Genesis 24:41
New International Version
You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’

New Living Translation
Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.’

English Standard Version
Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

Berean Standard Bible
And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

Berean Literal Bible
Then you will be clear from my oath—when you come to my kindred; and if they do not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

King James Bible
Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

New King James Version
You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

New American Standard Bible
then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

NASB 1995
then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

NASB 1977
then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

Legacy Standard Bible
Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives. Now if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

Amplified Bible
then you will be free of my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will [also] be free of my oath.’

Berean Annotated Bible
And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.

Christian Standard Bible
Then you will be free from my oath if you go to my family and they do not give her to you—you will be free from my oath.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then you will be free from my oath if you go to my family and they do not give her to you—you will be free from my oath.’”

American Standard Version
then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

Contemporary English Version
But if they refuse to let her come back with you, then you are freed from your promise."

English Revised Version
then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then you will be free from your oath to me. You will also be free of your oath to me if my relatives are not willing to do this when you go to them.'

Good News Translation
There is only one way for you to be free from your vow: if you go to my relatives and they refuse you, then you will be free.'

International Standard Version
Only then will you be released from fulfilling my oath. However, when you come to my family, if they don't give her to you, you'll be released from fulfilling my oath.'

NET Bible
You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.'

New Heart English Bible
Then will you be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives. And if they do not give her to you, then you will be free from my oath.’

Webster's Bible Translation
Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

World English Bible
Then you will be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don’t give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
then you are acquitted from my oath, when you come to my family; and if they do not give [one] to you, then you have been acquitted from my oath.

Berean Literal Bible
Then you will be clear from my oath—when you come to my kindred; and if they do not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

Young's Literal Translation
then art thou acquitted from my oath, when thou comest unto my family, and if they give not one to thee; then thou hast been acquitted from my oath.

Smith's Literal Translation
Then shalt thou be clean from mine oath, when thou shalt come to my family; if they will not give to thee, and thou shalt be pure from mine oath.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But thou shalt be clear from my curse, when thou shalt come to my kindred, if they will not give thee one.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But you will be innocent of my curse, if, when you will arrive at my close relatives, they will not grant this to you.’

New American Bible
Then you will be freed from my curse. If you go to my family and they refuse you, then, too, you will be free from my curse.’

New Revised Standard Version
Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my kindred; even if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then you shall be clear from my oath, when you go to my kindred; and if they do not give you a bride, you shall be clear from my oath.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And then you will be clear from my oath when you go to my family, and if they do not give to you, you are free from my oath.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then shalt thou be clear from my curse, for whensoever thou shalt have come to my tribe, and they shall not give her to thee, then shalt thou be clear from my oath.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rebekah is Chosen
40And he told me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house. 41And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ 42So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success!…

Cross References
And when you go to my kindred,

Genesis 31:13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up, leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

Genesis 28:1-2
So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded. / “Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

Genesis 27:43
So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran.
if they refuse to give her to you,

Exodus 22:16-17
If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife. / If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, the man still must pay an amount comparable to the bridal price of a virgin.

Deuteronomy 25:7-9
But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.” / Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, “I do not want to marry her,” / his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, “This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother’s line.”

Ruth 4:6-8
The kinsman-redeemer replied, “I cannot redeem it myself, or I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it.” / Now in former times in Israel, concerning the redemption or exchange of property, to make any matter legally binding a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party, and this was a confirmation in Israel. / So the kinsman-redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.”
then you will be released from my oath.’

Joshua 2:17-20
The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear / unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your family into your house. / If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads. …

Numbers 30:5
But if her father prohibits her on the day he hears about it, then none of the vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. The LORD will absolve her because her father has prohibited her.

1 Samuel 14:24-30
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food. / Then all the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. / And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. …
Genesis 24:3-4
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, / but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Genesis 26:3-5
Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. / I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, / because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

Genesis 12:1-3
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. / I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. / I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 15:18-21
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— / the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, / Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, …

Genesis 17:7-8
I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. / And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”

Genesis 22:16-18
saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son, / I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. / And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Exodus 3:8
I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.


Treasury of Scripture

Then shall you be clear from this my oath, when you come to my kindred; and if they give not you one, you shall be clear from my oath.

Genesis 24:8
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.

Deuteronomy 29:12
That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day:

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Genesis 24
1. Abraham swears his servant.
10. The servant's journey.
12. His prayer.
14. His sign.
15. Rebekah meets him;
18. fulfils his sign;
22. receives jewels;
23. shows her kindred;
25. and invites him home.
26. The servant blesses God.
29. Laban entertains him.
34. The servant shows his message.
50. Laban and Bethuel approve it.
58. Rebekah consents to go, and departs.
62. Isaac meets and marries her.












And when you go to my kindred
This phrase refers to Abraham's instructions to his servant to seek a wife for Isaac from his own family. Abraham's kindred were located in Mesopotamia, specifically in the city of Nahor. This reflects the cultural practice of endogamy, marrying within one's extended family or tribe, which was common in ancient Near Eastern societies to preserve family lineage and property.

if they refuse to give her to you
The possibility of refusal highlights the autonomy and agency of the family in marriage negotiations. It also underscores the importance of consent in the marriage process, even in patriarchal societies. This reflects the cultural norms of the time, where family approval was crucial in marriage arrangements.

then you will be released from my oath
Abraham's servant was bound by an oath to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham's relatives. The release from the oath indicates the seriousness of oaths in ancient times, which were considered binding and sacred. This also shows Abraham's trust in God's providence, acknowledging that if the family refused, it was not God's will for Isaac to marry from his kindred. This reflects a broader biblical theme of reliance on divine guidance and the fulfillment of God's promises.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Abraham
The patriarch who sends his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac from his own relatives, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the covenant lineage.

2. Servant of Abraham
Likely Eliezer, tasked with finding a wife for Isaac, demonstrating faithfulness and obedience to his master's instructions.

3. Isaac
Abraham's son, for whom the servant is seeking a wife, representing the continuation of God's covenant with Abraham.

4. Abraham's Clan
The family from which the servant is to find a wife for Isaac, highlighting the importance of marrying within the faith community.

5. Oath
A solemn promise made by the servant to Abraham, underscoring the seriousness of the task and the servant's commitment to fulfilling it.
Teaching Points
Faithfulness in Service
The servant's commitment to Abraham's instructions teaches us the importance of being faithful and diligent in the tasks God entrusts to us.

Trust in God's Providence
The servant's journey and reliance on God's guidance remind us to trust in God's provision and timing in our own lives.

Importance of Community
The emphasis on finding a wife from Abraham's clan highlights the value of community and shared faith in relationships.

Release from Obligations
The provision for release from the oath if the family refuses shows the balance between human responsibility and divine sovereignty.

Obedience and Initiative
The servant's proactive approach in seeking a wife for Isaac encourages us to take initiative while remaining obedient to God's will.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Genesis 24:41?

2. How does Genesis 24:41 demonstrate God's guidance in fulfilling His promises?

3. What role does faith play in the servant's mission in Genesis 24:41?

4. How can we apply the servant's obedience in Genesis 24:41 to our lives?

5. What connections exist between Genesis 24:41 and God's covenant with Abraham?

6. How does Genesis 24:41 encourage us to trust God's timing and direction?

7. What does Genesis 24:41 reveal about God's guidance in fulfilling promises?

8. How does Genesis 24:41 illustrate the importance of faith in God's plan?

9. What role does obedience play in the context of Genesis 24:41?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 24?

11. How did Abraham interact with the King of Sodom?

12. What is Shechem's significance in the Bible?

13. What does 'one flesh' in marriage signify?

14. What does the Bible say about unemployment?
What Does Genesis 24:41 Mean
And when you go to my kindred,

• Abraham sends his trusted servant back to Mesopotamia, insisting that Isaac’s wife come from the same family line (Genesis 24:4).

• This preserves the covenant lineage, avoiding the idolatry of the Canaanites (Genesis 28:1; Deuteronomy 7:3–4).

• The phrase underscores responsible human action taken in full confidence that God is guiding each step (Proverbs 3:5–6; Genesis 24:27).


if they refuse to give her to you,

• Abraham anticipates the possibility of human reluctance, acknowledging that even legitimate plans can meet resistance (Genesis 24:5).

• His caution mirrors later scriptural wisdom about counting the cost and allowing others freedom to choose (Luke 14:28; Proverbs 16:9).

• Rebekah herself ultimately exercises free will in agreeing to go (Genesis 24:58), showing how God’s sovereignty works through voluntary human responses (Acts 13:48).


then you will be released from my oath.

• Abraham makes clear that obedience has limits—if the family declines, the servant is no longer bound (Genesis 24:8).

• Scripture treats oaths seriously, but also provides for release when conditions cannot be met (Numbers 30:5; Matthew 5:37).

• This clause protects the servant’s conscience while displaying Abraham’s faith that God will still achieve His purpose even if the first avenue closes (Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 10:13).


summary

Genesis 24:41 shows Abraham balancing faith and practicality. He commands active pursuit of God’s plan—finding Isaac a wife among covenant relatives—yet recognizes that people may refuse. If they do, the servant’s obligation ends, proving that our fidelity to God includes both earnest effort and peaceful trust in His ultimate control.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then,
אָ֤ז (’āz)
Adverb
Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore

when
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you go
תָב֖וֹא (ṯā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

my kindred,
מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י (miš·paḥ·tî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

they refuse to
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

give her
יִתְּנוּ֙ (yit·tə·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to you,
לָ֔ךְ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

you will be
וְהָיִ֥יתָ (wə·hā·yî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

released
נָקִ֖י (nā·qî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5355: Clean, free from, exempt

from my oath.’
מֵאָלָתִֽי׃ (mê·’ā·lā·ṯî)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 423: An imprecation


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OT Law: Genesis 24:41 Then will you be clear from my (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 24:40
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