which he gives to the bride, mother and friends, these are the mysteries of God, as Paul calls them, and in short, nothing but the gospel; which brings with it brow bands and bracelets, that is, it brings with it faith, and then the gifts of the Spirit.
22 Thus the two are put on in the Revelation of John [Cap. 14, 9.], the forehead and hands, which the end-Christ forbade, that no man should buy nor sell, except he had a mark, seal, and mark of the forehead and hands, as here. These are the two pieces, faith and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The hands signify the outward life that a Christian man leads; but the forehead is the face before God. Faith seems to be small, but it is much nobler and better; love seems to be much greater, as it is, therefore it spreads widely and serves everyone. For, faith alone acts against God, and goes to one person; but love goes to all people. Summa, this is how the jewels indicate the manifold gifts of God, as Paul calls them and tells us in 1 Cor. 12, 4 and also in Rom. 12, 6, which are given to Christianity when it believes. But faith must be first, after which God comes with all His beautiful gifts and adorns them with them, as. Prophesying, ruling, wisdom, understanding, discerning of spirits 2c. All these things have now passed away in the time of the apostles, who were sent into the Jewish land.
3) "also" is missing in the Jena.
To offer and distribute the Gospel with its goods and gifts.
23 Further, Laban, the bride's brother, is called in German white, glistening, which shines brightly and glistens, with whom one finds the bride. This is the synagogue and Judaism, which was finely decorated and adorned, but all shiny and glistening. For the gospel does not strike the most wicked spirits, but those who have practiced, who would gladly be pious; there it commonly finds poor, wretched consciences, among whom it finds the bride, [who] is imprisoned under the law, whom it must set free and bring to Christ.
(24) This also means that she goes out with the jar from her father's house to fetch water. First of all, she is a maid, not a woman; this is the Jewish people, who carried themselves with the jar of the law, which is vain water that waters only the animals, the external people who know nothing of faith; carries it on his back, this is the burden that those carry who handle the law.
(25) But the law serves to keep the people finely in check, so that they may lead a fine, chaste life, like Rebekah here, who is now to become a woman. The ministry of preaching is nothing but a water jar, from which the camels are watered; but the camels are the great, hopeful saints, for which the apostles must also drink of the water. Thus we have two preaching ministries, law and gospel. The law is a gleaming, the gospel comes and brings us to the Lord, who makes us a woman.
26. the bride's name is also Rebekka, that is, a fattened woman, or a fat woman 1).
1) This is how this word is written in the Wittenberg and in the Jena. Erlanger: Plüntzsch.
and fat boasting, that is the synagogue, fattened and fat with great works, but must afterwards draw in and slenderize themselves by the gospel, is still fat and full of their own works, that they may throb heavenward, like the fat Eglon [Judges 3:17].
27) This is the meaning by which the preaching ministry and the gospel is modeled, what it accomplishes in the world, how Christ reigns, and lets the apostles bring his bride, whom they do not know who she should be, whom he then takes to himself; their mother and friends he leaves in the country, and gives them gifts, but to the bride he gives it all, puts her in all the goods that he has. Christianity is made up of Jews and Gentiles, 2) has come to Christ even with one another; but the Synagogue has only a piece and a part, a small jewel of it.
028 And Abraham's commanding the servant that he should take no wife for his son, save of his own friendship, and not of the Canaanites, signifieth that Christ is not promised save unto the Jews. Then the bride had to be fetched; but we were added, like the harlot, so Rebekah led along. But the head and best of Christianity was the Jewish people, that is the blood. Christ is their cousin, coming from the fathers; the apostles were actually sent to the Jews. But since they did not want to listen, they turned to the Gentiles, like Rebecca takes her nurse and maids with her, and what she belongs to. That is the historia with the meaning; now we want to bury Abraham, and make out his legend.
2) "und Heiden" is missing in the Erlanger.